Iran hoopsters qualify for 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship
The Iranian national basketball team has qualified for the 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship after reaching the final of this year’s Asian games.
Avenging their group stage defeat to the South Koreans, the Iranian men’s national junior basketball players beat South Korea 87-65 in the 2016 FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship underway at Tehran’s Azadi Sports Complex on Saturday.
The Iranian outfit will face Japan in the final of the tournament on Sunday.
Both teams have made sure of their place in next year’s world championship.
Iran, who finished as the fourth placed team in Group B, will vie for its third title after securing the crown in 2004 and 2008 (in Tehran). The Iranian basketballers also finished runners-up in 2002 and 2014.
On Tuesday, the Iranians conceded a narrow defeat to South Korea in their fourth encounter of the preliminary round of the Asian games.
The Iranian outfit went down 83-86 to the East Asian powerhouse in a Group B match. Iran also suffered a defeat at the hands of Japan in the group stage and finished fourth.
The 2016 FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship, which marks the 24th edition of the continental sports event, started in the Iranian capital on July 22 and will run through July 31.
The Islamic Republic of Iran was drawn in Group B of the preliminary round of the sports event, and has joined Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon and South Korea.
Group A consists of China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iraq, the Philippines and Thailand.
The teams placed first, second, third and fourth in each group qualified for the quarterfinals.
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