Kuwait is seeing action, according to Fiba-Asia, clearing earlier reports that the squad is also pulling out of the Asian Games along with Saudi Arabia.

Still, a change in schedule may happen given that the Asian Games is under the supervision of the Olympic Council of Asia and is not controlled by Fiba-Asia, according to Filipino officials.

“Fiba-Asia has formally confirmed the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia from basketball and Kuwait will play the Philippines in Group B,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala.

The competition starts on November 13 and Smart Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman admitted he has little knowledge of the Kuwait squad they will be meeting in a win-or-go-home duel among unseeded teams in the Asian Games.

“I will receive a scouting report of the Kuwait team from my friend in Qatar. Right now, I have no idea on what kind of team they are,” said Toroman, whose team leaves for Guangzhou on November 9.

Under the new format, the unseeded teams will be divided into four groups with Hong Kong and North Korea battling in Group A, Turkmenistan and Mongolia in Group C and Afghanistan and India in Group D.

The winners in Groups A and C will be bracketed in Group E along with host China, South Korea, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Winners in Groups B and D will join Group F Chinese Taipei, Fiba-Asia champion Iran, Qatar and Japan.

Curiously, the SBP arranged a two-game exhibition series against Kuwait on November 4 and 5. But that is now off.

If the Philippines hurdles Kuwait, it meets Iran on November 16 and Qatar the following day. The nationals then collide with Japan on November 19 and the winner of Afghanistan-India tussle on November 21.

“At least we have three days to prepare against Iran if we win,” said Toroman, who led the Iranians to their first Olympic stint in 2008 in Beijing.

Toroman said Group F is a much tougher group as at least five teams are capable of reaching the semifinals while in Group E, only China, South Korea and probably Jordan are the teams to watch.

Eala said the team will leave early to play tune-up games in China. “We badly need tune-up games,” he said.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror