Norman Swaroop Isaac has been invited to the FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball) Asia Cup at Tokyo, Japan from September 14 to 22.

He will be the only Indian in four FIBA Commissioners drawn from over 40 across Asia, who will monitor the over week-long competition at the Ota City General Gymnasium. The above event is a qualifier for the 2013 FIBA Asia championships, which further restricts entries to the 2014 FIBA World Championships in Spain.

Ten men’s teams will be in the fray for the Tokyo tournament, known previously as the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup. They will be divided into two groups of five teams each, of which four will make the quarter-finals.

“A Commissioner will serve as the link between floor and table officials and rotate duties with his three counterparts,” Isaac, an officer with the State Bank of India and seasoned FIBA international referee, told The Hindu. The quartet will report directly to Col. Lee Kak Kuan, Technical Director, FIBA Asia.

Hot favourite will be China, listed at No. 10 in FIBA World rankings and a 15 time FIBA Asia champion that includes it’s most recent triumph at Wuhan last year. Whether India makes the cut for the Tokyo event, will be decided at Delhi between July 24 and 26, when it competes with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives in the Middle Asia sub-zone qualifiers.