DAMASCUS (WABA Championship 2017) - Syria will be looking to give their young players vital experience at the upcoming West Asia Basketball Association (WABA) Championship 2017.

Because Jordan, Iraq and Iran finished in the top five of last year's Asia Challenge which was staged in Tehran, five teams will now qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 at the WABA event, which tips off 29 January in Amman, Jordan.

Syria have announced a 24-man preliminary squad that is loaded with youngsters, many of whom are expected to be on the final roster.

That was confirmed by the Syrian Basketball Federation's general secretary, Dr. Daniel Zo Alkafel.

"The Syrian national team will participate in the WABA with a team mostly made up of young players," he said to FIBA.com.

Rami Merjaneh, Nadim Issa, Hani Adribi, Anthouny Bakar, Hakam al abdallah, Majd Arbasha, Omar Cheikh Ali, all on the 2015 WABA Championship roster, are in the preliminary squad.

The WABA tournament in Jordan will be the first time on the sidelines for new head coach Hadi Darwich. The federation put him in charge on 26 December, 2016.

To prepare for the event which serves as a qualifier for the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, Darwich will soon be putting the Syria team through its paces at a training camp.

"We (The Syrian Basketball Federation) will ensure that the team conducts a training camp abroad, most probably in Iran."

FIBA