Japan win fourth consecutive title at FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Bengaluru; winless India finish last in Division A

The Japanese dominance over Asian basketball continued last week at the 2019 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Bengaluru, India. With a thrilling comeback win over China in the final on Sunday, September 29 at the city’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium Japan completed an impressive four-peat at the championship, cementing their supremacy over Asian basketball.

Hosts India also took part in the tournament but ended the week in disappointment, losing all of their group games and losing the 7th/8th place qualifier to end their Division A appearance at last place.

The final of the tournament was held between long-time Asian rivals Japan and China on Sunday. Japan, who had won the 2017 title with a final win over Australia in dramatic fashion, once again had to muster all of their heroics to complete a comeback and squeak past the Chinese squad. China commanded a 10-point lead in the first half, but slowed down to start the third quarter as Japan began their comeback run. Japan took a lead early in the second and held on for the 71-68 win. Nako Motohashi led all scorers for Japan with 24. Xu Han scored 18 for China in the loss.

Earlier the same day, Australia blew past Korea 98-62 to win the bronze medal game. Rebecca Allen led the Aussies with a game-high 20 in the victory.

Japan’s Nako Motohashi was named the tournament’s MVP for her performances.

After winning the 2017 Division B title in dramatic fashion and making their comeback to Division A, India sent a young squad that hoped to retain its position in the higher throes of Asian hoops. Coached by Zoran Visic and captained by Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi, India were drawn in Group A of the division, along with Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei.

Playing against the powerhouse Japanese, India had no shot in their first game, barely being able to score against Japan’s stifling defense on one end, and finding it impossible to contain Japan’s offensive prowess. Led by Himawari Akaho (23) and Sanae Motokawa (16), Japan cruised to a 103-27 win.

India started with more purpose in Game 2 against Korea, taking an early 12-2 lead and holding a slim advantage after the first quarter. But the tables turned when Korea raced to a 24-6 second quarter run which punctured all of India’s spirits. Korea secured a 97-62 win, led by An Jin’s 21 points.

In the final group game against Chinese Taipei, it was India’s weak start that doomed them, as their opponents took a 28-10 lead after just the first ten minutes. India improved after halftime, but Taipei already had a huge advantage by then, as they won the game 87-58.

Last in their group, India’s mission now was to defeat Group B last-ranking team – Philippines – to ensure that they didn’t fall out of the Division. Alas, it was another weak start by India, as Philippines took a 12-point lead early in the game. India made the game close around halftime, but Philippines heated up from behind the three-point line and took advantage of India’s mistakes to win 92-78. Janine Pontejos scored 18 for the Philippines, while India’s Shireen Limaye had a team’s tournament-best 23 points.

The result left India with a 0-4 record at eighth place. As per FIBA rules, India are supposed to be replaced in the 2010 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup by the winners of Division B. But the Division B event hasn’t been held this year, and if it stays this way, India may keep its place in the higher division after all.

Limaye was India’s best player at the tournament, leading the team in scoring (12.3 ppg), assists (3.5 apg), minutes per game (28 mpg) and overall efficiency rating. There were some decent performances by Jeena Skaria and Navaneetha PU, but neither were consistent enough through the course of the tournament.

For a more in-depth story behind India’s unsuccessful campaign at this event, read my article on Firstpost, published on Monday, September 30.

Final Standings

• 1. Japan
• 2. China
• 3. Australia

All Tournament Team

• Nako Motohashi (Japan)
• Yuki Miyazawa (Japan)
• Shao Ting (China)
• Han Xu (China)
• Rebecca Allen (Australia)

India ready to take part in 2019 FIBA Women's Asia Cup: Roster, Schedule, and more!

After winning Division B in dramatic fashion in 2017, Team India will return upgraded in Division A of the 2019 FIBA Women's Asia Cup. The tournament is being held once again in familiar surroundings for Team India, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru from September 24-29, 2019.

The 2017 champions Japan will return with hopes of completing an incredible four-peat of this tournament. Among the other favourites in this event are Australia, China, and Korea.

Grouping for Division A

• Group A: Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, India.
• Group B: Australia, China, New Zealand, Philippines.

India's Roster

• Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi (captain)
• Anmolpreet Kaur
• Shireen Limaye
• Barkha Sonkar
• Navaneetha Pattemane Udayakumar
• Anjana Prasannan Geetha
• Stephy Nixon
• Bhandavya Hemmige Mahesha
• Shruthi Arvind
• Madhu Kumari
• Jeena Skaria
• Lopamudra Thimmaiah Kokkalera
• Head Coach: Zoran Visic
• Assistant Coach: Shiba Maggon
• Assistant Coach: Kuldeep Singh Brar

India's Preliminary Stage Schedule - all timings IST

• Sep 24, 2019 - Japan vs. India - 8 PM
• Sep 25, 2019 - India vs. Korea - 8 PM
• Sep 26, 2019 - Chinese Taipei vs. India - 8 PM

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.

