DOHA (Qatar) - Feeling a bit behind? Here's all you need to know about the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2023.

When and where will the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2023 take place?

The seventh edition of the competition will take place in Doha from 17-24 September. This marks the second time in a row that the tournament will be held in the capital of Qatar.

Games in Groups A and B will be played at the Al Gharafa Sports Club Multi-purpose Hall while games in Groups C and D will be played at the Al Rayyan Indoor Hall.

What is the format?

Teams were separated into four groups. The top two teams of each group after the Group Phase, which will be played from 17-19 September will qualify directly to the Quarter-Finals which will be played on 22 September.

The second- and third-placed teams in each group will advance to the Qualification to Quarter-Finals round. The second-placed team in Group A will play against the third-placed team in Group B and vice versa. Likewise, the second-placed team in Group C will play against the third-placed team in Group D and vice versa. The winning teams will advance to the Quarter-Finals.

The winners of the Quarter-Finals will advance to the Semi-Finals which will be played on 23 September. From there, the Semi-Finalists will play for a spot in the Final on 24 September.

Qualification games will also be played from 22 September onwards, including the third-placed game before the Final, to determine the Final Standings from 1 to 8.

Who won it last time?

Australia swept through the 2022 edition in Doha with a dominating 94-63 win over Japan in the Final.

The Crocs have yet to lose a game in the competition since their first appearance in 2018, resulting in two consecutive titles.

Who are the teams competing?

A total of 16 teams are competing at the U16 Asian Championship 2023. This includes former champions in Australia, China, and Korea; former Finalists in Philippines and Japan; former Semi-Finalists in Iran, New Zealand, and Lebanon; aspiring teams in India, Qatar, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia; as well as a debutant in Sri Lanka.

What is at stake?

The top four teams - or the Semi-Finalists - will seal their spots at the prestigious FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 to be held in Turkiye from 29 June to 7 July next year.

Where else can I follow the event?

Fans can monitor all games on the competition website. You can also keep up to date through the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages of the FIBA Asia Cup as well as the NextGen Hoops accounts also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What other information is there on the teams and players?

The U16 Asian Championship is a competition that has always featured the stars of tomorrow, evident by how many of the players were displayed on their national team squads at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Check out who those players were here.

We also already took a deeper look into the teams competing in the competition this year - and it's a fun group of contenders.

Making the U16 national team roster once is already an impressive feat. To make the team twice means there's something special. And there are 5 players who did so this year.

With 16 teams and 12 players on each roster, we know it's an extensive list to follow. That's why we've compiled a shortlist of 10 players to focus on. Don't be afraid to be on the lookout for any other interesting talents outside of the list though!

In the case that you still want to go on and check out who is playing for which team, that won't be an issue as well as the rosters are now all confirmed ahead of the competition.

FIBA