Hoopdarshan Episode 68: Francisco Garcia on the state of Indian Women's Basketball

India's premier basketball podcast Hoopdarshan returns with Episode 68, featuring special guest Francisco Garcia, the former head coach of India's women's senior team. Garcia, now back in his native Spain, speaks to hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about where India's performances have faltered in recent years, the important players to carry the torch forward, and his unending connection to India.

Kaushik and Karan also round up the episode with updates on Indian basketball including Satnam Singh in Canada, the growing 3x3BL circuit in India, IOA's decision to withhold India's Men's team from the Asian Games, and more.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
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• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

China sweep basketball events at 2018 Asian Games; India's Women return winless

The venues were in Jakarta, Indonesia, but by the end of the basketball competitions at the 2018 Asian Games, it was the Chinese that felt most at home.

China swept across all categories of basketball at the Asian Games, winning gold in the Men's, Women's, 3x3 Men's, and 3x3 Women's events. It was a dominant performance and a reminder that, despite some recent inconsistencies, the Chinese still stand as the most dominant force in Asian hoops.

The basketball finals at the Asian Games were held in Jakarta on Saturday, September 1. China's Men's team defeated Iran 84-72, and China's Women's squad won the gold with a win over Korea's combine dteam, 71-65. South Korea won the Men's bronze with a 89-81 win over Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei lost the Women's bronze medal game, too, against Japan 76-63.

Chinese Men defeated South Korea in a closely-contested Men's 3x3 final, 19-18, and Iran won bronze by cruising against Thailand 21-7. Chinese Women beat Japan 21-10 for the 3x3 gold and Thailand won the women's bronze in a close game against Chinese Taipei, 15-14.

Although India participated and succeeded in various sporting disciplines at the Asian Games this year, it was a forgettable campaign for the country's basketball contingent. India only sent a Women's basketball team for the 5x5 event, as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) held back the Men's team and the 3x3 teams citing their low chances for success at the Games.

India's Women, led by head coach Shiba Maggon and featuring leading players like Jeena Scaria, Shireen Limaye, Raspreet Sidhu, and Rajapriyadharshini Rajaganapathi, were placed in Group X of the preliminary round stage, along with Korea (Combined), Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

India began their campaign against Kazakhstan, a squad they were evenly matched with and whom they defeated in the Division B final of the FIBA Asia Women's Cup last year. This time around, it was Kazakhstan who held the edge, and raced out to a 79-61 win. Tamara Yagodkina (21) and Zalina Kurazova (16) led the way for the Kazakhs win.

India's second game was against Chinese Taipei. The Indian eves started off well and only trailed by five at halftime against the much-favoured squad. But a 31-17 third quarter run gave Chinese Taipei the necessary separation as they sped their way to an 84-61 blowout.

The Combined Korean squad - eventual silver-medalists at the tournament - had the easiest time against India, dominating from start till finish to a 104-54 victory. Lee Seul Kang led all scorers for Korea with 17.

It all came down to India's final group stage game, against hosts Indonesia, in a do-or-die contest that could determine their qualification to the next round. It was a neck-to-neck game as expected, and although Indonesia held the lead for most of the time, India made an impressive late comeback to take the lead in the final quarter. Alas, Indonesia won the battle of the nerves in front of their home fans in the fourth quarter and survived for a 69-66 win. Natasha Debby Christaline had 21 for Indonesia while India's top scorer was Stephy Nixon (18).

The result dropped India to 0-4 and they were knocked out of the tournament. This was another disappointing result for Indian basketball, which has been facing a string of major losses at the international stage in both the men's and women's competitions. India's Women's failure at the Asian Games and the complete non-participation of the Men should reflect directly at the federation in India and their failures to develop and prepare our top players for these competitions.

Final Basketball Rankings from the 2018 Asian Games

Men

• 1. China
• 2. Iran
• 3. South Korea

Women

• 1. China
• 2. Korea
• 3. Japan

Men 3x3

• 1. China
• 2. South Korea
• 3. Iran

Women 3x3

• 1. China
• 2. Japan
• 3. Thailand

Asian Games 2018: India's Women's basketball team look to take a step forward in Indonesia - Roster, Schedule, and Preview

As Asia's biggest athletic extravaganza rolls back around after a long, four-year break, India's Women's Basketball team is ready and up for the challenge to take a step forward.

Indian basketball continues to hear cheers in the reverberations of that one memorable shot. Last year, Shireen Limaye hit a game-winning jumper as time expired in the Division B final to give India a Division B victory at the FIBA Asia Women's Cup in front of home fans in Bengaluru and qualified them back into Division A, the big leagues of Asian Women's Basketball. It has been relatively silent on the women's hoops scene since, but things finally revved up again a month ago when India sent a team to play the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. Playing against elite level competition, India returned winless, 0-5.

