ALLAN THE MAN

The field in the FIBA Asia Championship got a little easier after the ouster of powerhouse Lebanon, following a decision by FIBA to suspend the country’s basketball federation.

A report by The Daily Star Lebanon said the international basketball body confirmed its suspension Lebanon after it failed to meet requirements set by FIBA.

The world basketball federation earlier gave Lebanon a deadline to take steps about a number of violations, which include political meddling in matches as well as legal disputes between teams and players.

“Politics and sectarianism ruined Lebanon’s basketball,” Lebanon’s acting Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami told Naharnet.

Lebanon, which was bracketed in Group B with Hong Kong, Japan, and Qatar, will be replaced by Iraq in the FIBA Asia Championship. The top three teams from that group will move into the second round of the tournament to take on the top three teams from Group A, which includes the Philippines.

Players and staff members of the Lebanon national men’s basketball team, which is currently in Taiwan competing in the William Jones Cup, expressed anger at the development.

Philippine basketball is familiar with the repercussions of a suspension from FIBA, which banned the country in 2004 because of a dispute between the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Basketball Association of the Philippines. That led to the Philippines missing the FIBA Asia Championship in 2005 and the formation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

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