Iran drawn with China in 2013 FIBA Asia Championship

TEHRAN,June 8(MNA)--Iran was drawn with giant China in Group C of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship on Thursday. Host the Philippines was grouped with Jordan, Chinese Taipei and Saudi Arabia in Group A. Japan, Qatar, Lebanon and Hong Kong are in Group B. Group C poses a veritable clash of big guns with China, Iran, South Korea and a yet-to-be-identified qualifier from the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA). Group D saw Kazakhstan, India and a yet-to-be-identified qualifier from SEABA drawn to start with and Bahrain joining them later on. "With the successful completion of the Draw Ceremony, the stage is set for the competition at the 27th FIBA Asia Championship, the biggest event in FIBA Asia. In other words, the countdown has begun to identify the Champion of FIBA Asia," said FIBA Asia Secretary General Hagop Khajirian who presided over the Draw Ceremony. The 27th FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, will be held in Manila, the Philippines from August 1 to 11.