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.
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
The 5th edition of FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup was held at the Gem-In Mall in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, from August 22-24. On the final day on Saturday, Japan's Men and Australia's Women emerged as the best of the best to claim the gold. India also participated: India's women's team made the Quarter-Finals and finished at an encouraging 7th place; India's Men fell in the Qualifying Round to finish 13th.
Japan were dominant throughout the tournament, and finished with an easy win in the Men's final, 21-13.
In the women's category, Australia had a perfect 5-0 record and dominated Japan in the final with a decisive 21-10 victory.
Japan's Seishin Yokochi was named Men's MVP after a game-high 9 points in the final. The women's MVP was Australia's Shyla Heal, who hit a game-high 8 points in the final.
Philippines won the women's bronze medal with a 14-11 win over China. The men's bronze went to China, who beat Australia 21-17.
India fielded a talented squad for the women's team, featuring experienced youngster Pushpa Senthil Kumar, Khushi Dongre, Sreekala Rani, and rising star Harsimran Kaur. India made it past the qualifying round with a dominant first win over Maldives (21-4) and a couple of impressive close finishes to defeat Thailand (17-13) and Chinese Taipei (17-15).
The squad moved on to Pool C of the main tournament, alongside Turkmenistan and New Zealand. India decimated Turkmenistan in an impressive 21-4 showing, but lost in a nail-biter to NZ, 16-14.
India's run came to an end in the Quarter-Final, where they lost to a stacked China squad, 22-3. They finished the tournament at 7th place.
India's men's team featured a group of experienced young players, led by Princepal Singh, Harshwardhan Tomar, Rajveer Singh Bhati, and Rajeev Kumar. India were in Qualifying Draw B with Maldives, Chinese Taipei, and Australia. India won their first two games, beating Maldives (20-5) and Chinese Taipei (21-16). But their journey concluded to the mighty Australians, who defeated them 19-15.
64 best young basketball prospects - boys and girls - from around Asia and Oceania will attend the 2019 Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp, set to be held in Tokyo, Japan, from August 14-17. Organised together by FIBA and the NBA, the camp will feature several current/former NBA/WNBA players and coaches.
Four Indian players have been invited to this edition of the camp: Siya Deodhar (Nagpur), Amaan Sandhu (Mohali), Harsimran Kaur (Jalandhar) and Arvinder Singh (Barnala). This is the second invited for Deodhar and Sandhu for the BWB Asia Camp, after last year's event that was held in home grounds in Greater Noida's NBA Academy India.
NBA/WNBA players/coaches leading this camp will include: Sam Cassell, Kevon Looney (Golden State Warriors), Robin Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks) Yuta Tabuse (formerly of the Phoenix Suns; Japan), Ashley Battle, Allison Feaster, Yolanda Moore, Pat Delany (Orlando Magic), Bryan Gates (Minnesota Timberwolves), Antonio Lang (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Wes Unseld Jr. (Denver Nuggets). Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia) will be the camp director and Jeff Tanaka (Chicago Bulls) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer.
The 4th edition of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup featured a record 40 teams (18 in the women's and 22 in the men's category) playing fast-paced, competitive basketball in the heart of Changsha, China. And when the dust settled it was the dominating newcomers from the Oceania region - Australia - that celebrated the spoils. With dominant displays throughout the knockout stage on Sunday, Australia's Men and Women both emerged as 2019 FIBA Asia 3x3 champions.
Held from May 22-26, the quickfire tournament featured most of the top Asian countries. Australia's Men, who also won the tournament's previous iteration in 2017, took the gold on Sunday with a 21-9 victory over Mongolia in a rematch of the last final. Tim Coenraad scored 8 points in the final including the game-winner for the Australians.
Australia's Women beat Kazakhstan 20-9 to win gold in their division on Sunday.
Hosts China's Men finished third after defeating Kazakhstan in the bronze medal game, 14-11. The women's bronze went to Japan, who won 21-14.
