source: WAYLON GALVEZ
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Executive Director Renauld “Sonny” Barrios said that the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup here will be a big help for the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas as they prepare for the FIBA-Asia Championship in September in Wuhan, China.
MANILA, Philippines – “It will be a very good training ground for our national team,” said Barrios Tuesday in the PSA Forum where he announced the preparations being made by the SBP in hosting the Champions Cup set to begin on Saturday at the Philsports Arena.
Smart-Gilas is in Group A together with Jordan-ASU, the Malaysia KL Dragons, Saudi Arabia, which replaced Japan, and Iraq, the team added by FIBA-Asia officials to complete the 10-team cast. The Nationals will face Saudi Arabia on opening day.
In Group B are Lebanon, Qatar Al-Rayyan, United Arab Emirates-Al Shabab, Syria and three-time defending champion Iran-Mahram.
For Barrios, Iran, which will bring in some of its national players like Smad Nikkah Bahrami, Medi Kamrani, Hamed Afagh and Asghar Kardoust, together with Lebanon are the teams to beat in the Champions Cup.
Bahrami, Kamrani and Afagh were part of the Iran team that won the 2007 and 2009 FIBAAsia
Championships in Tokushima (Japan) and Tianjin (China), respectively, while the 6-11 Kardoust was with the team that claimed bronze medal in last year’s Guangzhou Asian Games.
Iran will also have imports Cheikh Samb from Senegal and American Chris Williams. The tournament allows teams to have two imports, but Smart-Gilas will have none although the team has 6-foot-10 naturalized Marcus Douthit.
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