Mahram coach censures FIBA Asia chief over delay of Asia Club Championship final

TEHRAN,Oct.25(MNA)--The coach of the Iranian team Mahram, Mostafa Hashemi, has criticized FIBA Asia Secretary General Hagop Khajirian for his decision to postpone the Asia Club Championship final. The match was scheduled to be held on October 21 in Beirut, but the FIBA Asia official postponed the final, saying he had concerns about the security situation. The new date has not been announced. On October 19, a car bomb blast in Beirut's eastern Ashrafiya district killed at least eight people and injured more than 80. The intelligence chief of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan, was also among the dead. There have been rumors that the final game might be shifted to Dubai. However, no official announcement has been made yet. “We were well prepared to beat Al Riyadi in the final day but now our secondary players have gone. In my opinion, Hagop Khajirian’s decisions went against us during the competition,” Hashemi said. “The competition was originally scheduled to start four months ago. The Lebanese club had also announced it would not be able to host the competition due to security concerns,” he stated. “But they were forced to hold the event. I believe that it’s Mr. Khajirian’s fault. He is an embarrassment for FIBA Asia,” Hashemi added.