Now, a 12-strong women's squad has landed in Indonesia for the Asian Games 2018 - The Asiad - as India's sole basketball representatives. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) made a disappointing decision not to invest on lower-ranked teams to travel for the event, and thus, India's Men's team will be staying home. India has also not sent teams for the Asiad's men and women's 3x3 basketball event. The 5x5 games will be held at the GBK Basketball Hall and the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta from August 14 - September 1.

Led by coach Shiba Maggon, a former captain of the national team, India's Women will be looking to fly the flag high for Indian hoops. Four years ago, at the Asian Games 2014 in South Korea, they were the youngest team in the tournament and finished at sixth place (out of 11). India still has a relatively young roster, captained by star player Jeena Scaria, and they will be hoping to improve on their past performances among the ten-team fray.

Asian Games 2018 Women's Basketball Participants

• Group X: Korea (Combined), Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, India.
• Group Y: China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mongolia.

The top four teams from each group will proceed to the Quarter-Final stage. India only has to secure one victory in the group stage to ensure a top-four finish.

India's roster for Asian Games 2018

• Sanjana Ramesh
• Pushpa Senthil Kumar
• Anjana Prasannan Geetha
• Bhandavya Hemmige
• Jeena Scaria - captain
• Rajapriyadharshini Rajaganapathi
• Raspreet Sidhu
• Shireen Limaye
• Priyanka Prabhakara
• Madhu Kumari
• Sangeeta Kaur
• Stephy Nixon
• Head Coach: Shiba Maggon

Scaria has been consistently the team's leader and best performer for the past few years, and the forward has helped usher in the team to a new era after the departure of Geethu Anna Rahul and Anitha Paul Durai. Limaye, India's game-winning hero and another multi-talented forward, is again a part of this squad. Experienced shooting guard Raspreet Sidhu will be looked upon for leadership and offensive prowess. Rajapriyadharshini Rajaganapathi could also prove to be an important part of the main rotation. Missing from the squad are point guard Kavita Akula and youngster Grima Merlin Varghese, both of whom were important contributors in last year's FIBA Asia Women's Cup.

India's Preliminary Round Schedule - all timings IST

• August 17 - India vs. Kazakhstan - 2:30 PM
• August 19 - Chinese Taipei vs. India - 8:30 AM
• August 20 Korea vs. India - 8:30 AM
• August 23 - India vs. Indonesia - 5 PM

Unlike a lot of international basketball tournaments, the schedule is well-spaced and India will find time for rest between some of the games in the preliminary round. Their matchup against Kazakhstan is sure to be fuelled with some bad blood, as it was Kazakhstan whom India defeated in the dramatic Division B final in Bengaluru last year. India and Kazakhstan have always been well-matched and this is sure to be one of the most competitive games of the tournament. India will play against a full-strength Chinese Taipei squad after losing to their 'A' and 'B' teams at the William Jones Cup last month. A combined Korea team will be a new challenge for India - South Korea defeated them last month at the Jones Cup, too. Finally, India will take on hosts Indonesia and a hostile home crowd. This should be a fun game, and if India can hold their nerves, they could use their size and shooting advantage to pull off a win.

This gives India two winnable opportunities (Kazakhstan and Indonesia) in the preliminary round. Their performances here will determine their seeding and matchup for the quarter-final stage, and if India can meet a favourable opponent (Thailand, Mongolia, or Hong Kong), they have a real shot at the semi-finals, too.

Group Y has two of the top contenders for the title, reigning Asian champs Japan and the powerhouses China. But the combined Korean team could also spring a surprise if this squad manages to mesh together and add to South Korea's 2014 Asian Games basketball title with another gold in Indonesia.

India's Women begin 2018 William Jones Cup today: roster, schedule, and preview

The last time we saw India's women's basketball team in serious international action was almost a year ago. It was a celebration. With the help of a miraculous buzzer-beating, game-winner by Shireen Limaye, India won Division B of the FIBA Asia Women's Cup in front of home fans in Bengaluru. That exhilarating victory has since been followed by a long period of silence. Without any upcoming international opportunities, the squad has been dispersed to focus on domestic events.

Rejoice now, fans. This week, Team India will return to international action as they take part in the 2018 William Jones Cup for Women, set to be held in New Taipei City in Chinese Taipei. This six-team invitational tournament will be held from July 25-29 and serve as a preparatory event for the larger challenge ahead: the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia next month.

