Veselin Matic (SRB)
06/03/2015
News
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Matic charts a new course for Lebanon

BEIRUT (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - Recently-appointed Lebanon coach Veselin Matic is embarking on a new challenge, yet it's the sort that he's familiar with.

Matic will try to steer the national team to glory this year, first at the WABA Championship and then the FIBA Asia Championship.

A title at the second of those big events would qualify the Lebanese for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Matic will also focus on development and make sure all of Lebanon's teams have a similar approach to practices and tactics.

"My duty is not just the men's national team," he said to FIBA.com, "but to follow all the national teams and their performances and change the system and develop young national teams and make them better.

"That's what I always do [as coach of other national team programs in the past]."

For Lebanon to be strong, he says, there has to be a pipeline of talent to the senior team.

There also has to be an agreed way of playing.

"We have to have a philosophy of the national team, that everything is going from down to up and up to down," he said.

If you are not thinking about the future, you are not going to be good - Matic

"But I think in Lebanon, that situation is good. There are young players coming up."

Lebanon have played in big tournaments before.

They competed at both the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Japan and the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

Most recently, Lebanon played at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Turkey.

Lebanon fell off the international radar a couple of years ago.

They were supposed to host the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship but the tournament was moved to the Philippines when FIBA suspended the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB).

Following a shake-up at the federation, which now has Walid Nassar as president and Matic as coach, the Lebanese are charting a new and exciting course.

Nassar has said that Matic will have the final say on the important matters of squad selection and the preparations.

However, the 54-year-old native of Belgrade has stressed that he values input.

"If you know about me," he said, "maybe I have this authority but I try every time to be a team player.

"I want to speak to the federation and make a good team and then we will cooperate and make all things together for the best.

"Yes, it's my decision, but every time I want to listen, to study all situations and then talk with the people and then make sure all coaches are moving in the same direction. I want to take on board all factors and see how I can help."

While the FIBA Asia Championship won't be staged for several months, there is potentially a mouthwatering showdown that Matic could coach in.

He may end up leading Lebanon against the team he used to coach, Iran, although that is something he is keen to play down.

I don't think too much about Iran and the team of Iran - Matic

"For sure, that is my advantage in the way that I know them very well and I really respect them and for sure it's a motivation.

"But there are a lot of good quality teams in Asia.

"We have to focus every time, game by game.

"And we'll never think too far down the road, but the beginning of the road."

This time last year, Matic was in north Africa and coaching Libya.

That situation went from very good to bad.

"I won the Arab championship last year, and the war happened and everything stopped," he said.

Matic will arrive in Lebanon on 27 March and conduct a basketball clinic before turning his attention to the domestic league and seeing what players he is likely to have at his disposal.

He will also make some final decisions on the team's preparations for the FIBA Asian Championship.

China are interested in playing Lebanon in the Far East, so they may end up on the schedule.

"I also prefer to play against some European teams because in the preparations for Iran, it was most important to play against them," he said.

"On the other hand, it's important that you play against Far East teams, China, Korea, and also the Philippines. They are all very important. I really respect all of these teams."

It's March, so the national team talk has not ramped up yet in Lebanon, but it will soon.

"The federation is full of new people inside and they want the best," Matic said, "and its the same for me.

"I'm hungry to go back to Asia and have a good performance."

FIBA