Biggest year yet: Asia's most anticipated events in 2019

BEIRUT (FIBA Asia) - 2018 was special, but 2019 promises to take it a few notches higher. It's an action packed calendar coming up!

From club championships, men's and women's national team continental events, to the biggest of them all- the World Cup, here are the most anticipated events in Asian basketball over the coming twelve months:

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers (Window 6) 21-24 February

With only 3 out of the 7 World Cup spots from Asia confirmed (plus China as hosts), a whopping six teams (Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Japan, Philippines and Kazakhstan) are still in the mix for the remaining 4 spots. So the sixth and final window in February is guaranteed to be a photo finish!

Other sub plots to watch out for? Japan and Korea are looking to extend their six game win streaks while the Tall Blacks are gunning to go 10-0 since losing their only game back in November 2017.

FIBA Basketball World Cup- 31 August to 15 September (China)

It does not get any bigger than this.

80 teams from across FIBA’s regions of Africa, Americas, Asia (which includes Oceania) and Europe have been fighting it out for the chance to get onto basketball's biggest stage. Only 32 nations will make the final cut. 

The FIBA Basketball World Cup is returning to Asia for just the third time since 1950, and the first since 2006 (Japan).

The World Cup will be staged in 8 venues across China so you can expect the entire country and the rest of the world to go hoops crazy come August-September.

FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2019 

Will this year's edition of Asia's premiere women's competition be as exciting as the previous one? 

Will reigning champions Japan retain their title and make it four in a row? Or will 2017 finalists Australia  get their hands on their maiden Asian silverware after falling agonisingly short in 2017? Can China join Korea as the only two countries with 12 gold medals?

FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers 2021 (November)

As per the new competition format, 24 teams will face off for the 16 spots in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup. Pre-Qualifiers have already been successfully completed for the Western and Eastern Regions, and the line up for November is all set.

FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2019 (Dates to be announced)

Asia’s premier club championship, the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2019 will witness the top 8 club teams from leagues across Asia battle it out for the title of the best club in the continent.

It will be exciting to see which teams will qualify for the Final eight of the tournament for this year's edition. As per the new competition system of the tournament,  the 2019 Champions of the CBA, PBA, B.League and KBL earn automatic qualification to the Final 8.

The Western and Eastern qualifiers will determine the identity of the four remaining teams. 

FIBA