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SINCE
the lifting of the suspension by the international cage
body, the country’s return to international basketball
has not been that welcoming as far as bracketing is
concerned.
Just
like the country’s men’s team, which found its way into
a difficult group in the Tokushima sojourn last year,
the Philippine youth team of coach Franz Pumaren was not
spared of falling into a so-called Group of Death.
“I just
hope the players will step up to the challenge,” Pumaren
told the BusinessMirror after learning that his team is
up against tough competition in the International
Basketball Federation (Fiba)-Asia Championship for
Junior Men starting August 28 in Tehran, Iran.
Fibaasia.net reported that Group C “can be termed the
Group of Death at Tehran with two semifinalists of the
Urumqui Championship—Chinese Taipei and Lebanon—drawn
together alongside the Philippines and the United Arab
Emirates [UAE].”
The
Philippines is a six-time champion in this tournament,
but its last taste of the gold medal was in 1982, when
the country hosted the tournament and beat China in the
finals.
The
young Filipino dribblers are making a return trip in the
tournament and Pumaren expects a tough opposition from
the field, with China as the defending champion of the
biennial meet.
“We
really don’t know what to expect, but reading in the web
site that we are in the Group of Death, that means we
are in for a tough grind,” Pumaren added.
The RP
Youth opens its campaign against Chinese Taipei on
August 28 at the Azadi Stadium. Lebanon will be next for
the Filipino cagers the following day and the UAE on
August 30.
The
men’s team of coach Chot Reyes was also placed in the
dreaded Group of Death in the last Fiba-Asia qualifiers
in Japan for the Beijing Olympics when RP 5 was
bracketed with China, Jordan and eventual champion Iran.
The
Philippine Basketball Association-backed squad managed
to beat the “pirated” version of Chinese squad but bowed
to Jordan and Lebanon that put them in the consolation
round.
The
Philippines has made it to the semifinals of the
tournament in all the first 12 editions but started to
miss the medal round in 1995, which the country also
hosted.
The top
three teams in this tournament will represent Asia in
the Fiba World Championship for Junior Men in New
Zealand next year.
China, Japan, India and Hong Kong are bracketed in Group A,
while Korea heads Group B that also includes Saudi
Arabia, Kazakhstan and Jordan.
Iran, for being the host country, got the privilege of
choosing its group and it opted for Group D that also
includes Kyrgyzstan, Syria and Malaysia.
Iran is looking to win the title it last hoisted in 2004 in
Bangalore, India, when it defeated Korea in the finals. |
