DOHA, Sept 23: The towering figure of Yaseen Mahmoud is hoping that a mighty performance for Qatar in the Asian Games will lead to a dream basketball contract in the NBA.

The 22-year-old forward dreams of becoming only the third Arab player ever to make the grade in the United States and has already come agonisingly close to achieving his goal.

Having played college basketball in America, he was heading for the 2000 draft before he had to withdraw.

However, some sterling performances in the Asian Chammpionships, when he helped the tiny Gulf state to fifth place, and then a starring role as he led his Al Rayyan club to the continent’s top teams championship has rekindled hopes that he can follow in the footsteps of Lebanon’s Rony Seikaly and Alaa Abdelnaby of Egypt.

Seikaly played for Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and the New Jersey Nets while Abdelnaby was a feature with the Portland Trailblazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings.

Mahmoud, who stands at 6ft 8ins, was rumoured to be a target for the Chicago Bulls earlier this year and has spent time training with the Nets, the NBA runners-up to the Lakers last season.

Mahmoud was outstanding as Al Rayyan beat Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the Asian Clubs Championship where he contributed 15 points.

“Yaseen was brilliant,” said Al Rayyan coach Ahmed Abdul Hadi.

For his part, Mahmoud is quick to praise his club and national squad teammates for the role they have played in his rise to regional stardom.

“They are a good team with a lot of heart,” Mahmoud said of his Qatar team as they became the best placed Gulf side in the Asian Championship last year where they finished fifth - a position thay hope to improve upon at the Asian Games.

However, after that defeat to Korea in Shangahi, Qatar’s American coach Rod Popp admitted that Mahmoud and his teammates have a lot of work to do on their game.

“We missed too many free throws and we gave up too many open shots. In the championships, we played good defence until the end. But the two big things were we shot poorly from the field and also from the free throw line.”

Asian champions China will start as the overwhelming favourites for the Games basketball gold.

“I think Korea and China are both very fine teams,” said Popp.

“China’s size creates a problem, but the Korean’s shooting is also very good. I have a lot of respect for both teams.”—AFP