FIBA WASL Season 2: A look at the West Asia League debutants

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Four new teams will try to challenge Al Riyadi for the throne in the much-awaited Season 2 of the FIBA WASL-West Asia League set to tip off in October.

The Lebanese powerhouse have their sights set on keeping the Sub-Zone league championship in their backyard, but it could be easier said than done as they will have to go through the wringer in the Group Phase against sides hungry to prove that they belong in the league.

Al Riyadi are drawn in Group B, surrounded by a trio of FIBA WASL debutants in Al Ahli Amman of Jordan, Syrian team Al Wahda, and Orthodox Beit Sahour from Palestine.

The other newcomer in Dynamo Club, meanwhile, are slotted in Group A together with returning teams Shahrdari Gorgan, Al Naft, and Al-Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo.

We now take a closer look at the league first-timers.

DYNAMO CLUB

One team that's extra motivated to end the reign of Al Riyadi are surely Dynamo Club. They were handed a gentleman's sweep in the 2022-23 Lebanese Basketball Championship best-of-7 Finals, marking the return of the 'Yellow Castle' to the top after falling short last season.

But the runner-up finish still led to a ticket to FIBA WASL, indeed a chance to get back at their foes. Fate would need to intervene for the two to face each other, but Dynamo are hoping for it.

AL AHLI AMMAN

Al Ahli Amman qualified for FIBA WASL Season 2 after winning the 2022-23 Jordanian Premier League title at the expense of Orthodox Amman.

Winning FIBA's latest pan-regional competition is definitely the goal for the team, for it would mean yet another milestone for one of the Jordanian league's winningest ball clubs with 25 championships.

AL WAHDA

The FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2003 winners will look to win another FIBA club competition now that they have made it to WASL.

Al Wahda secured a berth after ruling the 2022-23 Syrian Basketball League, beating Al-Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo in the Finals to become one of the league's winningest teams with 10 championships.

ORTHODOX BEIT SAHOUR

This will be Palestine's first foray into FIBA WASL and set to wave the flag are Orthodox Beit Sahour, the 2022-23 Palestinian Basketball League champions.

FIBA