FORMER PBA import Wayne Chism was an instant impact for Bahrain, leading the team to its first victory in the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The 6-foot-8 forward out of Tennessee, who has been a naturalized player for Bahrain since 2018, put up 20 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in its 76-67 win over Syria on Friday at Hamadaniyeh Stadium in Aleppo.
See Gilas awaits Kai Sotto decision as Fiba Asia Cup nears
The triumph kept Bahrain's hopes of progressing to the second round of the qualifiers as it forced a tie for third place with Syria with 1-4 win-loss cards.
]Bahrain will face Kazakhstan, while Syria will meet Iran on Monday.
Chism has been a fixture in the Bahraini Premier League, winning the cup with Al-Manama in 2018 before also having stints with Magnolia as a replacement for Justin Jackson and signing with Hekmeh BC in Lebanon and Al Wahda in Saudi Arabia.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph