BEIRUT (Lebanon)- For as long as any follower of basketball in this part of the world can remember, Al Riyadi Beirut have been the crème da le creme for the connoisseur and common fan alike in the entire West Asian basketball eco system.
To a Riyadi fan, the “Yellow Castle” can never be breached. Therefore, it’s quite normal that the Riyadi fans to expect the team to deliver another title when the team takes to court in the FIBA WASL West Asia starting on Tuesday.
Hang on! Coach Ahmed Farran chose to downplay any such overwhelming status on the eve of the much-awaited tip off to the elite club competition of the league.
“We are not in the best situation right now. We are going in with one import short,” Farran rued.
“Right now, we have only one (import) practicing with us. Another will join us later today and we’ll head into the game with very little practice with him. Therefore, we’ll have only two imports (instead of the three allowed) going into these games,” the 44-year-old added.
“Having said that, in Riyadi we play team basketball. So, every player is important and every player has always brought his best to the court. We are a team that averages almost 30 assists per game. That’s our style,” he said.
“I do expect players like Wael (Arakji), Amir (Saoud), Ali Mansour, Karim Znenoun and Hayk (Gyokchyan) to step up and rise to the occasion,” Farran said.
Farran found the presence of Jordanian outfit Amman United and Iranian champions Tabiat another challenge in the quest for a three-peat.
“Don’t forget the season in Lebanon began late because of the war. And those leagues (in Jordan and Iran) are well into the season. This means those teams have played a lot together and we are only beginning to find our rhythm,” he said that.
“Having said that, our targets for the season are well set. To win the WASL Final 8 and then defend the BCL Asia. So, I think we will improve with every game and reach our target,” he added.
FIBA