India also sent four-member squads to the 3x3 Asia Cup earlier this week, for both the men's and the women's divisions. Both teams were placed in the Qualifying Draw, meaning that they had to finish in the top of their group after the first two days of qualifying games to have a chance for qualification in the main Pool Stage.
Captained by Raspreet Sidhu, India's Women's team started the tournament in the Qualifying Draw B with Malaysia, Maldives, and Thailand. On the opening day, India defeated Malaysia in a nailbiter, 16-15. On Day 2, they scored a 18-12 victory over Maldives. But they failed to top their group after losing to Thailand in their final game, 21-15.
India Women finished at 14th place (out of 18).
India's Men's squad had a similar run in their two-day appearance at Changsha. Led by returning star guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India were in Men's Qualifying Draw B with South Korea, Vanuatu, and and Malaysia. Like the women, India's Men's team also started their first day with a win over Malaysia, 21-13. On Day 2, they cruised past Vanuatu 21-10. But their journey ended with a heartbreaking close loss to South Korea 20-19.
From new domestic leagues, successful grassroots programmes, and individual athletes making a name for themselves internationally, 3x3 Basketball has caught on like wildfire in India over the past few years. But when it came to participating in the continent's biggest 3x3 bonanza last year, Team India was marked 'absent'.
Now, they get to rectify their absence and make a comeback to the tournament in style.
The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has announced four-member squads for India's senior men and women's squads, ready to take part in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Changsha, China, from May 22-26, 2019. The teams will be captained by Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Raspreet Sidhu, and led by the Serbian coaching duo of Veselin Matic and Zoran Visic. Both Indian teams are currently in the Qualifying Draws and will have to win their first few games to qualify for the proper group stage.
India's Women won the first-ever instance of this tournament back in China in 2013. Last year, India did not participate, but two teams from Oceanis took home the golds, taking part in the Asian fray for the first time: Australia (Men) and New Zealand (Women). Both teams will be threats again in the tournament this year, along with the hosts China. Mongolia and Japan also finished in the top three of the Men's tournament last year and should hope to contend this time around, too.
Team India Rosters for 2019 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup
Men
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi - captain
Arshpreet Singh Bhullar
Akilan Pari
Yadwinder Singh
Women
Raspreet Sidhu - captain
Bhandavya Hemmige Mahesha
Sreekala Rani
Shireen Limaye
For the Men's team, Bhriguvanshi will be looking to make up for lost time after spending much of the last two years rehabbing an ACL injury. He is India's best perimeter player, and has good understanding with the experienced forward Yadwinder Singh. Serbian Coach Veselin Matic only came to India a week ago to helm the men's basketball programme, and this will be his first international test. Matic's Serbian counterpart Zoran Visic will be the head coach of the women's team, and experienced Delhi baller Raspreet Sidhu will be expected to carry much of the squad's scoring load.
Groups
Men
Pool A: Japan, Turkmenistan, Jordan
Pool B: China, New Zealand, Qualifying Draw A 1
Pool C: Mongolia, Australia, Qualifying Draw B 1
Pool D: Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Qualifying Draw C 1
Qualifying Draw A: Qatar, Philippines, Iran, Samoa, Thailand
Qualifying Draw B: South Korea, India, Malaysia, Vanuatu
Qualifying Draw C: Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam
Women
Pool A: China, Australia, New Zealand
Pool B: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
Pool C: Japan, Sri Lanka Qualifying Draw A 1
Pool D: Iran, Turkmenistan, Qualifying Draw B 2
Qualifying Draw A: Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vanuatu, Samoa
Qualifying Draw B: Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, India
India's schedule in the Qualifying Draw - all timings IST Men
May 22, 2019 - India vs. Malaysia - 11:30 AM
May 23, 2019 - India vs. Vanuatu - 10:30 AM
May 23, 2019 - South Korea vs. India - 12:20 PM
Women
May 22, 2019 - Malaysia vs. India - 12:40 PM
May 23, 2019 - Maldives vs. India - 06:10 AM
May 23, 2019 - India vs. Thailand - 07:40 AM
India will have to win their qualifying groups to have a chance for qualification. The men's team should be able to win their first two games but will face a tougher competition against South Korea. For the women, both Malaysia and Thailand will provide stiff challenge for India to finish at top.