Australia win 2018 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Thailand; India knocked out in pre-quarter finals

After FIBA restructured some of its continental championships last year, Oceania's finest squads - Australia and New Zealand - took part in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship for the first time in this year's edition. And their debut in the junior Asian fray couldn't have been grander: both squads sliced past the new competition to make the final of the tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand. And on Friday, it was Australia who repeated the achievements of their senior team at last year's FIBA Asia Cup and came up as victors in the U18 division, too.

India's U18 squad also took part in the tournament, and although they were ousted in the pre-quarter finals, showed some positive glimpses of potential for the future of the game here.

The final of FIBA Asia U18 was held at Stadium 29 in Nonthaburi on Friday, August 10, 2018. Australia and New Zealand, familiar neighbours, played a gritty game where the Aussies kept a steady lead, but the Kiwis always stayed close and never allowed their opponents to get comfortable. Australia took a 15-point first quarter lead, but NZ closed the gap to just seven by the end of the third period, before Australia pulled away with a 72-63 win. Koby Stattman scored 17 for the victors, while Maxwell Darling (20), Kruz Ambrose Roger Perrott-Hunt (16), and Flynn Macpherson Cameron (16) carried the scoring load for NZ in the loss.

China exacted revenge on the Philippines to win 76-57 in the bronze medal game, after losing to the same opponent earlier in the group stage. Quanze Wang scored a game-high 27 for China while Jie Xu added 18. Kai Zachary Sotto led Philippines with 16.

Australia, New Zealand, China, and Philippines qualified to represent FIBA Asia in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

India came into this tournament having convincingly won the South Asian Qualifying round of the FIBA U18 Asian Basketball Championship in Dhaka. India was coached by Aman Sharma and will feature exciting young players such as Rajeev Kumar, Prashant Tomar, Harshwardhan Tomar, Seijin Mathew, Princepal Singh, and Rajveer Singh Bhati in their roster. The squad was drawn into Group D of the preliminary round with Chinese Taipei, Korea, and Syria.

In many past tournaments, India has virtually conceded the matchups against the higher-echelon Asian opponents and focused only on the 'winnable' games. But from the first tip against Chinese Taipei in Thailand, it was clear that this team had different ideas. India took an early lead over the team from Taiwan and held a surprising eight-point advantage to begin the fourth quarter. Alas, the famous late-game jitters plaguing Indian basketball struck this team, too, and Chinese Taipei bounced back to eke out a close win, 83-80. Fan Po-Yen Chen and Yan Ting Lin each scored 17 for Chinese Taipei. India were led by Princepal Singh (17) and Seijin Mathew (16).

India faced Korea in Game 2, and very quickly, Korea turned the game into an offensive masterclass. Korea led by 18 in the first quarter and kept up their hot shooting streak to explode for a 134-95 victory led by Hyunjung Lee (30), Jiung Bae (24), and Jun Seok Yeo (16). Although they had no answers for Korea defensively, India enjoyed a good offensive outing, too, led by a breakout 40-point, 7-assist performance by Rajeev Kumar and 24 points by Princepal Singh.

India needed a win to make it out of the group stage, and they got it in their last preliminary round contest against Syria. The tables were now turned and India were the aggressors, opening with a 27-13 first quarter, leading by 29 at halftime, and cruising to a 100-59 win. Kumar was again India's star man with 32 points to lead all scorers.

The victory meant that India finished at third-place in their group and were awarded a knockout game opportunity to make the top-8. Alas, their pre-quarter final opponent was New Zealand, one of the toughest teams at the tournament. India fearlessly got off to a good start to match NZ 21-21 at the end of the first quarter. But James William Moors (20) and Oscar Frewin Oswald (17) helped NZ stretch their lead over the next two periods to a considerable advantage and eventually settle to a comfortable win, 109-76.

India thus ended their campaign with a 1-3 record, knocked out before the quarter-final.

Although they technically couldn't match their 2016 eighth-place finish at this tournament, this was nevertheless a very encouraging outing for Team India's juniors. The team showed great confidence against teams that historically thrash India to smithereens. Even their losses showed promise, like the big lead over Chinese Taipei, the offensive output against Korea, and the positive start versus New Zealand. The big win over Syria was an affirmative announcement that these young players are going to be a problem for Asian opponents in the future.

