Indonesia has to get tougher

GENEVA – The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia are automatic qualifiers to the 2023 FIBA World Cup by virtue of the FIBA Central Board vote that picked the three-nation consortium to host the competition six years from now.

FIBA competitions and sports director Predrag Bogoslavjev of Serbia said yesterday because there are three host countries, an adjustment will be made on the quota for the Asia/Pacific zone in the World Cup. Excluding provisions for the host country or countries, the Asia/Pacific zone advances seven qualifiers to the World Cup. In 2019, host China will be the eighth team from the zone to make it to the main draw. 

In 2023, only one Asian team will be added to the seven qualifiers. The two other hosts will claim outright spots within the quota. Since the Philippines has the highest FIBA ranking, it will take the eighth spot as one of the host nations. The Philippines is ranked No. 31 while Japan is No. 52 and Indonesia, No. 108. Japan and Indonesia then take two of the seven slots for the Asia/Pacific zone. Australia and New Zealand are shoo-ins to nail two more slots, leaving only three left, most likely to be China, Iran and South Korea. For sure, countries like Lebanon and Jordan will object to Indonesia’s outright qualification since its national team is far from competitive based on World Cup standards.

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Indonesia Basketball Association (IBA) secretary-general and member of the House of Representatives Budi Satrio Djiwandono assured the FIBA Central Board that steps are now being taken to strengthen the national team not only for the 2018 Asian Games which Jakarta will host but also all the way to the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Former IBA secretary-general and now national 3x3 director Agus Mauro said the IBA will play two conferences, one with imports and another without, this season. Each of the 10 IBA teams is allowed two imports, one with no height limit and the other with a limit of 6-2. A naturalized player counts as one of two imports but has no height limit. So a team may enlist an import with no height limit and a naturalized player, also with no height limit but occupying the second slot for a foreigner.

“Bringing in two imports per team will improve the quality of basketball in our league,” said Djiwandono who is related to the former Indonesian president Suharto. He noted that naturalized import Jamarr Johnson is back in the US and several IBA teams are calling to recruit him for the local league. Fil-Indonesian Biboy Enguio, considered an import, is now playing for the CLS Knights of Surabaya in the ABL after failing to land a PBA contract. Enguio, 29, was Blackwater’s third round pick this year.

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Bogoslavjev said if Argentina and Uruguay won the bid, the quota for the Americas zone to qualify for the 2023 FIBA World Cup will be added by one. Argentina, ranked No. 6 by FIBA, will claim the eighth and extra spot as one of two host nations. Uruguay, ranked No. 39, will take one of the seven qualifying spots.

Mauro said Filipino Bong Ramos is back coaching in the IBA. SBP executive director Sonny Barrios said in view of FIBA’s concern that the Indonesian national team would not be competitive at the World Cup level, maybe the Philippines can assist to speed up the upgrade. Gilas assistant coaches Josh Reyes and Jong Uichico were named as possible mentors to help Indonesia.

IBA and SEABA president Erick Thohir, a FIBA Central Board member, is expected to spearhead efforts to beef up the national team. Thohir used to own 15 percent of the Philadelphia 76ers, the first Asian to own a stake in an NBA team. He previously held 70 percent of the professional football club Inter Milan but his holdings are down to 30 percent. Thohir said the FIBA World Cup preliminary games will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Precint in Parkland, Jakarta. “As the world’s fourth most populous country with more than 260 million people, it is an important time for Indonesia to realize its huge potential and exciting future for the development of basketball,” he said.