source: www.inquirer.net
Agence France-Presse


BEIJING -- State media on Monday bemoaned the worst performance in decades by China's men's basketball team, which crashed out of the Asian championships in the first round.

The upset came as a blow to a country with high hopes for the men's team at next year's Beijing Olympics.

Even though China sent a second string team to defend their Asian title in Japan, Titan Sports and other newspapers pointed out that for the first time in 32 years, the 14-time champions failed to reach the event's knock-out stages.

The team looked "dead from the neck up," said the Beijing Times, during the later stages of their match Sunday against the Philippines, which they had to win to stay in contention for a quarter-final place. They lost 79-74.

On Saturday, the side lost to lowly Jordan.

China's chief coach A Dijiang agreed that the team went off the boil at a crucial stage of the defeat to the Philippines.

"Their minds went blank, forgetting everything they knew about tactics and technique," he told the Titan Sports newspaper.

But the coach said the result was only to be expected given the side's youth and inexperience.

Sixteen countries, divided into four groups, are competing in the championships. The winner of the tournament qualifies for a place in the Olympics next year.

As hosts of next year's Summer Games, China automatically get a berth in the basketball tournament and do not have to pre-qualify here.

China's A-team are playing in the Stankovic Cup, an international tournament in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The team includes former NBA player Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian, recently chosen in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Houston Rockets star Yao Ming is out injured.

source: www.fiba.com

TOKUSHIMA (FIBA Asia Championship) - Lebanon showed character to overcome the loss of a mainstay at the crucial stage of the game to score a psychologically important 90-68 win against West Asian rivals Qatar in Group I of the Quarterfinal round on Tuesday.

Leading by a none too 'winnable' 64:53 lead, with 01:54 left on the clock, Lebanon mainstay Joe Vogel had to be carried off the court, having suffered a bloody injury in a freak incident. Eyebrows knotted among the Lebanese supporters, for the tall center, in combination with Fadi El-Khatib had played a pivotal role - literally in the basketball sense - in taking his side to the forefront in the encounter.

But El-Khatib came up with his best showing of the championship thus far, to cover up for his prolific colleague's and finished with a game-high of 38 points and nine rebounds.

"We were in a wonderful rhythm when Joe got injured. That's when I thought I have to raise my game," El-Khatib said.

"Of course losing Vogel at that juncture was a concerning factor," said Lebanon coach Dragan Raca. "But Fadi made up for his absence."

"I must say things rather went our way than not," Raca said. "We know beating a team like Qatar is a big boost to our morale. I'm really satisfied with the way our plans worked," the Serbian added.

"I really couldn't understand what went wrong with them," Raca said.

"We would have fixed the problem if we knew what it was," said Qatar coach Edward Andrist. "I think once we went down, we lost focus."

"I accept it was the failure of the coaching staff. But having said that, I must give full marks to them," the American said.

"Our defense was virtually absent in the first half. I thought we were in our elements only in the third quarter. But it was too little against a tough and tactically sound combination," Andrist said.

Both the coaches said there were tougher hurdles ahead.

"It doesn't matter what happened. We have to start planning for tomorrow," both of them spoke in exactly similar words.

"The true test of character of our team will come tomorrow. If we can play at our best," Andrist said.

"We need to prove we can produce these results consistently. Today we have won, but tomorrow is another day. We need to play like this again," Raca said.

Lebanon take on Chinese Taipei, while Qatar match wits with Iran on Wednesday.

Scores

Lebanon 90 (Fadi El-Khatib 38, Joseph Vogel 14) bt Qatar 68 (Yasseen Musa 19, Daoud Daoud 14). Quarterwise: 27-16, 52-30, 70-59.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia

Ni Ramil Cruz

Uumpisahan ng San Miguel Corporation-Team Pilipinas ang halos mission impossible na kampanya sa 24th FIBA (International Basketball Federation)-Asia Championship for Men sa pagsalubong sa hamon ng Iran ngayong alas-sais ng gabi sa Tokushima, Japan.