Averaging 22.0 ppg, Rajeev Kumar finished as the second-leading scorer at the entire tournament! Kumar also chipped in a team-high 3.8 assists per game. Promising big man Princepal Singh nearly averaged a double-double as India's second-leading scorer with 15.5 ppg and leading rebounder (9.8). Pratyanshu Tomar was a strong force on the defensive end and in gathering rebounds all tournament, while Seijin Mathew (10.5 ppg) also played consistently well.

Many of these players will now graduate to the senior squad and challenge some of the country's established stars. With this important experience under their belts, hopefully a handful of them can become the next big things for Indian basketball.

2018 FIBA U18 Asian Championship - Final Standings

• 1. Australia
• 2. New Zealand
• 3. China
• 4. Philippines
• 5. Japan

India's campaign at FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 begins in Thailand tomorrow

Two years ago, the future star names of Indian basketball showed the first major flash of their promise, when they took a major leap to 8th place in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Tehran. Many of those players from the 2016 tournament have aged out of contention, but now, a new generation of players will get a chance to make their mark at the junior stage.

The 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship, the 25th edition of the Asian Championship for Junior Men aged 18 years old and below, will tip off in Nonthanuri, Thailand on Sunday, and held from August 5-11 this year. Sixteen top Asians squads, including India, hosts Thailand, and reigning champions Iran are set to participate in this high-stakes championship. The top four teams from this tournament will qualify to represent FIBA Asia in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Participating Teams

• Group A: Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia
• Group B: China, Philippines, Lebanon, UAE
• Group C: Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Thailand
• Group D: Korea, Chinese Taipei, India, Syria

India come into this tournament having convincingly won the South Asian Qualifying round of the FIBA U18 Asian Basketball Championship in Dhaka. India will be coached by Aman Sharma and will feature exciting young players such as Rajeev Kumar, Prashant Tomar, Harshwardhan Tomar, Seijin Mathew, Princepal Singh, and Rajveer Singh Bhati in their roster.

Team India Roster for U18 FIBA Asia Championship

• Tushal Singh
• Rajeev Kumar
• Pratyanshu Tomar
• Prashant Tomar
• Harshwardhan Tomar
• Prashant Singh Yadav
• Abhishek Sharma
• Jagshaanbir Singh Jhawar
• Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan
• Seijin Mathew
• Princepal Singh
• Rajveer Singh Bhati
• Coach: Aman Sharma
• Assistant Coach: Laldinsanga Hangsing

India's Preliminary Round Schedule - all timings IST

• August 5 - Chinese Taipei vs. India - 2 PM
• August 6 - India vs. Korea - 11 AM
• August 7 - India vs. Syria - 11 AM

To qualify for the playoff stage, India will need to pick up at least one win and finish in the top three of their group. Group winners will get an automatic bye into the quarter-finals.

The main contenders in this tournament will be the usual suspects: Iran and China, and right on their tails, Japan, Korea, and Philippines, too. India's best chance of success is likely to come in their final preliminary round stage against Syria, a nation whose senior team has been a thorn in India's side numerous times in FIBA qualifiers and events over the past years. India is sending a strong and well-balanced squad, and this tournament has the potential of unleashing Princepal Singh as the next big star for Indian basketball if all goes well. Hopefully, he and other players like Harshwardhan Tomar can score an important victory or two and get further into this tournament than their predecessors in recent years.

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 win South Asian Qualifying round of the FIBA U-18 Asian Basketball Championship in Dhaka

Once again, India has ensured that all routes of success in South Asian basketball will go through them. India's junior basketball squad impressed at the South Asian Qualifying round of the FIBA U18 Asian Basketball Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh earlier this week. A 4-0 finish in the tournament helped India finished atop the standings and qualified the team for the all Asia version of FIBA's U18 championship, scheduled to be held next month.

India's results from SABA Qualifying Round of FIBA U18 Asian Basketball Championship:

• India 112-53 Sri Lanka.
• India 94-48 Nepal.
• India 107-47 Bangladesh.
• India 116-60 Maldives.

India won each game by an average margin of over 55 points. Point guard Rajeev Kumar was the team's top scorer, averaging 26 ppg in India's four victories.

The FIBA U18 Asian Championship will be held in Nonthaburi and Bangkok in Thailand from August 5-11, 2018. India have been drawn in Group D of the tournament with Korea, Chinese Taipei, and hosts Thailand. Iran won the 2016 edition of the tournament while India took a leap to 8th place.

