Only the winner of the FIBA Asia Championships in Changsha, Hunan, China on Sept. 23-Oct. 3 will gain an automatic ticket to represent Asia in the 12-team basketball competition for men at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year.
But the second and third placers in Changsha get a chance to sneak into the Olympics through a 12-team world qualifying tournament to be held on July 5-11 at a still undetermined country. The Olympics will be held in Brazil on Aug. 5-21. The problem is it’s easier to win the FIBA Asia title than to book a ticket to Rio through the world qualifying tournament.
It’s still not certain if Brazil as the host nation will be given an outright berth in the Olympic basketball tournament. The FIBA Central Board will decide on that issue during its meeting on Aug. 7-9 in Tokyo. That same meeting will also settle which country is to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup – China or the Philippines. If Brazil is awarded a slot, the top three finishers of the world qualifying tournament will advance to Rio. If Brazil is not awarded a slot and has to go through the qualifying process via the FIBA Americas Championships, the top four finishers of the world qualifying tournament will proceed to Rio.
At the 2012 Olympics, Great Britain as host was given an outright slot by FIBA. That’s why only the top three placers of the world qualifying tournament held on July 2-8 in Caracas, Venezuela, booked tickets to London. They were Russia, Lithuania and Nigeria. The entries to the world qualifying tournament were two from Africa (Angola, Nigeria), two from Asia (Jordan, South Korea), four from Europe (Greece, Lithuania, Macedonia, Russia), three from the Americas (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela) and one from Oceania (New Zealand).
The cast for the 2012 Olympic men’s basketball tournament listed host Great Britain, 2010 FIBA World Cup champion US, African champion Tunisia, Asian champion China, Oceania champion Australia, European champion Spain and runner-up France, Americas champion Argentina and runner-up Brazil and the top three finishers of the world qualifying tournament, Russia, Lithuania and Nigeria. The US won the gold medal, Spain the silver and Russia the bronze.
For the 2016 Olympics, only reigning World Cup champion US is guaranteed a slot at the moment. One spot is reserved for the Oceania champion (to be determined in a home-and-away series between Australia and New Zealand on Aug. 31-Sept. 14), one slot for Africa (the tournament is scheduled on Aug. 11-18 in Tunisia), two slots for the Americas (the tournament is scheduled on Aug. 15-Sept. 6 in Mexico), two slots for Europe (the tournament is scheduled on Sept. 4-20), one slot for Asia and three or four slots from the world qualifying tournament, depending on whether host Brazil is awarded an outright slot or not.
Newly-designated Gilas coach Tab Baldwin said it won’t be easy nailing an Olympic slot out of the world qualifying tournament because there will be teams from Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania to contend with. He should know. In 2011, he took Jordan to second place at the FIBA Asia Championships in Wuhan, losing to China, 80-79, in the final. That brought Jordan to the world qualifying tournament in Caracas where Baldwin said the national team was “annihilated.” Jordan lost to Greece by 44 points, 107-63, and to Puerto Rico by 41, 93-52.
To make it to the final in Wuhan, Jordan tripped the Philippines, 75-61. Gilas was then coached by Rajko Toroman. In the battle for third place, the Philippines bowed to South Korea by two, 70-68. Like Jordan, South Korea went on to play at the world qualifying tournament in Caracas and was similarly bundled out in two games, losing to Russia by 35, 91-56, and the Dominican Republic by 10, 95-85.
In Changsha, the Philippines is bracketed in Group B with Palestine, Kuwait and Hong Kong. Making up Group A are Iran, Japan Malaysia and India. Group C is composed of South Korea, Jordan, Singapore and China while Chinese-Taipei, Lebanon, Qatar and Kazakhstan comprise Group D.
The top three finishers of each group will advance to the second round. The Philippines should top its bracket. Palestine is likely to be the toughest opponent in the preliminaries with legendary High Point University coach Jerry Steele at the helm and former PBA import Omar Krayem in the backcourt. Kuwait might enlist former PBA center Rabeh Al Hussaini. Hong Kong is expected to be led by Duncan Reid.
In the second round, the Philippines will play the top three from Group A which should be Iran, Japan and India. If Gilas finishes No. 2 behind Iran after two rounds, it will face No. 3 from Groups C and D, possibly China, Jordan, Qatar or Chinese-Taipei if South Korea and Lebanon are 1-2. That will be a knockout game. If the Philippines survives, it will move on to the semifinals. Another win will bring Gilas to the final.
Baldwin has been the national coach of New Zealand, Malaysia, Jordan and Lebanon. He piloted New Zealand to the Final Four at the 2002 FIBA World Cup in Indiana. Baldwin coached New Zealand at the 2006 FIBA World Cup in Saitama and Lebanon at the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Turkey. He was a consultant with Gilas at the FIBA World Cup in Spain last year. He also brought New Zealand to the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Baldwin said he was invited by his friend Brian Lester of Australia to coach in the Malaysian league in 1996. He brought along two imports. Baldwin won the Malaysian league title then was invited to coach the national team at the SEABA Championships in Surabaya that year. Indonesia beat the Philippines, 88-81, for the SEABA title.
Source: Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star
