Afghanistan_men's_national_basketball_team
Afghanistan men's national basketball team
Men's national basketball team
The Afghanistan men's national basketball team (Persian: تیم ملی بسکتبال مردان افغانستان) is the men's national basketball team of Afghanistan and is controlled by the Afghanistan National Basketball Federation.[2][3][4][5] Afghanistan joined FIBA and became a member of FIBA Asia in 1968. Afghanistan won the 2010 South Asian Games, becoming the first sports team to win gold in the nation's history.[6]
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA ranking | NR (1 March 2024)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joined FIBA | 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA zone | FIBA Asia | |||||||||||||||||||
| National federation | Afghanistan National Basketball Federation | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Mamo Rafiq | |||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Games | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2006) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | None | |||||||||||||||||||
| South Asian Games | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2010) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Medals |  Gold: 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Early history
Basketball was first played in Afghanistan in 1936. In 1966, the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee (ANOC) founded the first national basketball team after receiving challenges from India and Pakistan. Tom Gouttierre, an American Peace Corps volunteer and coach of the team at Habibia High School, became the first coach. Using detailed, confidential instructions from John Wooden, the Afghanistan team became the only other to run the famous UCLA zone press.[7]
Although the international games were canceled, in 1969 Gouttierre returned on a Fulbright Fellowship and again became the Habibia coach, and in 1970 Bill Bradley of the New York Knicks tutored the team while visiting the country. That year China challenged the ANOC. Because of the lack of preparation time, Gouttierre decided that current and former Habibia players were the best choice for a second Afghanistan national team. Using the zone press, it defeated a much larger Chinese team in Parwan Province in the Afghanistan team's first international victory.[7]
FIBA Asia Cup
Afghanistan has failed to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup, while as well as only entering in the qualification rounds only once in 2013 when they entered in the South Asian Basketball Association Qualifying Round. Afghanistan would defeat Nepal before losing to India and failing to qualify for the Asia Cup. This is their only appearance in FIBA Asia Cup qualification rounds to date.[citation needed]
Asian Games
Afghanistan has made two brief appearance in the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010. Both times the men's national team would struggle for success and failing to qualify outside the first round in both years respectively. The 2010 edition would be marked as the last time Afghanistan has played any competitive men's national teams games.
South Asian Games
Afghanistan would see their best success in international competition in the form of the 2010 edition of the South Asian Games. They would defeat India and claim gold in what has been their only appearance in the South Asian Games to date.[citation needed]
Summer Olympics
FIBA World Cup
FIBA Asia Cup
Asian Games
- 1970-2002 : Did not qualify
- 2006 : 13th
- 2010 : 13th
- 2014-2022 : Did not qualify
South Asian Games
| Year | Position | Pld | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1987 | Not part of SAOC until 2004 | |||
 1991 | ||||
| 1995 | ||||
 2010 |  | ? | ? | ? |
 2019 | Left SAOC in 2016 | |||
| Total | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- South Asian Games
- Gold Medal: 2010
Head Coach:*
Mamo Rafiq – 2007-now
Assistant Coach: *
Abdul Wasi Pazhman - 2010
Assistant Coach: *
Leo Balayon - 2009
The following twelve players were named to the roster for the 2010 Asian Games.
| Afghanistan men's national basketball team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Depth chart
Videos
- Afghanistan Basketball Team Youtube.com video
- "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- "FIBA National Federations – Afghanistan". Fiba.com. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- "Keeping Afghan Men's basketball Alive is a Scramble". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
- "Afghan national team making basketball inroads". Usatoday.Com. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- "Afghan Men's Basketball Team Denied Chance at Olympics". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
- "Afghan Sports Federation – 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh; BREAKING NEWS: Afghanistan National Basketball Team Wins Gold". AfghanSportsFederation.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- Ballard, Chris (22 July 2013). "The Wizard of Kabul". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.