TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Challenge 2016) - Thailand is not exactly top of mind when one considers teams to watch in Asian basketball, but that may change soon with this new generation of players and heightened interest in the sport back home. One of the players at the forefront of this basketball surge in Thailand is Patiphan Klahan, who recently put up good numbers in Thailand’s loss to Japan at the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 in Tehran, Iran.

Klahan led Thailand in scoring with 17 points while also pulling down 5 rebounds. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and impressed in nearly 37 minutes on the floor. He is considered one of the future stars for Thailand, and he is relishing in the opportunity to learn from every game here in Tehran.

FIBA.com taked to Klahan after their game against Japan.

FIBA.com: What can you say about your team’s performance against Japan?
Klahan: I really think the team improved a whole lot better on defense and overall communication on the court.

FIBA.com: You were one of your team’s best players today. What enabled you to play so well?
Klahan: I would like to thank my coach for giving me the opportunity to play and my teammates for helping me play well today. Their movement and spacing really opened up the game for me and made it a lot easier to play offense.

FIBA.com: What is the main objective for Thailand in this tournament?
Klahan: Our main objective is to get as much experience as we can from playing against the best competition in Asia and for this young team to grow and get better.

FIBA.com: What can you say about the level of basketball in Thailand? Has it been improving and why?
Klahan: Thailand basketball is growing and might be even more popular in a few years. Now they are starting to have more sponsors for teams and players to make the sport more famous in Thailand.

FIBA.com: What are the things Thailand need to improve for future games and competitions?
Klahan: I think we need to start by developing the younger players earlier and having more opportunities for them to help them grow and have a better understanding of the game.

FIBA