Saudi Arabia name squad for first FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifier games in Jeddah

RIYADH (Saudi Arabia) - The Saudi Basketball Federation (SBF) have formally announced a 14-player roster for the upcoming first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia will be featuring a majority of the players that were key to their run through the West Region Pre-Qualifiers. Team leading scorer from the Pre-Qualifiers, Marzouq Almuwallad (15.3 points per game), is ready to get back into action along with all-around talent Khalid Abdel Gabar who led the team in rebounds and assists.

Khalid Abdel Gabar, FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers West Region

21-year-old big man Mohammed Al Suwailem was also a bright spot for Saudi Arabia throughout the Pre-Qualifiers. He will be one of the many youngsters that will be using the Asia Cup Qualifiers as an opportunity to gain valuable playing experience at the international level in order to rise up to the occasion and usher in the new generation of stars.

The past calendar year of 2019 was highly successful for basketball in Saudi Arabia. Not only did they win the GBA Men’s National Team Championship, the national team also took a giant leap up 29 spots in the FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike for the Asia Oceania region. They will certainly be looking to start 2020 on a high note throughout the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to qualify for Asia Cup 2021 which would be a return to the big stage for the first time since 2013. The nation had two straight trips to the Asia Cup Semi-finals in the late 1990s and they are looking to get back to that level in Asian basketball once again.

The first two games in the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers for Saudi Arabia against Qatar (20 February) and Syria (23 February) will be played in Jeddah. It will be the first time since 1997 a FIBA event was held in the country and the first time ever in the city of Jeddah itself.

FIBA