BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - It has been 7 years since Lebanon competed on the world stage. It is no wonder then that rabid Lebanese basketball fans are very hungry for them to return to that level sooner rather than later, and they may just be able to do that this year when they host the FIBA Asia Cup 2017.

Sure, there can be extra pressure on any team when they play on home soil, but star forward Ali Haidar does not think so as he believes he and the rest of the Cedars teams will be extra energized by their home fans.

"Playing at home is going to give us more motivation and determination to perform better," he said. "Hopefully, it will help us win our first Asian championship."

With Lebanon's talent level and collective experience, being highly competitive and actually contending for the title is not far-fetched, although the gauntlet of teams the Cedars will have to go through is no laughing matter. In addition to Asian powerhouses like China, Iran and the Philippines, Lebanon will likely have to face Australia and/or New Zealand if they want to annex their first ever FIBA Asia Cup title.

"It’s going to be very tough matching up against great teams," admitted Haidar. "But with proper preparation, especially with a good naturalized player, we should be able to compete"

"I believe we can shock the world, not just Asian teams." - Ali Haidar

Most recently, Haidar played a vital role as Lebanon ruled both the WABA Championship 2017 and the WABA Champions Cup 2017 by way of top club team Al Riyadi Beirut. Most Lebanese fans expect him to remain a critical piece of the national team when they see action in the FIBA Asia Cup, which will be held in August. Haidar is aware of the weight of these expectations, and he remains hard at work to do justice to the Lebanese fans' faith in him.

"I never stopped and never will stop working on my skills," he explained. "Competitions like WABA and playing for a big team like Al Riyadi make me improve."

In the previous FIBA Asia Championship, Lebanon wound up in the top five but fell short of playing in any of the three OQTs last year. Haidar believes his team were good enough to win two years ago, and he knows that if everything falls into place, Lebanon should improve on their standing even more this year.

"We really could have won it in 2015," he said. "Of course, right elements like healthy players, good coaches and a good naturalized player are keys in the success we can have this year."

FIBA