Asia Cup titlist to reign as continental champ

The FIBA Asia Cup, formerly the ABC Championship and the FIBA Asia Championship that served as qualifier for the Olympics, is now a “stand-alone” event where the winner reigns as the continental champ for the next four years.

Now a merger of Asian and Oceania teams, the Asia Cup unveils its maiden competition on Aug. 8-20 in Beirut, Lebanon featuring 16 squads led by traditional Asian powers China, the Philippines, Iran and Korea, and Oceania rivals Australia and New Zealand.

Host Lebanon, Japan, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, India, Qatar, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei also booked spots in the event that will stake a brand new 55-centimeter silver trophy with a gold-plated band in which “Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur” is written.

“FIBA Asia is to crown the Asian champ,” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes of the importance of the event.

The FIBA Asia Cup is separate from a new FIBA cycle and tournament format leading to the World Cup and the Olympics Games.

The 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China proved to be the last of the old biennial Asian meet where the Philippines was the second most dominant team next to China.

The Chinese had won the event 16 times, the Filipinos five times with the last in 1986 in Malaysia, Iran thrice and South Korea and Japan twice each.

The Philippines ruled the maiden ABC tourney in 1960 in Manila then three of the next six editions before China asserted its dominance starting in 1975 in Bangkok.