2009 FIBA Asia Championship - Qualification

Qualification

According to the FIBA Asia rules, each zone had two places, and the hosts (China) and Stanković Cup champion (Jordan) were automatically qualified. The other four places are allocated to the zones according to performance in the 2008 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup.

* Chinese Taipei, which finished fourth behind Korea, Japan and China in the East Asian qualifiers, was given a wild card entry into the championship following the withdrawal of Gulf representatives Bahrain.

Qualifying was done via the 2008 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup where the champion automatically qualified, and from different FIBA Asia sub-zones. As hosts, China automatically qualified to the championship. In West and Middle Asia, no actual qualifying tournament was done as only a few teams on those sub-zones registered to participate in a qualifying tournament.

With the withdrawal of Bahrain, FIBA Asia chose Chinese Taipei as the final participant to the 16-team field.

This is the first championship where Hong Kong would not participate; they were consistent participant since the inauagural tournament in Manila. Only Hong Kong and Syria did not return from the FIBA Asia Championship 2007. They were replaced by Uzbekistan, returning to the tournament after a four-year absence, and Sri Lanka, making its first appearance since 1995.

This is also the third time in the 21st century in which the championships were held in the People's Republic of China; Shanghai was the host for 2001, and Harbin was the host in 2003.