It all depends on how deep they can dig into their reserves!

KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran’s AsiaScope) - On the face of it, last week’s draw for the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) for Women would have brought smiles to the faces of the two FIBA Asia contenders in the event – Japan and Korea. And rightfully so!

For, both Korea and Japan have been drawn with opponents they have played never before and more importantly ranked rungs below in the FIBA World Rankings for Women.

Korea (ranked ninth), who missed the automatic Olympic qualifying berth from FIBA Asia by a whisker when they lost to China after a hard-fought gold medal game at last year’s 24th FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Omura, Japan, have been drawn in Group C with Croatia (31) and Mozambique (37), the latter a late alternative as FIBA Africa’s representative to replace Senegal.

Japan (15), who finished with the bronze in Japan, have rivals who are slightly higher ranked than those of Korea’s, in hosts of the FIBA OQT for Women Turkey (21) and Puerto Rico (24).

Of course, I don’t mean to say that the Preliminary Round will be a breeze for either Japan or Korea. There is the challenge of the lack of familiarity of their rivals for both. Any amount of scouting cannot replace the actual experience of playing against a rival.

But then, how much do past records matter when you contest in a competition like the FIBA OQT for Women!

Conceding that past form and rankings will play a role in the actual results, Japan and Korea enter the quarterfinals if nothing else, only as underdogs.

Korea have played in the past four Olympics – something no FIBA Asia women’s team has achieved – a fifth consecutive appearance in the hallowed event in sport will only enhance the East Asian nation’s credibility as a power in women’s basketball.

But for that to happen, Korea will have to overcome teams whom they have not beaten in more than a decade.

Korea will play, in all probability, either Canada or France in the Quarter-Finals and a win in that play-off game will book their tickets to 2012 London Olympics.

Korea – who have a 2-2 head-to-head record in international competitions against Canada – won the last meeting against the FIBA Americas team, at the 1996 Olympics, but then all their previous three meetings came before that.

Against France, Korea are 5-3 ahead in head-to-head meetings, but have lost all three of the four previous meetings.

Japan, if and when they get through from the Prelim Round, will go against a qualifier from Group B – which I consider as the Group of Death – comprising Argentina, Czech Republic and New Zealand.

The heartening fact for Japan is that against two of these three, the women from the Land of Rising Sun have a healthy record.

Against Argentina, Japan have won their latest meeting for a 2-1 record and against New Zealand, although only in a friendly series, Japan emerged victorious during their preparations for the 2010 World Championship for Women.

Only on two occasions – 1996 in Atlanta and 2004 in Athens – have three FIBA Asia women’s teams figured in the Olympics. The 1984 Games in Los Angeles was the only occasion when more than one FIBA Asia women’s team played the Olympics, when the event itself was not hosted in Asia.

A dream of seeing more than one FIBA Asia women’s team at 2012 London Olympics is, at this point in time, not distant nor is it misplaced.

It’ll all finally boil down to how deep Korea and Japan can dig into their reserves when push comes to shove.

So long…

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

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