FIBA U18 Asia Cup:
Iran to face China for group top spot
The top spot in Group C and direct qualification for the quarterfinals at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup will be at stake when Iran and record 11-time champion China go head-to-head in Ahmedabad, India, today.
Both teams will enter the court at Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium on the back of successive victories in their first two outings, with China holding a slight advantage at the top of the standings on point difference.
Three-time gold medalist Iran began its bid for a first title in a decade with a 94-69 victory over Qatar, with Mohammad Shamsi leading the scoring with 19 points. Amirreza Azari (16), Mohammad Kamal Khaledi (14) and Mohammad Safa Behnia (13) also reached double figures for Ali Hassanpour’s team.
Iran then routed Sri Lanka 110-42 in its second game on Sunday. Kamal Khaledi contributed a game-high 23 points, while Soheil Soleimannejad and Alireza Rashidi added 15 apiece. Shamsi also enjoyed a prolific outing, recording a double-double with 12 points and 15 assists to post an efficiency rating of 29.
China, meanwhile, hammered Sri Lanka 103-55 in its opener, thanks to a game-high 23 points from Yixuan Yang, before claiming a comprehensive 118-66 victory over Qatar on Sunday.
The four group winners will secure automatic qualification for the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams in each group will have to go through a playoff round for a place in the last eight.
The tournament also serves as the Asian qualifier for the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, with the four semifinalists punching their tickets to the showpiece event in Pardubice, Czech Republic, in June next year.