Afghanistan men's national basketball team

Afghanistan
FIBA ranking	NR (1 March 2024)
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
Home	Away
South Asian Games

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]

History

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]}

Competitive record

Summer Olympics

Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1936	Not a FIBA member
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968	Did not enter
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Total	0/21	0	0	0

FIBA World Cup

Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1950	Not a FIBA member
1954
1959
1963
1967
1970	Did not enter
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2019
2023
2027
Total	0/20	0	0	0