CHENZHOU (FIBA Champions Cup 2016) - Ali Haidar is playing in only his second FIBA Asia tournament, but he has already made quite a mark. He has been a solid frontliner for Al Riyadi, anchoring their shot-blocking and helping them clean the glass. In six games at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016, the 2.02m forward-center has averaged 9.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per outing. This certainly makes him a marked man in today’s Final, where Al Riyadi are to face similarly unbeaten China Kashgar. To win that titanic tussle, Haidar believes his team must be physical as the hosts are the much bigger unit.

Ali Haidar shared his thoughts with FIBA.com after yesterday’s win in the Semi-Finals.

FIBA.com: This is your second FIBA Asia event, what does this mean to you?
Haidar: The FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha-Hunan last year was my first FIBA Asia event, and it was a dream come true for me. This championship is my second FIBA Asia event, and it’s a continuation of that dream. I want to work hard to help my team win it for the second time in its illustrious history

FIBA.com: It was struggle for you in the first three games but you put an impressive display against Petrochimi in the final day of the group phase, why?
Haidar: My defensive contributions helped the team beat Petrochimi in that game, yes. In the third quarter, I was deployed as a center, and I managed to get some crucial blocks that allowed the team to cut the difference and win. I’m happy, and I wish I can do it again in the Final against China

FIBA.com: How prepared the team was coming into this event?
Haidar: We started preparing 20 days before the Championship. We didn’t have much time, but game by game we improved. Our win on Petrochimi in the last day of the Group Phase showed how much we have improved.

FIBA.com: What are your thoughts heading into the Final against China Kashgar?
Haidar: Against China we must be very physical. They have tall and experienced players such as Zhou Qi, Andray Blatche and Darius Adams. These three can hurt us a lot if we allow them to and we’ve seen how effective they turned out to be when allowed the freedom to do so.

FIBA