Powerhouse Lebanon arriving early for Fiba Asia

DETERMINED to regain its lofty basketball status in the region, Lebanon will arrive two weeks before the Aug. 1 start of the 27th Fiba Asia Championship at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

An official of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, who requested anonymity, said the Lebanese are scheduled to hit town on July 15 to familiarize themselves with playing conditions in the tournament serving as qualifier for the Fiba World Cup next year in Spain.

Lebanon, starring the prolific Fadi El Khatib, is out to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the previous Asian championship two years ago in Wuhan, China. The Lebanese finished runner-up thrice in the last six Fiba Asia editions.

Jordan and Qatar are also expected to fly in early along with Kazakhstan, the most likely matchup for Gilas Pilipinas in the crossover quarterfinals.

Gilas is bunched with Jordan, Chinese Taipei and Saudi Arabia in Group A, with the group’s top three joining the best three from Group B, where Lebanon, Qatar and Japan are the favorites.

“Lebanon is willing to spend (for their hotel accommodation) to ensure that their players could settle early,” the SBP official told the Inquirer, adding that Lebanon has tapped the services of

7-foot-2 former NBA center Loren Woods as its naturalized player.