Saturday, September 30, 2006

Taiwan named 8th seed in Doha Asian Games by FIBA Asia

Sources in CTBA said that Taiwan has been named by FIBA Asia as the 8th seed in men's basketball event of the 2006 Doha Asian Games and doesn't have to play in the first round as the original draw by Doha organizing committee announced.

The organizing committee announced on Sep. 9 that a new two-phase system will be implemented in Doha Asian Games men's basketball since there are as many as 20 countries enter the tournament.

Twelve countries will have to play in a four-group preliminary games in the first phase with four group winners advance to the second phase along with eight seeds in the 12-team second phase.

The organizing committee announced the eight seeds without elaborating the seeding format. On paper, it looked like the top eight teams in the 2005 Asian Championship were seeded and get to skip the first phase. Taiwan was left out of the top eight seeds.

Since 8th-place Saudi Arabia decided not sending a team to Doha, its seed will have to be replaced. However it was Kazakhstan, which finished 10th-place in 2005 Asian Championship, and not Taiwan -- 9th-place in 2005 -- was placed as the 8th seed.

FIBA Asia ruled the draw invalid and later gave Taiwan the seed it deserved. Taiwan NT head coach Lee Yun-kwang welcomed the change.

The new bracket is listed below:

First Phase
Group A: India, Macau, Bahrain
Group B: Uzbekistan, Palestine, Mongolia
Group C: Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan
Group D: Kuwait, Kazakhstan, UAE

Second Phase
Group A: Qatar, South Korea, Jordan, Iran, A1, C1
Group B: China, Lebanon, Japan, Taiwan, B1, D1

Taiwan will receive a bye in the first phase and is in the same second phase bracket with China, Lebanon, Japan, and winner of Group B and Group D in the first phase.

On NT news, Taiwan men's NT will leave for South Korea tomorrow for a 8-game training tour.