Orthodoxi host West Asian basketball tourney

AMMAN — The local basketball agenda is on a short break as Orthodoxi host the 18th West Asian Clubs Championship from February 17-22 in the zonal qualifiers for the Asian Champions Cup.

Lebanon’s Riyadi and Champville, Iran’s Petroshemi and Azad, and Iraq’s Shurta will join their host as former champs Syria’s Wihdeh and Yemen’s Sana’s declined this year. 

The West Asian Clubs Championship, organised by the West Asian Basketball Association, stipulates that the top three teams, provided they represent different countries, qualify to the Asian Basketball Confederation’s (ABC) Champions Cup.  Zain were the only Jordanian team to win the Champions Cup in 2006.

In the last edition, in 2014, then Jordan Basketball League champs Applied Science University (ASU) finished third while Jordan’s other representative, Ittihad Schools, bowed out of the quarters. Iran’s Mahram beat compatriot Petroshemi to win the title for the fourth time. Mahram, ASU and Iraq’s Kahraba moved to the ABC Asian Champions Cup. ASU won the league four times in their record title the last being in 2013 and 2014. Both ASU and Ititihad have quit the game over differences with the Jordan Basketball Federation and players dispersed over the rest of clubs.

Locally, the season started with Orthodoxi winning the Jordan Cup and aiming to retain the league title which they won for the record 23rd time last year

The West Asian Clubs Championship has been dominated by Lebanese and Iranian team since it started in 1998. Orthodoxi were the only Jordanian team to win the title in 1999. Jordanian runners-up to the title were Jazira (currently Riyadi’s team) in 1998, Orthodoxi in 2001 and 2002, Arena in 2003 and Zain in 2009.

WABA record