Date: November 12-27, 2010

Host nation: China

Rank                      Team

1                           China

2                           South Korea

3                           Iran

4                           Japan

5                           Qatar

6                            Philippines

7                            Jordan

8                            North Korea

Twelve months later, I have written a total of 147 posts on this site. This affirms that the count to one hundred begins with one. I have been blogging about different sports stuff, may it be in boxing, basketball and a few about tennis. However, I have thought of giving more attention on basketball particularly on the various international tournaments in Asia. Starting last April, that has been the focus of this site. I find the international basketball competitions here in Asia very exciting, very stiff and competitive. Before, we’re used to seeing China and South Korea in the finals with the former eventually clinching the title in the Asian level competition. Japan, Philippines and Kazakhstan used to slug it out for a place in the elite four. But times and things have changed. It has become almost everybody’s ballgame.

It is for that reason that I have decided to focus my thoughts on the international basketball in Asia. Nonetheless, it has been a rewarding experience to blog online for one year. I am looking forward for the next twelve months as I blog more about FIBA-Asia competitions.

1. Kim Sung-Chul 194 1976

2. Lee Kyu-Sup 198 1977

3. Ju Hee-Jong 182 1977

4. Song Young-Jin 198 1978

5. Kim Seung-Hyun 178 1978

6. Lee Seung-Jun (Eric Sandrin) 204 1978

7. Kim Joo-Sung 205 1979

8. Jeon Tae-Pung (Tony Akins) 178 1980

9. Lee Dong-Jun (Daniel Sandrin) 200 1980

10. Yang Dong-Geun 180 1981
11. Lee Jung-Suk 183 1982

12. Bang Sung-Yoon 195 1982

13. Kim Min-Soo (Julian Fernandez) 200 1982

14. Shin Myeong-Ho 185 1983

15. Yang Hee-Jong 194 1984

16. Yoon Ho-Young 198 1984

17. Ham Ji-Hoon 198 1984

18. Gang Byeong-Hyeon 193 1985

19. Heo Il-Young 195 1985

20. Ha Seung-Jin 221 1985

21. Park Chan-Hui 190 1987

22. Oh Se-Geun 200 1987

23. Choi Jin-Soo (formerly Kim) 204 1989

24. Kim Min-Uk 205 1990

25. Kim Jong-Kyu 207 1991

Head Coach : Yoo Jae-hak

Photo Courtesy: Philstar.com

We’re approaching the end of May and by this time almost all of the professional basketball leagues across Asia are done with their campaigns. All eyes are on the formation and training of the respective national teams. As the competitions get tougher, some countries have already begun to overhaul their programs starting with the changing of the coaches and their staff.

China, coming from an embarrassing loss in their homecourt in the championship game last year, made a bold step in hiring American Bob Donewald, Jr.. Gone as head coach was countryman Guo Shiqiang. South Korea, likewise, named Yoo Jae-hak of the recent KBL champion Ulsan Mobis replacing former superstar Hur Jae to handle the coaching chores. Former US national team coach and veteran NBA tactician Lenny Wilkens joins Yoo at the bench. Still in the east, Japan hopes to check their continuing skid by taking on Illinois native Tom Wisman. Wisman has been the coach of the Link Tochigi Brex in the JBL Super League since 2008. He also used to handle the British and the Malaysians on the international arena. Down southeast, the Philippines hoping to regain the basketball supremacy on Asia has been training under the guidance of Rajko Toroman. The Serbian national, who led the Iranians for the title in 2007, is confident that he can take the Philippines back to its throne. Gone was Yeng Guiao who coached in the 2009 Worlds qualifier.

Across the western part of the continent, Lebanon severed ties with Serbian Dragan Raca while Iran and Jordan are keeping with Veselin Matic and Mario Palma respectively.  Raca, who mentored the Lebanese in 2007 FIBA-Asia championship that finished second and last year’s edition that placed fourth was sacked in favor of Tab Baldwin. Baldwin is a Kiwi-American who steered New Zealand to a fourth place finish in the 2002 World Championship in Indianapolis, USA.

These are just some of the scenarios of the different teams while preparing for tougher competitions ahead. To stay competitive, Asian teams are changing their ‘benches’.

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.

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Forwards JC Intal of Ginebra Gin Kings and Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty are both voted as week’s best in the ongoing KFC-PBA Philippine Cup. Intal, the 6-foot-4 standout from Ateneo de Manila averaged 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2 assists leading his team to a couple of victories over Alaska Aces and Talk N’ Text Phonepals. Williams, on the other hand, averaged 20 points, 18 rebounds and 2.5 assists helping the Realtors secure an outright quarterfinals seat.

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South Korea’s Shin Yong-rok has reportedly signed with the Siberian club FC Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premiere League. He last played for Bursapor in the Turkcell Super Lig and declared himself free agent in October after the Turksih club failed to honor its commitment. The 22-year old native of Seoul joins fellow South Korean Kim Nam-il in the team.

