Seven-time winners China sensationally exited the Asian Games basketball on Sunday, before the medals battle starts, after being defeated by Iran.
China failed to qualify as one of the top two in their quarter-final pool after losing 75-67 to gold medal favourites in their final game. China’s fate was sealed when Japan beat Mongolia 96-70 in the later Group G game.
The basketball-mad Philippines were also dumped out, despite on Sunday beating Kazakhstan who claimed a surprise semi-final slot after South Korea toppled Qatar 65-58 in the final Group H match on Sunday.
The last time China failed to win an Asian Games medal was in 1970 and they have competed in nine consecutive finals since 1978, winning seven of them.
The damage was done on Saturday when a talented but young and inexperienced Chinese team squandered a nine-point half-time lead to be upset by Japan, 79-72.
“We didn’t expect that Japan could beat China,” Iran’s captain Samad Nikkah Bahrami told AFP after a powerful display which saw him lead his team with 14 points, seven assists and three rebounds.
“China are a very good team. I’m telling you, I just played against them. They have a lot of good big guys who can shoot the ball very well.”
China’s head coach Gong Luming was optimistic that his young side would learn from their run to the quarter-finals in the tournament.
“I know that our players have to improve their shooting. National and international competitions are vastly different,” he said.
“They will become better players for this experience.”
China’s giant 7ft 1in (2.17m) Zhou Qi registered game highs with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Iran were up 11-9 after five minutes and they never relinquished the lead.
“They lost this competition because they lost Saturday night,” Nikkah Bahrami added.
“They knew they were going to have a hard time against us. They shouldn’t have taken it easy against Japan, I think.”
Iran’s Slovakian coach Mehmed Becirovic echoed his captain’s words. “Yes it is a surprise, China and the Philippines,” he said.
“I expect it now to be Iran against South Korea in the final and that will be very tough against them with home support.”
The Philippines, after defeats to Qatar and South Korea, needed to beat Kazakhstan by 11 points to go through in second spot in the pool. They won ut only by 67-65.
“We won the game, but really we lost,” said a dejected head coach Chot Reyes. The “Gilas Pilipinas” have not won a medal at the Asian Games since a bronze in 1998.
Wednesday’s surprise semi-final line up will see Japan play South Korea and Iran play Kazakhstan.
The women’s semi-final line-up, also on Wednesday, will follow the form book. South Korea will play Japan and China take on Taiwan.