ASTANA (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - When Anton Ponomarev debuted in the FIBA Asia Championship 2005, he broke through the competition like a wildfire. The then 17-year-old wowed the crowds with his size, handles and, most of all, shooting. The 2.11m native of Kostanay averaged 16.0 points per game and was already one of Kazakhstan's top guns. He followed that up with equally impressive stints in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the FIBA Asia Championship, further cementing his place as one of the continent's most marvelous and potentially unguardable players.

Fast-forward to 2013, however, and everything changed. The once dominant Ponomarev suddenly saw a steep drop in his production, averaging only 7.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Things picked up in the FIBA Asia Championship 2015, but he was clearly still way off from his sharp form in 2005 to 2009.

That was one reason he didn't see action for the Snow Leopards in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016, along with other long-time senior national team stalwarts.

"I am really glad that Kazakhstan NT played in the summer of 2016, but I did not play, as well as a lot of experienced players such as Yergali, Klimov and Gavrilov," Ponomarev said. "Our federation decided to give a chance to players who did not play in the NT or played only briefly."

Using relatively unheralded and less seasoned players hurt Kazakhstan's chances in the tournament, and this was seen in the team's winless campaign. They lost each game by double-digits, but the overall result did not damper Ponomarev's vision for the future.

"I think it was not a bad move of our Federation," he remarked. "Now we have a more complete picture of 14-16 Kazakh players available, not just the usual 10-12."

Ponomarev makes a fine point there, especially considering how the team has had real trouble developing talent at the youth level.

With a new year just starting, it's no surprise then that Ponomarev is pumped at the prospect of returning to the national team and playing for the flag again.

"I am excited to accomplish it and lead my team in the future," he enthused. "I like helping out our young guys, and all I want is to have a maximum impact on the results of our team and give my 100% effort."

For sure, Ponomarev wants to see a resurgence in Kazakhstan hoops, especially considering the team's esteemed record. It was not too long ago that the Kazakhs finished among the top four teams in Asia, and at the forefront of it all was Ponomarev.

That was 10 years ago in the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 in Tokushima, Japan, where Ponomarev's squad won four of their first six games (including huge wins over traditional powers Japan and Korea) to make it to the Semi-Finals, where they were given the boot by Iran.

"We do have some highlights at Asian basketball, as well as some lowlights through past years," Ponomarev recalled. "The task to get back our glory is definitely a tough one."

He knows that it will be an uphill battle for Kazakhstan to make it back to the top shelf of Asian hoops, and that, this time, it will take a lot more than the team's natural advantages in size and physicality.

"I think we all need to work harder, players must improve, as well as basketball in Kazakhstan in general," said the 28-year-old. "We need to start really thinking of our future generation of basketball players and start new programs for our young guys - support and encourage them!"

The new year and FIBA's New Competition System bring him hope, though. For Ponomarev, having home and away games will give more significance and support to the sport back home, where fans have been aching to see their national side play meaningful jousts.

"As far as the new system, it's a big challenge for us, but I really like it," he opined. "Let's hope we can organize it properly and bring joy to our fans."

It is still a long way to go for Kazakhstan, which have long been the undisputed powerhouse in Central Asia, but have recently had more than their share of tumbles down the road. They have the materials to be among the best countries in Asia, and with Ponomarev hopefully back in sharp form, the Snow Leopards may roar mightily yet again.

FIBA