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Ji Hoon Kim of South Korea is scheduled to face Tyrone Harris of the United States on February 12 in California, US. The 5-foot-9 native of Goyang City is arguably the best in his division in Korea. He will fight in the US soil for the third time in his career. He hopes to continue his streak of KOs dating back to December 2006. Kim’s record currently stands at 19-5-0 with 16 KOs.

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Takashi Miura will face fellow Japanese Seiichi Okada on Febraury 6 in Tokyo. The scheduled bout is for the Japanese Super Feather weight title. Miura hopes to improve his current record of 17-1-2 with 14 KOs as he lands among the top ten in his division in boxrec.com rankings.

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Jiang Chen of China has rejoined his teammates in Tianjin Teda after being loaned to Wellington Phoenix in the Australasian A-League in New Zealand. The 23-year old striker native of Dalian played only a couple of games for the Wellington-based club. Chen is expected to lead his mother club to a decent finish in the Chinese Super League this season.

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Japan’s national football coach Takeshi Okada remains optimistic about his country’s semi-final appearance in the upcoming World Cup. Okada told Reuters that his players have begun to believe in his reasonable target of achieving the final four. Earlier, he was subject to criticism even in his home country for his unrealistic goal in the World Cup.

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Filipino Marvin Sonsona is set of face the son and namesake of Puerto Rican legend Wilfredo Vasquez on February 27 in Puerto Rico. Sonsona first rose to fame back in September of last year when he defeated Jose Lopez via a Unanimous Decision to capture the WBO super flyweight title at a tender age of 19. He became the second youngest Filipino boxing champion after Morris East did the feat in 1992.

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Japanese Yasutaka Kuroki is scheduled to defend his OPBF minimum weight crown against compatriot Takumi Suda on February 1 in Tokyo. The 27-year old native of Ibaragi hopes to continue his two-fight winning streak after figuring in a draw against fellow Japanese Junichiro Kaneda in March 27, 2009. Kuroki’s record currently stands at 22-3-1 with 14 KOs.

]]> http://benjsports.com/uncategorized/star-snippets-park-ji-sung-jiang-chen-marvin-sonsona-%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 http://benjsports.com/uncategorized/star-snippets-aj-banal-wang-zhizhi-lee-chun-soo-%e2%80%a6/ http://benjsports.com/uncategorized/star-snippets-aj-banal-wang-zhizhi-lee-chun-soo-%e2%80%a6/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:44:58 +0000 Benjie http://benjsports.com/?p=1156 Filipino AJ Banal is scheduled to take another step forward in his career as he is set to face Cecilio Santos of Mexico on January 14. The bout will headline the card in line with the ‘Sinulog Festival’, an annual celebration in Cebu in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño. Banal is taking this bout as a tune-up in preparation for a championship fight in the later part of the year. Banal’s record currently stands at 20-1-1 with 16 KOs.

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Wang Zhizhi of Bayi Rockets currently leads the locals in scoring early in the season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Wang averages 28.3 points in four games so far.The seven foot sweet shooting big man had his best game against the Beijing Ducks scoring 37 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

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Danai Udomchoke and Paradorn Schrichaphan of Thailand will have the time of their lives early next year.  Udomchoke will play alongside with Maria Sharapova while Schrichaphan teams up with Venus Williams in a mixed doubles exhibition match Hua Hin, Thailand. The match will be the highlight of the event to mark the centennial of Hua Hin.

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South Korean Lee Chun-soo’s career with Al-Nasr is in peril. The 28- year old native of Incheon has been put in the clear-out list of the Riyadh based club. Lee joined Al-Nasr in the Saudi Premiere League last July but has struggled offensively that led to Al-Nasr’s disappointment.

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Internazionale manager Jose Mourinho of Portugal expressed his desire to be back in the English Premiere League. The 46-year old native of Setubal used to handle Chelsea from 2004 until 2007. He was then one of the highest football managers in the league. He is now on his second year of his three-year contract with Internazionale in the Italian Serie A.

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Hideki Matsui of Japan found a new home in the Major League Baseball  (MLB) as he finally signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP while playing for the New York Yankees, was affirmative with the deal worth US$6 million. The acquisition of Matsui finally put an end to the ‘Guerrero era’ with reference to the aging hitter Vladimir Guerrero of the Dominican Republic.

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South Korea’s Park Ji-sung has been selected to join other football stars including retired French striker Zinedine Zidane and Pavel Nedved of the Czech Republic on the European team to play against African-born All-star players in the Idolo Cup. The ant-racism charity event will take place in Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Italy early next year. Park Ji-sung is the only Asian footballer invited to join the squad.

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Song Bo-bae became the fifth South Korean to win the Rookie of the Year award on the Japan LPGA Tour. The 23-year old native of Jeju has added her recent feat to her already impressive resume. She won Korea LPGA Tour Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005.

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Football great Hong Myung-bo of South Korea has been named to manage the national team of his native country for the upcoming Asian Games in 2010. Hong has earned to lead the team in the games scheduled in November 12-27 in Guangzhou, China following his impressive stint leading the under-20 team in the World Cup quarterfinals in Egypt.