Can Bangladesh get its first ever win outside the South Asian region?

BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers - Western Region) – The last time Bangladesh qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship (now ‘FIBA Asia Cup’) was way back in 1997.

The upcoming Western Region Pre-Qualifiers will be significant in more ways than one.

The top four teams will progress to the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers to be held next year.

For teams like Palestine, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, it is a chance to return to a stage where they feel they rightly belong. For Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, it is an opportunity to take what may be considered a small step for other Asian sides, but a giant leap for these two countries: posting their first ever win outside the South Asian sub-zone.

Bangladesh is getting a shot at history.

Bangladesh first appeared on the Asian continental stage in the 1979 Asian Basketball Confederation Championship for Men in Japan. That was followed by appearances in ‘89, ‘93 and ’97. In all these editions, the side finished winless, ending at the bottom of the table.

The round robin format of the Western Region Pre-Qualifiers will allow Bangladesh to play four competitive games. Three of these will be against the tough Gulf and West Asian sides, an exposure the likes of which the nation hasn’t seen in 21 years.

Bangladesh finished second to Sri Lanka at the SABA Pre-Qualifiers earlier this year. Arguably, the side is the weakest among the five participating teams. But for a nation with no significant past accomplishments to fall back on, things can only look up from here.

 FIBA