Qatar starts Asian Games action with triumph over Iran

QATAR officially got the ball rolling in the 20th Asian Games with a 59-53 win over Iran at the start of basketball competitions at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.

Next year's FIBA Basketball World Cup host held sway in the endgame after seeing Team Melli come roaring back from as much as a 20-point deficit.

Iran's Mohammad Amini PHOTO: FIBA

Iran, which lost to Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the World Cup qualifiers in Manila, missed the services of stalwart Mohammand Amini.

The 21-year-old Iranian, who played for the Boston Celtics in the recent NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, was not released by his French ball club SLUC Nancy Basket to Team Melli for the Asiad.

Also out for Team Melli was guard Behnam Yakchali, who also didn't play for Iran in the Manila window of the qualifiers.

Naturalized player Michael Lewis led Qatar with 21 points, Dejan Yanzic added 11 points and nine rebounds, and Abdulrahman Saad with nine points.

Martin Agazanpur led Iran with 15 points.

Chinese-Taipei also got off to a rousing start as it edged out Jordan, 83-80.

Chen Ying-chun and Lin Ting-chen paced the Taiwanese with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Recent Manila visitor Abdulla Olajuwon finished with 18 points, and naturalized player Dar Tucker with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Falcons, who also lost to Gilas Pilipinas in the last FIBA window, 82-81, in overtime.

Veteran 7-footer Ahmad al-Dwayri went down with an injury for Jordan and only had four points and five rebounds.

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