Thursday, July 12, 2007

JORDAN WINS 2007 WILLIAM JONES CUP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) Jordan's national team won the 2007 William Jones Cup basketball tournament Tuesday with a record of seven wins and two losses in the 10-team men's group, with Jordanian guard Rashiem Wright named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Lebanon finished runner-up with six wins and three losses under the single round-robin format. Home team Taiwan tied with four other teams at five wins and four losses but ranked seventh after the tie-breaker rule was used to decide the final placings.

The Philippines, Iran, South Korea and Athletes in Action from the U.S. ranked from third to sixth place, respectively, in the tournament that is regarded as a warmup for the Asian Basketball Championship for Men, which will be played in Tokushima, Japan from July 28-Aug. 8. Eight of the 10 participating countries fielded their national teams.

Qatar, which had three wins and six losses, ranked eighth. Kazakhstan and Japan, both with two wins and seven losses, ranked ninth and 10th.

Athletes in Action, a team consisting of mostly U.S. college players, failed to defend the championship they won last year.

The tournament was created in 1977 to honor Dr. Williams Jones, who was FIBA secretary-general at the time and had been supporting Taiwan in the international basketball community. Because of cross-straight disputes with China, Taiwan was barred from the international basketball competition until 1986.

The seven-team women's group will start play Wednesday in a competition that will run through July 17.