ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia) - Lebanon and Iran will carry the fight for all of West Asian basketball in the fast-approaching FIBA Asia Cup 2025 set August 31-September 7 in the beautiful Mongolian capital.
The two revered programs earned the right to do so after emerging as the two best teams of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2025 WABA Qualifiers held last July 20-24 at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman, Jordan.
Coming in as champions are the Cedars, who swept all of their four assignments in the tournament, concluded by a thrilling 88-80 victory over Team Melli in the Final that saw both squads engage in a see-saw affair.
Johnny Sawma starred in the championship clash with a game-high 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals, saving his best for last - and eventually finishing the tilt as the team's best scorer with an average of 21.5 points.
But it wasn't just him who made everything possible for the young Lebanese, with Charbel El Herera, Mauricio Abboud, and Amin Nahle, to name a few, providing significant contributions in their conquest.
The crew, before that narrow titular bout, beat their opponents - which also included Syria and the host nation - by an average margin of 17.0 points, with the biggest an 88-68 result against the Falcons.
Now, thanks to this batch, the country is headed to the competition for the fifth consecutive time, making itself a fixture in the biennial youth contest after making just one appearance in its first three editions.
Qualifying also means another chance to return to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup after making their debut in 2023 following a breakthrough Semi-Final finish in the U16 Asia Cup the year prior in Doha, Qatar.
The Iranians, on the other hand, are bound for their fourth straight stint behind the efforts of a unit headed by Alireza Rashidi, who led them in the WABA Qualifiers finale with his own 30-piece in 37 minutes of play.
Rashidi was one of the best players in the recent Amman games with 27.5 points in the four matches they played and that easily makes him one of the more anticipated talents to watch out for in the Ulaanbaatar meet.
Still, it took a collective effort for Iran to secure their qualification, with Bardiya Khosravi, Yasin Morobathalavi, and Mohammad Saleh Pakgohar delivering the goods in their 96-88 win over Jordan to reach the Final.
The present batch are out to earn a Semi-Final berth, something that the country hasn't done in the U16 Asia Cup for 16 years now or since the 2009 inaugurals in Johor Bahru, Malaysia where they went on to win bronze.
It's been quite a slump for the program after that. Iran has been struggling to get past the Quarter-Finals, with their best finish only at sixth which they did in 2013 at home and during the previous tilt in 2023.
A Semi-Final entry won't just be about simply returning to where they once were, but would also mark the very first time in team history that they'd reach the U17 World Cup, whose next edition is set next year in Turkey.
Lebanon are situated in Group A with reigning three-time champions Australia, India, and Bahrain, while Iran are in Group D together with Japan, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. To know more, click here.
FIBA