Iraq replaces Lebanon in FIBA - Asia tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Iraq, a lowly West Asian team, has taken over the slot of Lebanon in the coming 27th FIBA Asia Championship as a result of the Lebanese basketball federation’s indefinite suspension from FIBA rolls because of unresolved issues within the organization.

The FIBA Central Board imposed the sanction on Lebanon at the end of the Friday deadline it set for the Lebanese cage body to resolve its intramurals.

Internal squabbling in the Lebanese basketball federation has reached the court with club teams Amchit and Mouttahed filing a legal case against the governing body.

Before the FIBA suspension, Lebanon was among those tipped to contend for the three 2014 FIBA World Cup berths to be staked in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship slated Aug. 1-11 in Manila.

Lebanon, participant in all the last three world jousts, was drawn with Qatar, Japan and Hong Kong in Group B of the preliminary round of the Asian world qualifiers. It should have been among Gilas Pilipinas’ chief rivals for a top berth in the A-B bracket.

The Lebanese, bannered by their do-it-all star Fadi El-Khatib and a succession of talented naturalized players, were finalists in the FIBA Asia Championship in 2001, 2005 and 2007 and semifinalists in 2003 and 2009.

The Lebanese have been struggling in the ongoing Jones Cup because their new naturalized player Lorenzo Woods has just arrived in Taipei.

Due to this development in Beirut, Iraq is competing in FIBA Asia for the first time in 26 years. It has played in the continental games just thrice, placing sixth in 1977 in Malaysia, eighth in 1979 in Japan and ninth in Thailand in 1987.

In the last West Asian Championship, Iraq was the whipping boy, losing by big margins to eventual champion Iran, runner-up Lebanon and third placer Jordan.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes couldn’t care less on what happened to Lebanon.

“Not too worried about Lebanon’s suspension coz we’re too focused on ourselves 1st,” said Reyes on his Twitter account.

In Napier, New Zealand, the Phl national team made it two in a row over the Hawke’s Bay Hawks, scoring a 73-70 win yesterday.

The Nationals close their five-day clinic under coach Tab Baldwin today then play the NBL All Stars in their farewall game in Napier before hopping over to Wellington.

In Taipei, Iran inched closer to putting the wraps on the 2013 Jones Cup crown in walloping the USA, 86-62.

South Korea repulsed Japan, 75-66; Jordan nipped Lebanon, 69-67; and Egypt crushed the host team, 72-62, in the other games.

Learning about the sad development in Beirut, the Lebanese players later issued a statement, appealing to Lebanese officials to act quickly.

“We call on President Michel Sleiman and head of the Olympic committee Jean Hammam to act quickly to save the national team and keep our dream alive to qualify for the World Championship,” the statement read.

Winning all their first six games, the Iranians virtually clinch the championship should they make it seven in a row versus the Taiwanese.