Bagama’t may ulat habang isinusulat ang balitang ito, na nagpupulong pa ang SMC-RP officials para sa final 12 players na bubuo sa Pinoy squad, lumutang na ilang linggo pa na magiging turista lang sa Land of the Rising Sun sina Ren-Ren Ritualo at Ranidel de Ocampo ng Air21 at Tony dela Cruz ng Alaska Milk.

Sinasabing mababatid lang ang last 12 players ng bansa bago mag-buzzer sa game nito sa Iranians matapos ang pagtutuos ng Jordan at defending champion China sa alas-11:15 ng umaga.

Ayon kahapon kay Philippine Basketball Association media bureau head Willie Marcial, nasa closed-door meeting umano hanggang presstime sina national coach Chot Reyes, team manager Robert Non at PBA commissioner Noli Eala. At ang anunsyo ay ihahayag lang bago ang game.

Subalit may lumutang na rin sa hiwalay na e-mail sa Abante TONITE na galing sa pro league, na ang huling 12 maglalaro sa torneong ito ay sina Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand at Eric Menk ng Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Danny Seigle at Dondon Hontiveros ng San Miguel Beer, Kerby Raymundo ng Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Mick Pennisi ng Red Bull, Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag at Ritualo ng Talk ‘N Text, Kelly Williams ng Sta. Lucia Realty at Gabe Norwood.Kasama nina De Ocampo at Dela Cruz na magmimiron lang sa Tokushima si James Yap.

Dinaig na ng Nationals ang Iranians sa nakalipas na buwang Jones Cup sa Taiwan, 89-79, ngunit nananatiling peligroso ang mga Arabo dahil sa malaking iniasenso rin nito sa laro, kagaya ng makakatuos sa Lunes na Jordan. Ang Chinese ang nakahambalang muna sa mga Pinoy na makakatuos nito bukas.

Ang pagtikim ng Pinoy quintet ng European basketball noong Hunyo ang humikayat kay Reyes na palakasin pa ang line-up sa pagdagdag kina Menk sa center, Williams sa wing at Yap sa shooting. Subalit malakas na karibal ng huli si Ritualo, na napatunayan lalo sa huling mga laban ng team.

Kailangang makadalawang panalo ang RP 5 sa Group A preliminary round na tinuran ni Reyes na ‘Group of Death’ upang gumanda ang tsansang makasulong sa quarterfinals.

Hinahangad ng tropa na maghari rito o tumapos na segunda sakaling ang mga Intsik ang mamayagpag upang mag-qualify sa 2008 Beijing Olympics sa unang pagkakataon sa loob ng 35.

Ika-24 na stint na ito ng RP sa FIBA-Asia na dating kilalang Asian Basketball Confederation Men’s Championship kung saan ang golden performances ay noong 1960 sa bansa, 1963 sa Taipei, 1967 sa South Korea, 1973 sa ‘Pinas uli at 1985 sa Malaysia. Nag-silver tayo noong 1965 sa Malaysia at 1971 sa Japan habang bronze noong 1969 sa Thailand.

Ang record naman ng mga Pinoy sa Olympics ay panlima sa 1936 Berlin sa apat na panalo at isang talo, 12th noong 1948 London sa 4-4 win-loss mark, katabla sa pangsiyam noong 1952 Helsinki sa 3-2, pampito noong 1956 Melbourne sa 4-4, ika-11 sa 1960 Rome sa 4-4 at 13th place sa parehong 3-6 sa 1968 Tokyo at 1972 Munich Games.

Huling batch na cage Olympians sina team captain Edgardo Ocampo, William Adornado, Narciso Bernardo, Ricardo Cleofas, Danny Florencio, Jaime Mariano, Rosalio Martinez, Rogelio Melencio, Manny Paner, Adriano Papa Jr., Marte Samson at Freddie Webb. Si Ignacio Ramos ang head coach.