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.

Mongolia (Men), Australia (Women) win 2017 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup; India women finish 4th, Men 9th

Basketball's new, short version took another successful step towards its exponential growth this week. In Mongolia, the top 3x3 basketball teams from Asia and Oceania took part in the 2nd FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Ulaanbaatar from October 27-29. A total of 27 men and women's teams participated in this quickfire tournament, including teams from India. By the end of Sunday, hosts Mongolia took home the Men's gold in front of their home fans, while Australian women finished atop their division.

In the tournament's previous iteration in Qatar, India's women won the gold medal. This time around, however, they were ousted in the semi-final stage and had to settle for fourth place. India's men's team failed to make it out of the group stage and finished at ninth.

Mongolia met New Zealand in the Men's final and pulled away in the final minutes for a 19-14, thanks to the play-making of MVP Dulguun Enkhbat and the scoring of Tsenguunbayar Gotov.

Australia, in their debut in this tournament, were led by MVP Isabell Bourne en route to a 21-15 victory in the women's final.

China defeated India's women 21-16 to secure third place. Australia won third-place in the men's division, defeating Kazakhstan 21-18.

India's women, a team that featured Shireen Limaye, Jeena Scaria, Raspreet Sidhu, and Grima Merlin Varghese came into the tournament with aspirations to defend their gold medal from Qatar. In the group stage's Pool D, India beat Kyrgyzstan in their first game 20-12, but lost to New Zealand in nail-biter 16-15. India defeated Mongolia in the Quarter-Final 16-14, but their entry to the finale was blocked by Malaysia who defeated them 19-13. India's final game was a third-place matchup against China, which they lost 21-16 and finished fourth.

India's men's team featured Ravi Bhardwaj, Anil Kumar Gowda, Gurvinder Singh Gill, and Jeevanantham Pandi. They had to begin the tournament in the qualifying round. After losing to Chinese Taipei 21-15 in the first game, they defeated Lebanon 21-19 to sneak into the group stage. Here, they lost both of their matchups, first to China 22-15 and then to Kyrgyzstan 21-19, and their hopes of making the knockout rounds were dashed. India finished at 9th place.

India's Women had two scorers in the tournament's top ten, Raspreet Sidhu and Shireen Limaye.

Men's Team of the Tournament: Dulguun Enkhbat (MVP - Mongolia), Alonzo Burton (New Zealand), Lucas Barker (Australia).

Women's Team of the Tournament: Isabella Bourne (MVP - Australia), Fook Ye Yap (Malaysia), Jinxian Wang (China).

Shoot-Out Contest winner: Fook Ye Yap (Malaysia).

Final Standings

Men

• 1. Mongolia
• 2. New Zealand
• 3. Australia
• 4. Kazakhstan
• 5. China

Women

• 1. Australia
• 2. Malaysia
• 3. China
• 4. India
• 5. Mongolia

India Men and Women gear up for 2017 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Mongolia: Rosters and Preview

India has taken on quicker than most to basketball's newest international format, the 3x3 version of the game. Perhaps its because, while many other countries have saved their top talents for the game's full (5x5) game, India has often sent the best available players to all versions of the game. Without a domestic basketball league, our top players are often ready and eager to play in as many competitions as possible. And it was in this spirit that India's women's senior team famously took home the gold in FIBA's first-ever Asian 3x3 basketball championship, held in Doha, Qatar, in 2013.

Four years later, Indian Women and Men will return to the senior 3x3 Asian stage with expectations to keep shining while the rest of the world has gotten more serious about this format.

The 3x3 FIBA Asia Cup 2017 is set to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from October 27-29. 15 Men's and 12 Women's teams will be taking part in the three-day quick-fire championship.

In the tournament's previous iteration in Doha, the home squad Qatar took the Men's gold with a win in the final against Saudi Arabia. The Women's title was won by India against this year's hosts Mongolia in the final. Playing in a tougher fray, India's men were knocked out in the Quarter-Final stage in 2013.

This year, team's from Oceania will also be taking part in the Asian competition system. Based on recent 3x3 points accumulation rankings, India's outlook is not looking good: we are ranked bottom of all teams in both the Men's and Women's rankings. Japan, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan have been the most favoured Men's squads in the lead up to this tournament; the Women's teams to watch will be Kazakhstan, China, and Turkmenistan.



India's Women are drawn in Group D of the tournament with Kyrgyzstan and New Zealand. India's Men's team will have to first get out of the Qualifying Draw's second group against Chinese Taipei and Lebanon, before being pooled into one of the four Men's groups.

FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup Pools

Men

• Pool A: Japan, Bahrain, Mongolia.
• Pool B: New Zealand, Qatar, QD1 Winner.
• Pool C: Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, QD2 Winner.
• Pool D: China, Kyrgyzstan, QD Best 2nd.
• Qualifying Draw 1: Turkmenistan, Australia, Malaysia.
• Pool D: Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, India.

Women

• Pool A: Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Australia.
• Pool B: China, Sri Lanka, Mongolia.
• Pool C: Turkmenistan, Malaysia, Qatar.
• Pool D: Kyrgyzstan, New Zealand, India.

India's rosters for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup

• Men: Ravi Bhardwaj, Anil Kumar Gowda, Gurvinder Singh Gill, Jeevanantham Pandi.
• Women: Shireen Limaye, Jeena Scaria, Raspreet Sidhu, Grima Merlin Varghese.

All four members of India's women's squad were in the team that helped the national squad complete a perfect qualifying campaign at the FIBA Asia Women's Cup in Bengaluru earlier this year. This team has a good combination of current stardom (Scaria, Limaye), experience (Sidhu), and youth (Varghese) and could upset some of the higher-ranked teams in their group. The men's team doesn't feature any of India's most-popular players who are all vying for their trades in leagues abroad, but has a good second string of talent that has emerged in the country over the past few years.

The odds are, unfortunately, stacked against India in both the sections. Our women will find it difficult to make it out of the group to the final rounds, and the men's team might struggle even finishing top or second in their qualifying draw. But 3x3 is an unpredictable game, and hopefully, some of the momentum of the past can help India beat the odds and bring home some silverware.

3D Canada win 2017 William Jones Cup for Men - India (0-9) finish at last pace

At the 2017 William Jones Cup for Men in Chinese Taipei, an invitational tournament held mainly among Asian squads as preparation for the larger FIBA Asia Cup next month, the two best teams ended up being dominant club squads from outside the continent. The squad from 3D Global Sports Canada and Atletas All-Star Lithuania finished with the tournament's best records (8-1) after nine days of breathless action concluded on July 23rd. With the best point-differential, 3D Canada lifted the championship trophy on Sunday at the Taipei Peace International Basketball Hall.

India, led by brand-new NBA-experienced head coach Phil Weber, suffered from injuries and absences and sent a depleted squad for the tournament. With most of the squads present ranked higher, India were always going to be underdogs at this event, and despite a few standout individual performances, they returned from Taipei without notching a win and finishing at ninth (last) place.

Captained by Rikin Pethani, Team India's best player, as expected, was the 6-foot-8 forward Amjyot Singh. Amjyot had to carry the heavy load for India's campaign in the absence of Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Yadwinder Singh (injuries), Satnam Singh, Palpreet Singh, and Amritpal Singh (international obligations). Their absence will give other veterans and up-and-comers like Pratham Singh, Basil Philip, Prudhvi Reddy, Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Gurvinder Singh Gill, and Prasanna Sivakumar a chance to shine.

India's final scores at 39th William Jones Cup

• July 15: Iraq beat India 86-68.
• July 16: South Korea beat India 92-67.
• July 17: Chinese Taipei Blue beat India 101-80.
• July 18: Iran beat India 88-44.
• July 19: Atletas All-Star Lithuania beat India 102-79.
• July 20: Chinese Taipei White beat India 117-87.
• July 21: 3D Canada beat India 121-72.
• July 22: Philippines beat India 101-70.
• July 23: Japan beat India 77-61.

The 0-9 record will cause some sullen faces for the national team stars, but the silver lining to the dark cloud is that Weber was able to get his first outing in rapid-fire succession and get a crash course in competitive basketball for India and our opponents. Leading India with 18.1 points per game, Amjyot Singh finished as the tournament's fifth-highest scorer. Muin Bek Hafeez and Anil Kumar Gowda also earned valuable playing time for India in the course of the nine games.

India will now turn their gaze to Lebanon, which will be hosting the massive 2017 FIBA Asia Cup from August 8-20. India is placed in Group A with Iran, Jordan and Syria. The loss to Iran will give Weber some scouting knowledge to build upon, and at full-strength, India has the talent to challenge for second-place in their group. Hopefully, Weber has the squad at the best of their health at his disposal and finally get this debut victory as national team coach under the brighter lights next month.

