KCC, which has conquered KBL, now heads to Asia… FIBA Champions League participation
From the 9th to the 15th of next month, they will clash with the champions of each Asian league in Dubai, UAE.
Busan KCC, which dominated professional basketball this season, will participate in the ‘Asian Champions Tournament’ hosted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
According to the club on the 9th, KCC will participate in the ‘FIBA Champions League Asia’ to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the 9th to the 15th of next month local time.
This competition was previously held under the name of the ‘Asia Champions Cup’, but starting this year, FIBA renamed it the ‘Champions League’. 카지노사이트킹
Although the name has changed, the format and purpose are the same: the winning teams from various Asian countries come together to compete against the strongest teams and allocate qualifications to participate in FIBA intercontinental competitions.
A total of eight teams will participate in this competition.
In East Asia, the league winners from China, Japan, and the Philippines will participate along with KCC.
Felita Jaya (Indonesia) and NS Matrix (Malaysia) have also secured qualifications to the finals of the competition after passing through the preliminary rounds held against other Asian clubs excluding leading leagues.
In addition, the two Middle Eastern teams that placed first and second in the 2023-2024 FIBA West Asia Super League will receive the remaining tickets to the finals.
This is the first time in five years that a Korean team has participated in this competition since Ulsan Hyundai Mobis in 2019.
The 2020, 2021, and 2022 competitions were not held due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic.
Last year, the tournament itself was canceled due to FIBA designating Iraq as the host site.
Last season’s champion, Anyang Cheong Kwan-jang, also did not participate due to problems with entering the United States due to frequent team and office trips during his visit to Iraq.
This is the first time KCC has participated in this competition in 26 years since 1998, when it competed with Daejeon Hyundai.
At that time, Hyundai lost to Lebanon’s Alyadi in the third place match and took fourth place.
Although Busan KCC is finally competing on the Asian stage, there are many concerns.
KCC, which finished the season last among KBL clubs, must reconvene its players at the end of this month to prepare for this tournament.
There is also the problem of foreign players.
The contract with Laguna, who was responsible for scoring in the playoffs, ends at the end of this month.
In order to review whether to accompany her, Laguna’s status must be resolved through the KBL Board of Directors, so it is not easy to join her in this tournament.
Alize DeShawn Johnson also left the team and is now in the United States.
The secretariat has also become busy.
The uniforms required for the competition are different from the KBL regulations, so various operational and administrative tasks, including preparing new uniforms, are in full swing.
A KCC official said, “It is time to plan various events right after winning, but it is difficult as it overlaps with preparations for this tournament.
The players also need to rest a little, but it has become difficult.”
He added, “Due to the conditions, the performance may not be as good as the championship game, but we cannot be embarrassed on the international stage.
As we represent Korean basketball, we will do our best even if it is difficult.”