India will face all the participating teams in the round-robin tournament, including two squads from the home side Chinese Taipei, reigning women's Asia champions and William Jones champions Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Team India is being coached by former national player and referee Shiba Maggon and led by the squad's most-talented player as captain, Jeena Scaria. Other important pieces in the roster include experienced guard Raspreet Sidhu, Shireen Limaye, Anjana Prasannan Geetha, Stephy Nixon, and more. The squad was finalised after a training camp in Bengaluru over the past month.

Team India roster for 2018 William Jones Cup

• Anjana Prasannan Geetha
• Sangeeta Kaur
• Stephy Nixon
• Bhandavya Hemmige Mahesha
• Pushpa Senthil Kumar
• Raspreet Sidhu
• Madhu Kumari
• Priyanaka Prabhakara
• Rajapriyadharshini Rajaganapathi
• Jeena Skaria
• Shireen Vijay Limaye
• Sanjana Ramesh

India's schedule for 2018 William Jones Cup

• July 25: India vs. New Zealand
• July 26: India vs. Japan
• July 27: India vs. South Korea
• July 28: India vs. Chinese Taipei A
• July 29: India vs. Chinese Taipei B

India played their first game against New Zealand on Wednesday and lost 114-39.

India took part in last year's William Jones Cup for Women and finished last after an 0-5 record.

With such a difficult fray of opponents, it is unlikely that India will be able to pick up any victories in Taipei this week. Their best hope is that this tournament serves as practice and prep for the Asian Games, where they will play a more mixed group of opponents and have an opportunity to spring a few surprises.

The 5x5 basketball tournament at the 2018 Asian Games will be held from August 19 to September 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia. India have been drawn in Group X of the tournament along with Korea, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

Due to a decision by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), India's Men's basketball team and 3x3 basketball teams will not be sent to Indonesia for the Asian Games. India's Men's team didn't participate in last week's William Jones Cup for Men, either. The tournament was won for the second year running by 3D Canada.

India's Women basketball team drawn for 2018 Asian Games; Men's and 3x3 teams to not feature

This is what happens when sports becomes a pursuit of the destination - instead of the journey itself.

In the lead up to the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has come under scrutiny for excluding a number of Indian sports teams - including India's men and women's football squads - after they were deemed "incompetent" to win any medals. IOA officials stressed that they only wanted to send athletes from disciplines that gave them a chance at glory, disregarding those for whom the experience of participation - even if unsuccessful - could've been extremely valuable.

India's basketball contingent, after a rough and tumultuous year, has been one of the victims of this decision. When the Asian Games tip off in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18, India will only be sending their Women's basketball team to the tournament. India's Men's squad - who have lost their last 23 competitive games in various international tournaments - were not included. India will also not be sending 3x3 basketball teams to the event.

A total contingent of 524 Indian athletes will be heading to Indonesia for next month's Asian Games.

India's Women's squad have been in camp in Bengaluru in preparation under head coach Shiba Maggon. The team won FIBA Asia Cup Division B title last year and got promoted to Division A for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup.

Asian Games Women's Basketball Groups

• Group A: Korea, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, India.
• Group B: China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mongolia.

India's Men's exclusion from the tournament is a pity, and it displays both the continuing failure of the team as well as the IOA's shortsighted approach towards medal collection. Hopefully, the women's team can put up some strong performances and convince the officials back home of the potential of Indian basketball.

Hosts Indonesia win Basketball tournament at 2018 Asian Games Test Event over India in the final

Looking forward to hosting the Asian Games later this year, Indonesia needed a tournament to prepare for the big sporting festival. Looking forward to big FIBA Asia Qualifiers, India needed some international basketball experience. And at the 18th Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event in Jakarta over the past week, both the nations got their wishes fulfilled. At the finale of this invitational four-team event, it was the hosts, eventually, who added the cherry on top, defeating India in the gold medal game on Monday.

After losing to India earlier in the group stage, Indonesia put up a stronger performance in the final, outscoring India 18-10 in a crucial second-quarter run that eventually decided the result. Despite a monster game by forward Aravind Annadurai (25 points, 19 rebounds) India's attempt at a late comeback fell short. Indonesia won 78-68 to win the gold, led by Andakara Prastawa's team-high 18. India, who had finished the group stage 2-1, settled for the silver medal.

The basketball tournament at the Asian Games Test Event was held from February 8-12, 2018 at the GBK Hall Basket in Jakarta, Indonesia. Led by Coach Rajinder Singh, India sent a 12-man squad to this event, featuring the likes of the aforementioned Annadurai, Satnam Singh, and Akilan Pari. The 2018 Asian Games are set to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia from August 18 - September 2 this year. In the 2014 edition of the Games in Korea, the host squad won gold in both the Men and Women's divisions. India's Men finished the tournament at 12th place while the Women at 6th.