India's Men squad head to Chinese Taipei for 2017 William Jones Cup: Roster, Schedule, Preview

India's big summer of international basketball action continues. After the women's team's experiences at the William Jones Cup last week, the Senior Men's squad will have their chance at the prestigious invitational tournament in Chinese Taipei. Under a new, experienced head coach, but minus several of our top players, India heads to Chinese Taipei for the 2017 William Jones Cup - the Men's tournament - to be held from July 15-23 at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium in Taipei. The tournament will serve as crucial practice for India as they prepare for the summer's biggest extravaganza: next month's FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon.

India's squad from the 2017 BRICS Games last month

This year's large fray of the round robin championship will feature ten teams, including international squads from Asia and a couple of club teams from the rest of the world. India's schedule will be jam-packed, with nine games in nine consecutive days. Participating teams include two host Chinese Taipei teams, Asian champions Iran, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Iraq, and club sides from Lithuania and Canada.

Last year's the Philippines' club squad Mighty Sports won the William Jones Cup. India showed potential but finished with a 1-7 record. Memorably, a couple of important Indian players arrived late to Chinese Taipei because of a visa issue.

India will not be held back by visa problems this year, but injuries and travel will reduce the team to a more depleted squad, compared to what the coaching staff will hope will be the full team for Lebanon. India is being led by Rikin Pethani as captain and will feature international star Amjyot Singh. Missing from action will be Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Yadwinder Singh (injury) and Amritpal Singh, Palpreet Singh, and Satnam Singh (busy with international club obligations). Their absence will give other veterans and up-and-comers like Pratham Singh, Basil Philip, Prudhvi Reddy, Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Gurvinder Singh Gill, and Prasanna Sivakumar a chance to shine.

All the spotlight, however, will be on Phil Weber, newly-hired coach of the Indian Men squad - even though at the time of writing, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is set to finalise his contract or make an official announcement. Weber is an experienced NBA assistant coach who is currently working for the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Alvin Gentry and has worked in the past for the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks. This will be the first opportunity for Weber to put to test about ten days of practice time with the national team and get an idea of how India will shape up against top-ranked teams from the region (and beyond). Assisting him in India's coaching staff will be experienced national coaches Bhaskar Sappaniambalam and Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph.

India Men's roster for 2017 William Jones Cup

• Prudhvi Reddy
• Anil Kumar Gowda
• Arjun Singh
• Pratham Singh
• Basil Philip
• Jeevanantham Pandi
• Rikin Pethani - captain
• Amjyot Singh
• Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi
• Gurvinder Singh Gill
• Prasanna Venkatesh
• Muin Bek Hafeez
• Head Coach: Phil Weber
• Assistant Coach: Bhaskar Sappaniambalam
• Assistant Coach: Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph
• Manager: Devender Kumar

India Men's schedule for 2017 William Jones Cup - all timings IST

• July 15 - Iraq vs. India - 8:30 AM
• July 16 - India vs. South Korea - 8:30 AM
• July 17 - Chinese Taipei Blue vs. India - 4:30 PM
• July 18 - India vs. Iran - 12:30 PM
• July 19 - Atletas All-Star Lithuania vs. India - 8:30 AM
• July 20 - India vs. Chinese Taipei White - 12:30 PM
• July 21 - 3D Canada vs. India - 8:30 AM
• July 22 - India vs. Philippines - 10:30 AM
• July 23 - India vs. Japan - 12:30 PM

India's last international outing was at the 2017 BRICS Games in Guangzhou, China, from where they returned with a 0-3 record. Without Amritpal and Bhriguvanshi on the roster for the William Jones Cup, a lot of hopes will be on Amjyot Singh to be India's star man. Coach Weber will be putting a lot of trust on relatively inexperienced role players beyond the core of Amjyot, Pethani, Pratham, and Venkatesh, but that is why a tournament like this can be crucial to help the team get big match practice.

India's most winnable challenge will be in their very first game, against Iraq. The rest of the national teams are ranked higher than India and the club squads are likely to post a major threat, too. Playing against Iran will give India a good idea of the team they are also scheduled to face in their preliminary round stage at the FIBA Asia Cup.

The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup will be the biggest-ever iteration of the event, featuring the top teams from both the Asia and Oceania regions, held from August 8-20 in Beirut, Lebanon. India are in Group A of the tournament with defending champions Iran, Jordan, and Syria. Hopefully, Weber and the team are able to learn important lessons at the William Jones Cup over the next ten days and have a full, healthy squad available for the bigger challenge ahead.

William Jones Cup 2017 (Women): Japan win; India finish 0-5

Under the leadership of a new, foreign head coach, India's women's team got off to a bumpy start in their first outing - the 2017 William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei - but gained valuable experience against much-better squads to bring back home with them for the bigger challenge ahead.

