Photo Courtesy: Swiatkoszykowki.blox.pl

It can be said that only basketball at the Asian Games and FIBA-Asia Championship are considered the major basketball tournaments in Asia. The latter being the continental qualifier for the Olympics and the World Championship. Some competitions like the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, William Jones Cup, FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup and Dubai International Basketball Tournament among others are also well represented by member countries . The influx of European coaches  to the Middle Eastern countries has brought intense competition in the region last decade thereby challenging traditional powerhouse China and second-liner South Korea, both from East Asia. Is basketball power shifting from the east to the other side of Asia?

2000-2004

In 2001 FIBA-Asia Championship,  China dominated the rest of Asia to capture the title with Lebanon as second followed by South Korea at third place. The following year at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, host country South Korea edged out China in overtime to steal the gold medal in what was considered as one of the greatest upsets in Asian basketball history. Kazakhstan, meanwhile bagged the bronze medal. In the 2003 Olympic qualifier held in Harbin, China, the Chinese and the South Koreans met again at the Finals which the former exacted their revenge. Qatar ended up in third place.

In short, China and South Korea are constantly at the top three spots in three tourneys in the first half of the decade.

2005-2009

The later part of the decade, however, had been telling a different story. In 2005 FIBA-Asia Championship, China maintained the top spot with Lebanon and Qatar at second and third place respectively. A year later at the Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar, China still bagged the gold medal while Qatar and Iran settled for silver and bronze. With China already assured of an Olympic berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they sent their ‘B’ team in the 2007 Olympic qualifiers. As a result, it paved the way for the Iranians to win the crown in the tournament. Lebanon and South Korea completed the elite list. Finally,  in the 2009 continental championship, Iran made a statement that even an ‘A’ team from China cannot unseat them as the Asian champions beating the Chinese for the title. Jordan finished third.

It can be noted that two West Asian countries are in the top three in all premier competitions from 2005 until 2009.

So, is basketball power really shifting from the east to the west? Yes. Unless East Asians overhaul their respective programs, Middle Eastern countries gain momentum in basketball dominance in Asia.

I think the Korean Basketball Association (KBA) has done the right measures to save the South Korea’s basketball from its downfall. As I looked at the records, I noticed that South Korea has been on the decline in the second half of the last decade compared to decent finishes in the first half. As for the FIBA-Asia Championship, it placed 3^rd in 2001, 2^nd in 2003 and 4^th in 2005. And in the 2002 Asian Games held in Busan, it surprised China and eventually captured the Gold medal. In short, South Korea placed among the top four in all four major competitions from 2001-2005.

In the second half of the decade, however, South Korea finished 5^th in the Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar in 2006. It ended up 3^rd in 2007 and a dismal 7^th place in the 2009 FIBA-Asian Championship held at Tianjin, China.  So, it didn’t qualify for the semifinals in two of the three major competitions.

With the arrival of Lenny Wilkens and Yoo Jae-hak, South Korea is looking forward to rebuild its basketball competitiveness in Asia.

Photo Courtesy: Gmanews.tv

Bethune Tanquingcen or more popularly known as Siot Tanquingcen is one of my favorite active coaches in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). His preparedness coming into the games as well as his passion to be the best he can be are just two of the traits I like from him.

Siot was born on November 3, 1972 in Manila. In college, the 5-foot-9 point guard played under coach Aric del Rosario and was one among the UST ‘four-peat’ team in the UAAP in the ‘90s. He joined the PBA Rookie Draft in 1996 and was one of the only three undrafted rookies. He managed to sign with Sunkist Orange Juicers that season though. He then joined the backcourt rotation of the San Miguel Beer in 1997 until 1998 and was considered as the ‘12^th’ man in the team. Though his playing career was something forgettable Siot has so far reversed the fortunes in his coaching career.

Tanquingcen was named as an interim coach back in 2002 for San Miguel beer after coach Jong Uichico was loaned to handle the national team bound for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. Siot was later elevated to San Miguel Beer’s sister team Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings head coach in 2005 where he guided the latter to win the championship in his first try as a head coach.  Later in the year, the Gin Kings scored a back to back championship.

Last season’s Fiesta Conference, he was tasked to handle San Miguel Beer which he led the team to its 19^th title overall. That was coach Siot’s 3^rd in as many Finals appearances. To this day, he remains to be the only active PBA coach who has never lost in a Finals. Truly, Siot always shoots for the best.