Lebanon defend title in 2012 FIBA in Tokyo

Lebanon, the current holders of the FIBA Asia Cup, will have to overcome China to defend its title in the 2012 edition in Tokyo between Sept. 14-22. The Lebanese team has been placed in Group A with China Asia Champions, Macau and two more qualifiers yet to be confirmed from SEABA and Central Asia. Lebanon, which won the last Men’s FIBA Asia Cup in 2010 in Beirut, will look to regain its name among the continent’s best teams after finishing sixth in the last FIBA Asia Championships. The FIBA Asia Cup is the second competition in Asia – it was previously known as Stankovic Cup – and is held every two years. But its importance has improved remarkably over the past few years, as the up-and-coming tournament is a qualifier for the 27th FIBA Asia Championship in 2013, which in turn will be the qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The champion will automatically qualify for the FIBA Asia Championship next year, and the top teams will earn additional berths for their respective FIBA Asia sub zones. “This tournament represents a chance to continue our preparatory program for the World Championship qualifier next year,” said Georges Kelzi, manager of Lebanon’s national team. “Usually teams get the chance in such tournaments to test players, make changes, and watch the other opponents as a prelude for the coming important tournaments ... I hope that we get the chance to prepare for this tournament in a good way.”