India were one of six Women's teams that took part in the 39th William Jones Cup, a round robin tournament at the Changhua Gymnasium in Changhua in Chinese Taipei as a preparatory outing before the FIBA Asia Cup for Women destined to be held back at home in Bengaluru at the end of July. India were the only Division B team (the lower pool of the FIBA Asia Cup) at William Jones and lost all of their games to end at the bottom of the table. Nevertheless, the tournament turned out to be crucial for new Serbian head coach Zoran Visic to tinker with the team's lineups, instill some of his coaching style and philosophies, and provide the women with necessary competitive-game experience.

Three teams - Japan, New Zealand, and Chinese Taipei Blue - finished with identical 4-1 records to top the tournament fray, with a total of 9 points each and identical 1-1 records against each other. Japan, the current Asian champions, held the tie-breaker differential between the three teams with +1.07, and thus were named champions.

India's squad was captained by veteran star Anitha Paul Durai and feature other talents to watch like Jeena Scaria, Kavita Akula, Poojamol Subhashmon, and Shireen Limaye. Visic was joined in the coaching staff by veteran coach Shiba Maggon.

India's final scores at 39th William Jones Cup

• July 5: New Zealand bt. India 75-52
• July 6: Japan bt. India 93-42
• July 5: South Korea bt. India 56-51
• July 5: Chinese Taipei Blue bt. India 113-59
• July 5: Chinese Taipei White bt. India 79-41

India's 0-5 record dropped them to sixth/last place in the tournament. India were definitely a pace slower than all of their Division A opponents, but played a great game against South Korea in the close loss. Visic relied on the team's eldest players - Raspreet Sidhu and Anitha Paul Durai - to play the bulk of the minutes for the team. Paul Durai, Jeena Scaria, and Sidhu were India's top three scorers. Kavita Akula, Rajapriyadharshini Rajaganapathi, and Shireen Limaye also got to play major minutes through the course of the tournament.

India will now come back home for the FIBA Asia Cup in Bengaluru from July 23-29. In an interview a few weeks ago, Coach Visic had told me that the team will have to overcome their relative inexperience if they hope to win Division B and be relegated to the higher division for the Cup's next iteration. After playing against tougher opponents in Chinese Taipei, India should find their group - with Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan - a little easier. They will have to overcome Division B's Group B winners next, most likely to be Lebanon or Kazakhstan. With a home crowd cheering behind him, let's hope that the team can bounce back to Asia's higher level.

India are participating in the men's William Jones Cup, too, set to begin in Chinese Taipei on July 15.

India Women NT begin 2017 William Jones Cup campaign in Chinese Taipei today

It's been a little over a month since India hired Serbia's Zoran Visic to be the head coach of the Senior Women's National Basketball Team, with an eye for the marquee event of the summer: the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup for Women. Now, with about two weeks to go before the big tournament, Visic will get the first chance to see how the past month of practice and team-building has paid out as India's Women's NT have headed to Chinese Taipei to take part in the 39th William Jones Cup from July 5-9.

This will be a chance for India's first competitive games under the new coach. India's squad will be captained by veteran star Anitha Paul Durai and feature other talents to watch like Jeena Scaria, Kavita Akula, Poojamol Subhashmon, and Shireen Limaye. Visic will be joined in the coaching staff by veteran coach Shiba Maggon.

India are set to play against New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and two local Chinese Taipei in the round robin tournament at the Changhua Gymnasium in Changhua, Taiwan. This is the first time India will play in the Women's tournament since 2011.

India roster for 39th William Jones Cup

• Anitha Paul Durai - captain
• Anjana Geetha
• Anmolpreet Kaur
• Barkha Sonkar
• Jeena Scaria
• Kavita Akula
• Navaneetha Udayakumar
• Poojamol Subhashmon
• Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi
• Raspreet Sidhu
• Shireen Limaye
• Poonam Chaturvedi
• Head Coach: Zoran Visic
• Assistant Coach: Shiba Maggon
• Manager: Srinivasa Murthy

Last year, the South Korean team took the gold in the women’s tournament, while Japan and Chinese Taipei A finished second and third respectively.

Participating Teams: New Zealand, India, South Korea, Chinese Taipei Blue, Chinese Taipei White, Japan.

India's schedule at 39th William Jones Cup for Women - all timings IST

• July 5 - New Zealand vs. India - 11:30 AM
• July 6 - Japan vs. India - 11:30 AM
• July 7 - South Korea vs. India - 11:30 AM
• July 8 - India vs. Chinese Taipei Blue - 3:30 PM
• July 9 - Chinese Taipei White vs. India - 1:30 PM

"Our team is very fast, very quick, and they are very good athletes," Visic had told me in an extensive interview for Scroll last week. "So, we can work with this positive and to try as much as possible to cover the ‘negative’ part – our inexperience."

