Abdeen is confident regular exposure will boost Jordanian basketball

AMMAN (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Veteran Mahmoud Abdeen believes that continued exposure of the Jordan national team to home fans will boost basketball's growth in the country.

It also helps, of course, that the Jordanians are winning, which has prompted Abdeen to declare that Al Nashama's strong play will certainly lead to a berth in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

"I think we are going to make the World Cup," he recently said. "I know it’s hard, but I am sure we will be there in 2019."

"PLAYING FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM MEANS A LOT FOR  ME, IT WAS MY DREAM WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND IT'S  AN HONOR FOR EVERY PLAYER TO PLAY FOR HIS COUNTRY." - MAHMOUD ABDEEN

Abdeen has good reason to be optimistic. Jordan have gone undefeated so far after two windows in the Asian Qualifiers. They have beaten Syria twice and have won over Lebanon and India once each to maintain an immaculate 4-win, 0-loss record in Group C. They have officially qualified to the second round of the Asian Qualifiers, where they are set to face New Zealand, China and Korea in Group E. Only the top three teams in that group will outright be assured of slots in the World Cup, which China will host next year. Not surprisingly, this is the big goal for Abdeen, who sees his tenure in the national team as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

"Playing for the national team means a lot for me,. "It was my dream when I was young, and it's an honor for every player to play for his country."

It takes on an even deeper meaning now given the new format, where Abdeen and his fellow Al Nashama teammates play home games in front of their own countrymen. For the 30-year-old floor general, having the home fans see the national team in the flesh is a truly big deal in terms of sparking the development of the sport among the country's youth.

"It’s really different in a good way because the fans give me energy, make me forget how tired I am and keep me focused on the win," he explained. "Our regular exposure to our fans will help basketball in Jordan after years of unexpected conditions that made it difficult to produce new generations of talented players."

He credits the fans for giving him and his teammates that extra lift in a couple of their games, especially since in both times they played at the Prince Hamza Arena, the games were sold out.

"It was really great, and I think the fans had big roles in our 2 wins at home," he said. "This makes us have a big advantage in our own court and put big pressure on other teams."

"I THINK WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THE WORLD CUP. I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT I AM SURE WE WILL BE THERE IN 2019."MAHMOUD ABDEENMAHMOUD ABDEEN

Jordan will close out their first round campaign in the June-July window, where they are set to play a road game against Lebanon on 28 June before hosting hapless India on 1 July. Should the Jordanians complete a first round sweep, they will have gained the inside track to earning a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

FIBA