SYR - Bashayani: We need more time together

DOHA (Asian Games) - When Michael Madanly and Sharif Muhammed Sharif combined for 50 points in Syria's 96-79 win over Bahrain - their first victory at this year's Asian Games - it showed the potential Syria have.

But this is a country that failed to qualify for the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, finishing fourth in the West Asian qualifying competition behind Iran, Lebanon and Jordan.

Making the field for the 2007 event is a real target though, not least because the West Asians have garnered a fourth qualifying spot after Lebanon took silver in 2005.

Syria are grouped in West Asia with Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine in the qualifying stages.

So are they ready? Team captain Rober Bashayani talked to PA Sport to discuss the state of basketball in Syria.

Without having played at the 2005 FIBA Asian Championships, how much does it mean playing against teams like Qatar, South Korea, Iran and Jordan in the Asian Games?

Bashayani: Qatar and South Korea are both better than before and have had good camps. We really didn't have a long camp. We only practised for about 15 days. Then we came to play at this tournament. That's why we're not totally ready for this tournament. But these games are a good experience to play against some top Asian teams. And I think we'll be better next year.

Over the past three years, Syria have had an Egyptian, an American and a Syrian as national team coach. Your coach Basel Hamwi is new to the team and he's also from Syria. What has he brought to the team?

Bashayani: We know the coach from a long time at Syrian clubs. It's better for us to have a coach from outside of Syria though. This coach is good but I hope we get another coach because if the coach comes from outside Syria maybe he can give us something new. I trust this coach, but I would like something new for Syrian basketball. I think we would be better. We would learn more if the coach was maybe from the US.

You have a good core of players including Michael Madanly and Sharif Muhammed Sharif. How's the current state of Syrian basketball?

Bashayani: I think Syrian basketball is doing very well. We do very well at the club level. Our club Al Jalaa Aleppo last year at Asian Cup in Kuwait we finished second place in all of Asia. We get a lot of support for our clubs and we have good players. But maybe we need even more support - more money or better foreign players in our league. Still we are strong at the club level. But we don't have enough time to prepare for the national team. We need a good system and we need to practice together more. Other teams have a long to play with one another. And we need that too. It takes more time together to be better. I hope we can get better because we have the players as you can see with us being the second-best club in Asia.

How difficult was it not making the FIBA Asia Championship last year?

Bashayani: It wasn't that difficult. Those teams have a lot of time to work together. That's why they were able to do more than us. For us, we still need time to be like a team. If you've watched our game, we play very much like individuals. We don't really play like a team. We have to have better team work to win.

Because of Lebanon finishing second at the 2005 Asian Championship, there will be four teams from West Asia represented at the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship in Japan, meaning Syria have a good chance of qualifying. Do you see that as a benefit as well?

Bashayani: We have a chance for sure since we played here together and are getting to know one another. We didn't lose to Jordan (70-64) and South Korea (93-85) with a big difference. I think we can beat Iran. We definitely have a chance. If we play as a team and play good defence we have a better chance to get there.

Former Syrian national team member Abdel Qader Fautouh was killed tragically in a car accident in October. What kind of relationship did you have with Abdel Qader and how difficult was it for the national team?

Bashayani: He was a good friend. We played many times together with the Syrian national team. He was a very good player and a good person. Everybody liked him. But now he's gone. When we heard about it, it was very difficult. We were all down and I cried. But that's part of life.

By David Hein, PA Sport, exclusively for FIBA.com