This tournament should serve as important match practice for India as the team gears up for the FIBA Asia Cup, the biggest tournament in Asia which will be hosted by India in Bengaluru this year. India will play in the men's edition of the William Jones Cup, too, which will be held in Chinese Taipei from July 15-23.

The William Jones Cup is a basketball tournament that has been held annually in Chinese Taipei since 1977. The tournament was named in honor of Renato William Jones, who was one of the founders of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). One team represents each country, and that team could be the national team, a professional club, or a college team. The tournament will be played in a single round-robin format, and the final points tally will determine the placing of the teams.

Indonesia (Women) and China (Men) win 2017 FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup

Indonesia’s women and China’s men struck gold in the third edition of the FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup, held in the Gem-In Shopping Mall in Cyberjaya, Malaysia from May 26-28, 2017. Both of India's teams lost on the first day of the tournament in the qualifying round.

After dropping their first preliminary round game, Indonesia's Women won four straight to get the gold medal, including a dominant performance in the final against hosts Malaysia, 13-6.

In the men’s category, China’s men won gold after defeating Chinese Taipei in the final 17-12.

India's junior boys and girls teams started the tournament in qualifying groups but failed to qualify for the preliminary round stage. The junior boys lost their first game against Lebanon 12-18 and went on to lose their second game against Turkmenistan 9-20 to finish with a 0-2 record in the tournament. The junior women finished the tournament 1-1 as they beat Turkmenistan 21-9 but fell to Chinese Taipei 17-12

Final Standings

Women

• 1. Indonesia
• 2. Malaysia
• 3. China

Men

• 1. China
• 2. Chinese Taipei
• 3. Qatar

China's Hoanan Li and Indonesia's Lea Kahol were named MVPs of the tournament.

India’s Junior Boys and Girls teams all set to participate in the FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup 2017 in Malaysia

Continuing to ride the wave of the growing popularity of 3x3 basketball, India have sent their junior boys and girls squads to Cyberjaya, Malaysia, to take part in the third edition of the FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup 2017. The tournament will be held between 26-28 May and will see 32 teams (16 each for men and women) competing to be crowned Asia’s best.

India have a strong history at this tournament. At the very first FIBA Asia U18 3x3 held in Thailand in 2013, India's boys and girls both came home with silver medals. However, India didn't play in last year's edition of this tournament, which was won by Qatar (Boys) and Japan (Girls).

India will be starting from a point of disadvantage this time around, as both our boys and girls teams have to go through a qualifying round first before being eligible to make it to the group stage of the championship. The men will be going up against Turkmenistan and Lebanon while the women will face Chinese Taipei and Turkmenistan. If the teams were to top their pool and qualify, the men will be placed in pool with defending champions Qatar while the women would be placed in a pool against Japan – an Asian powerhouse, who also are the defending champs.

Boys Qualifying Draw 1: Turkmenistan, India, Lebanon.
Girls Qualifying Draw 1: Turkmenistan, India, Chinese Taipei.

India’s Schedule [Timings in IST]

Men

• 26-05-17: India (14) vs Lebanon (15) (8:05 am)
• 26-05-17: India (14) vs Turkmenistan (8) (8:45 am)

Women

• 26-05-17: India (14) vs Turkmenistan (15) (8:25 am)
• 26-05-17: India (14) vs Chinese Taipei (15) (9:05 am)

The matches can be streamed live on FIBA 3x3’s YouTube channel. The link: https://www.youtube.com/FIBA3x3

The selection trial for this event was held on 21st April 2017 at the National Basketball Academy – Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Former Olympian Dilip Gurumurthy of Karnataka will be leading the boys while girls are being led by Indian Railways’ Jeena Zachariah. "The tournament is going to be a great learning experience for our players. We hope that the exposure they get due to such opportunities help them develop their game and become better as players," said Gurumurthy. "We have been seeded against two of the better teams (Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei) of the tournament. We aim to give it our best and hope to qualify for Pool C," said Zachariah.

India's Squads for 2017 FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup

Men

• Bhagyansh Gulati
• Prashant Tomar
• Prince Pal Singh
• Sejin Mathew
• Coach: Dilip Gurumurthy

Women

• Ishwarya Janardhanan
• Sreekala Rani
• Vaishnavi Yadav
• Harshitha Kelttira Bopaiah
• Coach: Jeena Zachariah