AHMEDABAD (India) - Ten years have passed but memories of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2016 have yet to fade, due to the select few from that tournament held in Iran that continue to impress in international basketball.
From becoming mainstays of their respective countries to making waves in the club scene, take a look at those youth standouts-turned stars below in this latest offering of our Where Are They Now series.
Hu Mingxuan. CHN
The Tehran showpiece was Hu Mingxuan's lone appearance in a FIBA youth event but he has since become a crucial part of the China men's squad, having been part of squads that competed in big stages.
And his biggest achievement to date? A FIBA Asia Cup medal. The lefty guard was key in Team Dragon's resurgence in the continent's premier national team event during the 2025 tilt in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hu helped the Chinese return to the Final for the first time in 10 years, eventually settling for silver behind eventual 'three-peat' winners Australia - but not before giving the Boomers a run for their money in a tight Final.
In fact, he was so close to upsetting the Aussies with an attempt from deep and although it was heartbreaking, we're curious to see how that would fuel the 28-year-old's growth as an athlete moving forward.
Karim Zeinoun, Ali Mansour, LBN
Since helping Lebanon reach the 2016 U18 Asia Cup Semi-Finals, Karim Zeinoun and Ali Mansour have become inseparable. They're now men's team regulars, and have been enjoying tremendous success in the pros.
Shortly after taking home a silver in the 2022 Asia Cup, the tandem would create magic in the FIBA West Asia Super League, where they helped Al Riyadi rule the WASL-West Asia League to become its first champions.
Since then, the Yellow Castle have become three-time winners of the Sub-Zone League, and are currently the defending two-time WASL champions - including a mighty sweep of the shortened 2025 edition.
And before we forget, Zeinoun and Mansiur helped Riyadi win the BCL Asia title in 2024, just about 10 months after helping the Cedars put up a truly gallant stand in the highly successful FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Yudai Nishida, JPN
Yudai Nishida was one of the 2016 U18 Asia Cup's best scorers and so, his inclusion to the Japan men's team was only a matter of time. He got called up for the 2022 Asia Cup and has since been a program mainstay.
The deadshot winger became a reliable piece of then-head coach Tom Hovasse's rotation, and that was evident during the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers as he was plug-and-play personified in the second window.
A last-minute addition, he only played two games but averaged 21.0 points on a total of 13 treys, helping the Japanese to a 2-0 run which enabled the proud program to sweep their way into the Asia Cup proper.
He then went on to become a part of the team that competed in Saudi Arabia. Recently. Nishida helped Japan go 5-1 in the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers' First Round to book themselves a ticket to the next phase.
Yudha Saputera, INA
Yudha Saputera first played for the Indonesia men's team in the 2022 Asia Cup and has since become a key cog of the program, appearing in major meets such as the World Cup Qualifiers and the Pre-Olympic Qualifiers.
The spitfire guard also competed in the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers and suited up for four games, and that stint proved to be his best stretch yet in the FIBA stage as he posted norms of 10.8 points and 6.5 assists.
Some fans, however, know the 27-year-old more for his solid play in the FIBA club ranks.
Saputera played for Prawira Harum Bandung in the BCL Asia Qualifiers back in 2024 and he emerged as one of the league's top guards, as evidenced by his averages of 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
Ihab Al-Zuhairi, IRQ
Ihab Al-Zuhairi dominated the 2016 U18 Asia Cup with monster numbers of 32.0 points and 18.5 rebounds per outing, and so the towering big man's eventual inclusion to the Iraq men's team was a no-brainer.
Now, he's become a cornerstone of the program. He was essential in their 2025 Asia Cup entry, posting 12.3 points and 7,8 rebounds during the Qualifiers to bring the country back to the event after eight years of waiting.
And he's not only reliable in national team competitions. Al-Zuhairi has proven his worth at the FIBA club level as well when he led Al Difaa Al Jawi SC's maiden campaign in the 2025 WASL-West Asia League.
FIBA