BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Will the third time be the charm for Hi-Tech Basketball Club?
The squad from Thailand are definitely hoping for that, as they're headed to the Basketball Champions League Asia-East (BCL Asia-East) for another attempt at returning to the continent's highest club competition.
BCL Asia history
Fans of continental hoops have grown familiar with Hi-Tech as they have represented the country in multiple international tournaments, including the 2019 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Nonthaburi - at home, yes.
But since the event got rebranded to BCL Asia and with its qualification system revised at the same time, the Basketball Thai League (BTL) outfit has found it difficult to bring themselves back into the grand stage.
They fell just short of hitting that goal during the BCL Asia Qualifiers back in 2024, as they bowed to Malaysian counterparts NS Matrix, 93-96, in the play-in that decided the last two teams advancing to Round 2.
Hi-Tech, of course, wanted to make up for that in the BCL Asia-East the following year, but the road seemingly became even rougher for them to tread on - so much so that they ended up nowhere once again.
In the six games they played in Group B, the crew won just twice, both of which were at the expense of Adroit Club of Singapore, who eventually finished their own campaign as the only winless team with a 0-6 card.
Qualifying path
That's back-to-back disappointments for a club as proud as Hi-Tech - an organization founded in 1994 and has since become synonymous with success in the domestic and regional scene - but another chance lies ahead.
They're one of the seven teams set to compete in the BCL Asia-East 2026, an opportunity they earned for themselves by taking home the 2024-25 BTL championship to secure a rare 'three-peat.'
Hi-Tech did so by beating the Crypto Cobra Chiangrai via gentleman's sweep in the best-of-3 series, capped by a thrilling 85-82 victory in Game 3 - and witnessed by over 3,000 screaming souls at the Nimibutr Stadium.
Players to watch
Freddie Lish is once again expected to lead the charge, given of course his experience as one of the team's most seasoned cogs - garnered from the FIBA stage itself and his numerous club stints outside of Thailand.
He was actually one of the BCL Asia Qualifiers' best players with 20.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the four games he played and then went on to sustain his fine play in the BCL Asia-East that followed.
Now, together with Hi-Tech, both parties are hoping that the wait ends this time, hoping that the squad they're fighting with would be enough to end what has been becoming a lengthy drought for the organization.
Expected to help bolster their bid are star big man Chanatip Jakrawan, as well as reinforcements in Eric Freeman and guard Accheaus Fields, both of which have proven themselves in the Thai basketball scene.
Hi-Tech are slotted in the all-South East Group A of the BCL Asia-East 2026 together with Dewa United of Indonesia and Malaysia's Johor Southern Tigers. To learn more about their upcoming stint, click here.
FIBA