With experiences at the U16 and U18 Asian championship as well as the U19 World Championship, 180cm versatile forward Lin Yu-ting will be Taiwan NT’s leader at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women at Johor Baru, Malaysia.
Lin will be one of the few players who was able to participate in two U18 Asia events because she made the NT roster at a very young age.
And her goal would be the same -- making the medal round and win an opportunity for a berth in the World Championship in Lithuania next year.
Taiwan finished for bronze medal two years ago.
It is in the same Level I bracket with China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
While it appears Taiwan would have no problems making the semifinal round, South Korea will be Taiwan’s main target in the final four, according to Taiwan NT head coach Lee Tai-ying, who said Japan looks like a tougher team to beat.
Japan finished fourth in the U17 World Championship this year.
FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women
Johor Baru, Malaysia
Sept. 29 - Oct. 6
Participating teams:
LEVEL I
1. CHINA
2. JAPAN
3. C. TAIPEI
4. KOREA
5. MALAYSIA
6. THAILAND
LEVEL II
1. HONG KONG
2. INDIA
3. KAZAKHSTAN
4. SINGAPORE
5. SRI LANKA
6. UZBEKISTAN
Tournament facts:
· The 21st FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women is the qualifying event for the 10th FIBA World U19 Championship for Women to be held in Lithuania from July 18-28, 2013.
· The top three teams from the 21st FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women will represent FIBA Asia in the 10th FIBA World U19 Championship for Women.
· China, Japan and Chinese Taipei had represented FIBA Asia in the 9th FIBA World U19 Championship for Women, held in Chile.
· This will be the first occasion when Johor Bahru will host a FIBA Asia event for Women. However, Johor Bahru has hosted two FIBA Asia events earlier.
· In 2009, Johor Bahru was the host of the inaugural FIBA Asia U16 Championship and 13 years before that in 1996, Johor Bahru had hosted the 14th FIBA Asia U18 Championship.
· East Asian nations have held a powerful hold on the podium-finishes in this event.
· China have won the gold medal 12 times, the silver four times and the bronze on one occasion.
· Korea won the gold seven times, the silver five times and the bronze six times.
· Japan, who won their maiden gold medal at the 19th FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Medan two years ago, have won seven silver medals and five bronze medals.
· Chinese Taipei have won the silver three times and the bronze four times.
· Only three other nations have won any medal on any other occasion.
· Malaysia have won the silver and bronze once each; Philippines have won the bronze twice and Thailand once.
· In fact, no team apart from the East Asian foursome – China, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea – has entered the semifinals in the last 28 years.
· The last time any team apart from these four made the last four was when Malaysia entered the semifinals in the eighth edition of the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women at Seoul, Korea way back in 1984.
System of competition
In order to balance the level of competitions, the Championship shall be played in two levels: Level I and Level II.
The number of the teams in Level I is set at six (6). The teams to be qualified into Level I of the Championship must be already set out at the end of the previous Championship by the FIBA ASIA Women Committee, using as basis, the teams' performance at that Championship.
Level I:
The teams will form one (1) group. Each team will play all the other teams in the group in one (1) Preliminary Round. The four best-placed teams in this round will qualify into the Final Round.
Semi Finals:
Game 1 Level 1 vs Level 4
Game 2 Level 2 vs Level 3
Finals:
Game 3 Loser 1 vs Loser 2 (3rd and 4th)
Game 4 Winner 1 vs Winner 2 (1st and 2nd)
Level II:
The other teams will form one (1) group. Each team will play all the other teams in the group in one (1) Round. FIBA Official Basketball Rules for "Classification of Teams" shall apply for standing of the teams in the group.
Qualification to Level I of next Championship: At the end of the Preliminary Round the 5th & 6th placed teams in Level I and the 1st & 2nd placed team in Level II will play decisive games for qualification to Level I of the next FIBA ASIA Women Championship:
QFG 1 5th Level I vs 2nd Level II
QFG 2 6th Level I vs 1st Level II
Winners of Game 1 and Game 2 will have the right to play in Level I of the next FIBA ASIA Women Championship beside the four best placed teams of Level I of this Championship.
Losers of Game 1 and Game 2 will have to play in Level II of the next FIBA ASIA Women Championship.
(Photos: UDN.com, FIBA Asia)