BEIRUT (Lebanon) - The road to the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 is set to take a crucial turn now that the draw date for the Qualifiers has been confirmed.

All 24 participating teams will learn their respective groups and opponents in the proceedings taking place on September 19 at the Ezdan Palace Hotel in Doha, Qatar, at 19:00 local time.

Sixteen teams that took part in the previous Asia Cup will see action in the Qualifiers, namely Australia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Jordan, Iran, South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and India.

Completing the cast are Palestine, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Guam, Thailand, Mongolia, and Hong Kong China. These eight teams booked their respective tickets through the Pre-Qualifiers, whose windows took place from June 2022 to February 2023.

Mongolia and Guam in particular are coming into the Qualifiers extra motivated as the two programs have yet to experience playing in the Asia Cup.

The six other teams from the Pre-Qualifiers, meanwhile, are all looking to make it back to the continental conclave, who's set to stage its 31st edition.

Iraq, Qatar, and Hong Kong China hope to return after missing the previous edition while Palestine, UAE, and Thailand are keen on ending a years-long absence.

Playing in a home-and-away format once more, the 24 teams will compete for the 16 spots for the tournament proper across three qualifying windows beginning in February 2024.

FIBA