Lebanon to be toughest test for India

India has been clubbed in Group D alongside Bahrain, Lebanon and Iraq in the first ever FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers following the draw ceremony here.

India are placed 67th, above Iraq (80) and Bahrain (112) but below Lebanon (53), in the FIBA World rankings and the Indian cagers will have high hopes of qualifying for the Asian showpiece.

On Saturday, FIBA Executive Director for Asia Hagop Khajirian, who unveiled the tournament's trophy, said: "This is an opportunity to not only play basketball back and forth but also to organise and promote it at the highest level. And with China and Japan, having already hosted such events, it shows that Asia is the future of the sport."

FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Asia President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, Governor of Karnataka Vajubhai Vala, China Basketball Association president Yao Ming and BFI President K Govindraj were among the host of other personalities, who graced the event.

Star Asian guards Jimmy Alapag of the Philippines and Asami Yoshida of Japan were also present.

The qualification will witness a total of 24 teams, divided into six groups of four teams each, playing each other on a home and away basis over three windows (November 2019, February 2020, and November 2020).

The top two teams from each of the groups will directly qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup. The six third-placed teams will be put into two groups and play a final qualifying competition in February 2021. The top-two finishers from each group will then join the direct qualifiers, making it a final round of 16 teams.

Groupings: Group A: Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea.

Group B: Chinese Taipei, Japan, Malaysia, China.

Group C: Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Guam.

Group D: Bahrain, Lebanon, India, Iraq.

Group E: Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, Iran.

Group F: Jordan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Palestine.