Winner automatically qualifies for 2011 FIBA Asia Championship

·         The 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup is the qualifying event for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in 2011, incidentally also to be hosted at Beirut, which in turn will be the qualifying event for 2012 London Olympics.

·         The winners of the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup will automatically qualify for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in 2011.

·         The top five teams at the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup will earn additional berths for their respective FIBA Asia sub zones.

·         This is the first FIBA Asia event hosted by Lebanon for National Teams.

·         Beirut, had however, hosted the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in its 10th and 11 edition, in 1999 and 2000 when Lebanese club Al Hikmeh-Sagesse had won the gold medal on both occasions.

·         The 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup will witness the return of Iraq’s men’s National Team to FIBA Asia competitions after a gap of almost a quarter of a century. Iraq had last played in the 14th edition of FIBA Asia Championship, when it was hosted by Bangkok in 1987.

·         The 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup is also the first FIBA Asia event for senior men’s National Team to be hosted in a country under the West Asian Basketball Association (WABA).

·         The most recent FIBA Asia official competition hosted by WABA was the 20th FIBA Asia U18 Championship at Tehran (Iran) in 2008.

The logo

·         The logo of the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup incorporates the significant aspects of the Lebanese National flag with the sport of basketball.

·         The reds on the diagonally opposite ends of the logo reflect the horizontal red strips on the Lebanese National flag.

·         The green figure in the center is a creative adaptation of the world famous Cedar tree – an integral symbol of traditional Lebanese culture and ideals – with one of its arms extending to half-hook the basketball.