Al Riyadi win 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in China; India's ONGC return winless

For Lebanon's Al Riyadi, the final of the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup presented a familiar challenge. It was the same competition, the same time of the year, the same arena, the same city, and the same opponent: China Kashgar. But after losing in a close battle in last year's final, the Lebanese squad bounced back in style to get their revenge. On Saturday, September 30, at the 2017 final of Asia's premier club basketball tournament, Al Riyadi blew out China Kashgar in their homeland to clinch the gold medal at the Chenzhou Sports Center in Chenzhou, China.

Ten of the top club teams from different countries in Asia took part in this championship, held from September 22-30. India's representative at the FIBA Asia CC was once again Dehradun's squad ONGC - champions of the Federation Cup. But missing a couple of their key players to injury or other professional duties, ONGC lost all of their preliminary round games to return winless from Chenzhou - just like last year.

In the rematch of the 2016 final, Al Riyadi and China Kashgar set up a battle of the titans. But from the tip-off, Al Riyadi were immediately the hungrier of the two squads. Al Riyadi jumped up to an easy lead in the first quarter and extended their advantage to a 20-point lead, 46-26 by halftime. Kashgar had no answers for Al Riyadi's imports Robert Daniels (21) and Quincy Douby (17) who led the way to an easy 88-59 victory. This is Al Riyadi’s second overall Champions Cup title after first winning the plum in 2011. They also gave Lebanon their fifth Champions Cup crown overall, tying Iran for the most titles in the tournament’s history.

Earlier in the day, Kazakhstan's BC Astana edged Iran's Petrochimi 81-78 in an entertaining, back-and-forth battle to secure 3rd place at the competition. Anthony Clemmons (22) and Justin Carter (19) led the way for Astana, while Behnam Yakhchali paced Petrochimi with 18 in the loss.

China Kashgar's guard Darius Adams was named MVP of the tournament.

Once again, India's representative at this tournament were ONGC from Dehradun. But while the club side is dominant in domestic tournaments, they had a difficult time keeping pace with most of the talented squads at the FIBA Asia CC. ONGC were led by former India captain Trideep Rai in his first major stint as coach, and relied on the likes Anoop Mukkanniyil, Yadwinder Singh, and Riyazuddin to marshal them forward. But the squad had to survive without the services of two of their (and India's) best talents: captain Vishesh Bhrighuvanshi, who was on the team list but couldn't play due to injury, and Amritpal Singh, who has recently signed a contract with the NBL's Sydney Kings in Australia. ONGC were placed in Group B of the preliminary round stage along with Shabab Al Ahli (Dubai), Al Riyadi (Lebanon), Dacin Tigers (Chinese Taipei), and China Kashgar (China).

From the very first game against Dacin Tigers, ONGC were given a rude wake-up call. Featuring Indian-American former NBA player Sim Bhullar, Dacin raced to a 28-9 lead in the first quarter and didn't let their foot off the accelerator until they were leading comfortably in the final quarter. Led by Chia-Jung Chang (22) and Tzu-Kang Wang (17) Dacin won the game 94-62.

ONGC's tournament didn't get any easier, as, two days later, their next challengers were hosts and reigning champs China Kashgar. ONGC had no answers for Darius Adams, who led a balanced Kashgar attack with 25 to help his side to a 92-47 victory. ONGC struggled offensively except for a decent scoring night by guard Arjun Singh (17).

ONGC's worst performance came the next day against the eventual winners, Al Riyadi. The Lebanese side showed no mercy from the tip-off, taking advantage of ONGC's careless errors (31 turnovers) and soft defense to drop over 30 points in the first three quarters of the game. Al Riyadi's offensive explosion led them to a 127-51 victory, led by Quincy Douby (22), Amir Saoud (21), Jean Abd El Nour (18) and Wael Arakji (17).

ONGC still had an opportunity to make it out of the group stage against their closest opponents in the group, Dubai's Shabab Al Ahli, in their last preliminary stage game. ONGC stayed neck-to-neck with Shabab throughout, trailing only 39-36 in halftime. But a scoring drought in the third quarter cost ONGC some momentum, and despite an exciting late charge, they couldn't stop Shabab from surviving with a 72-71 victory. Qais Omar Alshabebi led all scorers with 26 for Shabab while Khalifa Salem added 16. Veteran ONGC guard exploded for 20 points while Arjun Singh pitched in with 17 and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The loss left ONGC at the bottom of Group B with a 0-4 record and knocked them out of qualification for the knockout stage.

