FIBA Asia - Smart Gilas in Group A, Mahram in Group B for 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup

MANILA (22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup) - Tournament hosts Smart Gilas on Friday were drawned in Group A of the Preliminary Round for the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup which tips off the FIBA Asia calendar for 2011.

The 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Asia’s premier club competition, will be held in the Filipino capital between 28 May and 5 June.

Ten top club teams from various FIBA Asia national federations will match wits in the nine-day bash aiming to become the champion club team in Asia.

The draw was conducted by FIBA Asia Deputy Secretary General Hagop Khajirian in Manila.

Mahram in high-voltage battle

Iranian giants Mahram are on a quest for an unprecedented three-peat of FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles, but their task is uphill right from the word go.

The Iranians are joined in Group B of the Preliminary Round by last year’s runners-up Al Rayyan of Qatar.

And if that isn't enough, they will have to take on two yet-to-be-named WABA heavyweights representing Lebanon and Syria as well as Emirates club Al Shabab.

“The representatives from Lebanon and Syria will be known at the end of the WABA League 2011, the qualifying event for the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup,” said Khajirian, also the Secretary General of the West Asian Basketball Association (WABA), a sub zone of FIBA Asia.

Fast-rising Smart Gilas

Smart Gilas - who comprise the core of the Philippines National Team - made their first foray on the international scene at the 20th FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Jakarta two years ago.

They have since made rapid progress under former Iran coach Toroman Rajko and are aiming for a top place finish this year.

In Group A of the Preliminary Round, the hosts will go up against Asean Basketball League (ABL) semi-finalists KL Dragons of Malaysia, Jordanian outfit ASU, a top club team representing the BJ League from Japan and the representative of FIBA Asia Sub zone Middle Asia.

“The Japanese Basketball Association is in talks with BJ-League teams Ryukyu Okinawa and Rizing Fukuoka and one them will be confirmed soon,” Khajirian said.

Each will team will play their opponents in the groups once, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarter-final play-offs.

Preliminary Round groups for 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup

Group A   
ASU (JOR)
KL Dragons (MAS)
Middle Asia
Japan (BJ-League)
Smart Gilas (PHI)

Group B
Lebanon
Al Rayyan (QAT)
Al Shabab (UAE)
Mahram (IRI)
Syria

FIBA Asia