India had a slow start to the tournament. In their first game Nutchapong Pattharapisan (20) led Thailand to a 79-72 win, despite a 27-point outing by Annadurai. Led by Joginder Singh (19), India got back in the win column against Indonesia in Game 2, 66-55. India's final group stage victory was a blowout over Timor-Leste 145-50. Nine Indians hit double digit scoring in this win while Timor-Liste were led by Gilberto Soares Pinto (22).

Before the Indonesia-India final, Thailand defeated Timor-Leste 139-76 on Monday to win the bronze medal. The game featured an incredible 65-point scoring outburst by Thailand's Guntapong Korsah-Dick, and 27 by Chatin Rattanawiwatpong. Abrito Guimaraes countered with 39 for Timor-Leste in the loss.

This little tournament was perfectly-timed for the Indian national squad, who have spent the past week in camp in Bengaluru preparing for the next round of FIBA World Cup qualifying games later in the month. After losing the first two qualifying games in November, India will hope to bounce back as they host Jordan and Lebanon on February 23 and 26, respectively.

It's not known yet whether any of India's top players - namely Amjyot Singh (NBA G-League), Amritpal Singh (NBL Australia), or Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (injury) will be available for the crucial qualifiers in a couple of weeks. For now, India can take heart in the experience provided by these few games, and particularly, in Annadurai's performances as the team's top offensive option.

India's Men's basketball team to participate in 2018 Asian Games Test Event from tomorrow

It won't be until mid-August that Asia's biggest sports bonanza - the 2018 Asian Games - will begin in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang. India's basketball squads - both Men and Women - are already looking ahead to participate in the Games' basketball tournament.

But long before the main event, India's Men's squad will have a chance to test out the site for themselves. India is one of the four teams invited to participate in the 18th Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event, to be held at the Istora Sanayan Hall, Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in South Jakarta. The other participating teams are hosts Indonesia, Thailand and Timor Leste.

This little tournament is perfectly-timed for the Indian national squad, who have spent the past week in camp in Bengaluru preparing for the next round of FIBA World Cup qualifying games later in the month. After losing the first two qualifying games in November, India will hope to bounce back as they host Jordan and Lebanon on February 23 and 26, respectively.

India will be without their "Big Three" of Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (injured), Amjyot Singh (NBA G-League), and Amritpal Singh (NBL Australia) for this tournament, but they will feature a mixed group of experienced and youth players in Indonesia, including former NBA draftee Satnam Singh, point guard Akilan Pari, and Yadwinder Singh. The squad will be coached by Rajinder Singh.

India roster for 2018 Asian Games Test Event

• Akilan Pari
• Kasi Rajan Maruthan
• Arshpreet Singh Bhullar
• Ravi Bhardwaj
• Issac Thuruthel Thomas
• Satnam Singh
• Anil Kumar Gowda
• Yadwinder Singh
• Aravind Annadurai
• Arvind Arumugam
• Joginder Singh
• Gurwinder Singh Gill
• Head Coach: Rajinder Singh
• Assistant Coach: GRL Prasad
• Manager: Vikram Handa

India will play their first game against Thailand on Thursday, February 8.

The 2018 Asian Games are set to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia from August 18 - September 2 this year. In the 2014 edition of the Games in Korea, the host squad won gold in both the Men and Women's divisions. India's Men finished the tournament at 12th place while the Women at 6th.

Basketball Federation of India K. Govindraj elected as Indian Olympic Association's Vice President

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) announced on Thursday that its president, K. Govindraj, has been elected as the Vice-President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). It's been a celebratory few weeks for Govindraj, who was also appointed as a member of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Competitions Commission recently.

Election results of the IOA were announced in New Delhi on Thursday, December 14, and president of the Indian Hockey Federation (FIH) Narinder Batra was elected as IOA president. The IOA's Annual Generation Meeting also witnessed elections for the eight posts of vice-president, six joint secretaries, a lone treasurer and 10 Executive Council members.

The IOA is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at the events. It also acts as the Indian Commonwealth Games Association, responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Commonwealth Games. Govindraj's role in the committee could prove fruitful as India's basketball teams hope to participate in both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018.

Govindraj, who also held the position of secretary of the Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBBA), became president of the BFI in March 2015 and secured the position after a lengthy feud with a competing executive committee. His main accomplishment over the past year has been hosting three international basketball events in India: the FIBA Asia Women's Cup in July 2017, FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship in October 2017 and FIBA 2019 World Cup Asian Qualifiers in November 2017.