Without Bhriguvanshi and Amritpal, there were no individual superstars to rescue ONGC in crucial stretches, but the team featured a balance of players who all averaged around 10 points per game, including Mukkanniyil, Riyazuddin, Arjun Singh, and Yadwinder Singh. Mukkanniyil and Yadwinder each averaged 9 rebounds per game, too. Much of the responsibility for carrying this squad came on the shoulders of veteran (over 30) players, and despite their best efforts, they simply didn't have enough in the gas to eke out a victory.

Final Standings

• 1. Al Riyadi (Lebanon)
• 2. China Kashgar (China)
• 3. BC Astana (Kazakhstan)
• 4. Petrochimi (Iran)
• 5. Chooks-To-Go (Philippines)

All Tournament Team

• Darius Adams (China Kashgar) - MVP
• Robert Daniels (Al Riyadi)
• Quincy Douby (Al Riyadi)
• Arsalan Kazemi (Petrochimi)
• Justin Carter (BC Astana)

China Kashgar win 2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup; India's ONGC return winless

Asia's premier international club basketball tournament - the 2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup - concluded in Chenzhou, China, on Sunday October 16 with the host country's representative China Kashgar winning the finale. This was Kashgar's (otherwise known as the Xinjiang Flying Tigers) first victory at the FIBA Asia CC, and they defeated Lebanese champions Al Riyadi in an entertaining final at Chenzhou's Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.

India were represented at this tournament by Dehradun's ONGC, who, despite featuring some top Indian talent, were ousted from the Preliminary Round stage without a win and finished tied for 9/10th place in the ten-team fray.

Kashgar's squad were led by naturalized Philippines player and former NBA player Andray Blatche. Blatche was the star man in the final, scoring 22 points with 8 rebounds for China, while his teammates Darius Adams and Abudushalamu Abudurexiti added 19 each in the victory. China led most of the way, and survived a furious comeback by Al Riyadi in the final quarter to notch the 96-88 win. Fadi El Khatib (23) and Dewarick Spencer (19) were the leading scorers for the Lebanese squad.

Spencer was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

Also on the final day, Iran's Petrochimi confirmed a third-place finish for the bronze medal by defeating the UAE's high-risers Al Ahli, 100-74. Al Ahli's Samuel Young was a one-man wrecking machine, notching 43 points and 10 rebounds, but he got little help from his teammates. Petrochimi relied on a more balanced offense, backing up on the efforts of James White (22 points, 19 rebounds), Behnam Yackchali (22), and Gerald Robinson Jr. (21) for their blowout victory.

A day earlier, China survived a mammoth clash against Petrochimi 90-86 in the semi-finals to secure their spot in the finale. The game featured numerous twists and turns, and China had to bounce back from an eight-point halftime deficit to take the advantage at the end of the tense game. Blatche was again the hero, leading with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Darius Adams added 20. Petrochimi were held at bay despite 26 point efforts by both Behnam Yackchali and James White. In the second semi-final, Al Riyadi had no problem blowing past Al Ahli, 107-79. Dewarick Spencer scored 26 for the winning side, while Fadi El Khatib (20) and Alade Aminu chipped in crucial points, too. Al Ahli's lone warrior was Samuel Young, who had 32 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The FIBA Asia CC tipped off on October 8th with ten teams, and India's ONGC - who had qualified for the tournament with their Federation Cup victory - were placed in Preliminary Round Group A with four touch matchups. They were led by head coach Dinesh Kumar and India international talents like Amrit Pal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, and Yadwinder Singh.

From the opener against Iran's Petrochimi onwards, it became clear that ONGC were going to be fighting an uphill battle in this tournament. Petrochimi used a balanced effort to take an early double-digit lead over ONGC and played hawking defense to cruise to an easy 95-51 win.

ONGC's second match was more of the same, this time against Iraq's Al Rayyan. Another poor offensive effort had ONGC playing catchup from the get go. Preston Knowles of Al Rayyan turned out to be sublime in this game, putting up 39 points and 14 rebounds in the 95-53 win. Al Rayyan's captain Mohamed Mohamed added 17 in the win. The lone bright spark for ONGC was India's star guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, who notched 20 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Another tough loss followed the next day for ONGC, this time against eventual finalists Al Riyadi of Lebanon. For ONGC, the duo of Amrit Pal Singh (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (18 points, 11 rebounds) played their best, but they got little help from the rest of the squad. Al Riyadi were led by Wael Arakji (21), Karim Zeinoun (20), and Dewarick Spencer (17) in the 91-65 win.

ONGC's campaign got an early end with a fourth-straight loss in their final Preliminary Round game to Chinese Taipei's Pauian. ONGC played their best game of the tournament for about three quarters, staying within sight of the Taiwanese competition as they trailed 73-62. But it was all Pauian in the final period, who blew open the gates to cruise eventually to a 101-71 win. Chin-Pang Lin scored 19 for Pauian, overcoming strong performances by Amrit Pal Singh (19 points, 13 rebounds) and Riyazuddin (18 points) of ONGC.

ONGC finished 0-4 in the tournament. Amrit Pal Singh ended with averages of 17 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, leading ONGC in both categories. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi chipped in with 16.5 ppg in the course of the tournament, too.

This was obviously not the improvement that ONGC were looking for, as basketball club representatives of India, after a similar finish at the last FIBA Asia CC back in 2013. ONGC simply did not have the depth and firepower to match the loaded squads that they faced, many of whom featured naturalized foreign players and other foreign recruits to add to their strenghts. The club tournaments will remain a weak point for Indian basketball internationally until India can begin their own proper basketball league and bring together more talents to play for Indian clubs.

Dehradun's ONGC represent India at the 2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou (China)

Domestically, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are the 'superteam' of Indian Basketball, the desi Golden State Warriors, featuring a roster heady with several of India's finest and most experienced players, entering each competition as they earn equal parts of love and envy, and - for the last few years - almost always ending up with the gold. Now, this talented squad from Dehradun will get their chance to prove that their success can translate to rivals across the border, too.

Starting this weekend, ONGC will represent India at the 2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou, the city in China's Hunan province. This is the premier basketball tournament for the best Men's basketball clubs - not national teams - from across the continent. The FIBA Asia CC tipped off today, Saturday October 8th and will be held until the finale on October 16. A total of ten teams from different Asian countries will be playing games over the next week at the Chenzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Chenzhou. This is the return of the tournament after a two-year hiatus since the 2013 edition which was held in Jordan.

The participating teams this year are divided into two groups of five each, with ONGC in Group A along with Petrochimi, Al-Riyadi, Al-Rayyan, and Pauian. All the selected teams have won their local club championships - ONGC qualified with their recent win at the 2016 Federation Cup in Goa.

2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup Groups

• Group A: Petrochimi (Iran), Al-Riyadi (Lebanon), Al-Rayyan (Qatar), Pauian (Chinese Taipei), ONGC (India).
• Group B: Al Shorta (Iraq), Barsy Atyrau (Kazakhstan), Westports Malaysia Dragons (Malaysia), Ah Ahli (UAE), Xinjiang Flying Tigers (China).

ONGC are sending a roster featuring three important members of India's national squad that tore through the international FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran (Iran) last month, winning four games, including upsets over China, Philippines, and Chinese Taipei. It was India's finest international performance in twenty-seven years. These three players - India's captain Amrit Pal Singh, star guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, and veteran forward Yadwinder Singh - will no doubt be the fulcrum for ONGC on both ends of the floor. ONGC's roster also includes veterans like Mohit Bhandari, Trideep Rai, Riyazuddin, and Arjun Singh. They will be led by head coach Amit Kumar Singh.

ONGC roster for 2016 FIBA Asia Cup

• Amrit Pal Singh
• Mohit Bhandari
• Vinay Dabas
• Anoop Mukkanniyil
• Trideep Rai
• Abhishek Rai
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
• Riyazuddin
• Arjun Singh
• Yadwinder Singh
• Muraleekrishna Ravindran
• Udai Bhan Singh Rawat
• Head Coach: Amit Kumar Singh
• Assistant Coach: Dinesh Kumar

ONGC's Preliminary Round schedule for 2016 FIBA Asia Cup - all timings IST

• October 9 - ONGC vs. Petrochimi - 10:30 AM
• October 10 - Al Rayyan vs. ONGC - 10:30 AM
• October 11 - ONGC vs. Al-Riyadi - 3:30 PM
• October 12 - Pauian vs. ONGC - 12:30 PM

While the duo of Amrit Pal Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi are two of the best at their positions in Asia, ONGC are bound to struggle against all of the Preliminary Round teams because of the international inexperience of the rest of the players on ONGC's roster. Dominating against IOB or the Indian Army may be one thing, but going against experienced club teams from other countries - many of whom feature excellent foreign imports - is going to be a huge challenge to overcome. ONGC's toughest matchup will likely be against Qatar's Al Rayyan, who were the runners-up in 2013 and are looking for their third title at the FIBA Asia CC. Iran teams have won five titles at this tournament, and Petrochimi will be hoping to become the sixth. Over in Group B, China's Xinjiang - featuring former NBA player Andray Blatche and recently drafted Zhou Qi - will be one of the title favourites representing the home nation.

ONGC will hope not to repeat history from 2013, where they lost all six of the games they played in and finished at last place (eighth). But Indian basketball has managed to turn heads and make rapid improvements over the recent years: will ONGC continue to wave the tiranga high and cause some more shocks for the Asian basketball world?