UALAANBAATAR (Mongolia) - Bishrelt Metal's second attempt at advancing towards the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) ended in disappointment.
We felt so great for playing here… we're going to come back even stronger and fight harder next season.
However, it was a campaign filled with moments that cemented their place among Asia's rising clubs - and underscored just how much this stage means to the team, its players, and their nation.
"This win is not just for our team, but for the whole country of Mongolia," said Byron Wesley after their historic opening victory against NS Matrix Deers earlier in March. That 98-86 triumph in Kuala Lumpur marked a milestone: the first-ever away win by a Mongolian pro basketball team in FIBA continental play.
It was more than a result. It was a message.
That breakthrough was especially sweet considering it avenged their narrow elimination in last year's qualifiers - also on their home court - at the hands of the same Malaysian side. In 2024, Metal exited after just one win in three games. This year, they opened with a vengeance.
But as the competition progressed, the challenges mounted. Metal would go on to lose five straight games, many of them hard-fought battles. Despite missing key players during stretches, the team never wavered in intensity or unity, pushing top-tier opponents like Pelita Jaya and Taoyuan Pilots to earn every possession.
I believe in Mongolia basketball, I believe in the players.
The final group standings may show just one win, but the intangible victories were far greater. The team's growth was visible, game by game - most notably in the elevated play of locals like Batkhuyag Azzaya and Sukhbat Batzorig, who showed they could hold their own against seasoned international competition.
"For me, playing in the BCL Asia-East was one step up for my career and for Mongolian basketball," said Azzaya. "We felt so great for playing here… we're going to come back even stronger and fight harder next season."
Head coach Evangelos Tsepelis echoed the sentiment.
"I think after this season with BCL Asia-East, the team has taken a lot of lessons," he said.
"Now we are ready for the next season to protect our basketball, to play like a team. The experience for the players is the most important thing."
"This is one step for us,"
Tsepelis believes this campaign has shown that Mongolian basketball is catching up - and deserves a continued seat at the table.
"I believe in Mongolia basketball, I believe in the players. It's good to stay in the BCL Asia, to try altogether and show all the countries about our teams.”
This year's BCL Asia-East journey may have ended without a trophy, but for Bishrelt Metal, the mission was always bigger than that. It was about pride. About progress. And about proving that their team deserves to content to be on the continent's biggest stage.
They've done that - and they're not done yet.
FIBA