If India win their groups, the Men's team will join Pool C with two podium finishers from last year, Mongolia and Australia. The women's team qualification would place them in women's Pool D with Iran and Turkmenistan.
It was a tournament that repeated histories. For the third consecutive time, a major women's FIBA Asia tournament was held in Bengaluru, India. For the fifth straight time, China's U18 team raced to grab the the gold medals. And for the third time in various women's FIBA Asia events, India - starting in Division B - played a perfect tournament to win promotion to Division A.
The 2018 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women was held in Bengaluru, India, from October 28 - November 3, with games held at the city's Sree Kanteerava Stadium and the Koramangala Indoor Stadium. 16 of the top teams in the Asia and Oceania took part, divided into higher (Division A) and lower (Division B) sections. This was the third consecutive FIBA Asia Women's tournament to be held in Bengaluru, after last year's FIBA Asia Women's Cup and FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women.
No matter the location, the team in-charge of proceedings was yet again China. China won their fifth consecutive FIBA Asia U18 Women's title win a win over their rivals Japan in the final on Saturday, 89-76. After a tight first half where both teams were tied at 38-each, China opened the third period with a 24-12 run that proved to be the difference. They held on to their lead in a high-scoring fourth to secure the victory. Rising Chinese basketball star Yuan Li scored 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the final, while Zhuo Ya Fang added 17. Chinatsu Umeki (20) and Layla Takehara (18) led the way for Japan in the loss.
Oceania's finest Australia won the third-place game on Saturday against Korea to secure the bronze medal. After leading just 54-49 at the end of the third quarter, Australia finished in style to run away with a 75-58 triumph. Duke University's Miela Goodchild (21) and rising star Nnenna Agnes Emma-Nnopu (17) led the way for Australia. Korea were led with 17-points a piece by Jihyun Park and Haeran Lee.
The top four teams - China, Japan, Australia, and Korea - qualified for 2018 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup.
Like they did in the previous two age division events in Bengaluru, hosts India entered this tournament in Division B. Once again, the man at the helm of the squad was Zoran Visic, the Serbian coach who has been managing India's women's basketball for the past few years at all levels. Despite home familiarity, however, India had reason for caution, missing several of their top players and fielding a captain - Pushpa Senthil Kumar - who was injured in the run-up to the tournament.
India were in Group A of Division B, along with Iran, Guam, and Singapore, and once the tournament got underway, they showed their class to devastate all opponents.
India's first game was probably their most nervous affair, against Iran. Leading 46-38 before the beginning of the final quarter, India made several costly errors and allowed Iran to come all the way back. Fortunately, a couple of smart plays in the last few minutes helped India hold their nerve and survive for a 73-65 win. Sreekala Rani led India with 19 while Iran's best player was Fatemeh Aghazadegan Ghazvini, who scored a game-high 22 points.
Once they got the first-game jitters out of the way, India were ruthless in their next contest, against the inexperienced Guam. Srishti Suren had 19 points and 9 rebounds to lead six players in double-digits for India in the 107-42 victory.
It was more of the same in India's final group stage game against Singapore. India started off with a 20-3 first quarter run that immediately deflated their opponents. Led by Gulabsha Ali's 21 off the bench, India ran away to a 79-49 win to top their group.
In the Division B semi-final, India were matched up against Group B runners-up Hong Kong. Once again, India looked confident, and this time, used a defensively throttling third quarter run (17-2) to shut down their opponents. Harshitha Kelttira Bopaiah was immense with 18 points and 16 rebounds to help India win, 83-38.
India faced a familiar foe - Kazakhstan - in the final, in what was supposed to be a closer matchup. But right from the start, Visic's squad ensured that they wouldn't allow any space for mistakes. India led 32-18 after the first half and pushed the lead to 54-30 after three quarters. The final score read 68-45 as India celebrated their Division B victory. Bopaiah, who definitely emerged as the team's knockout stage MVP, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.
India finished the tournament a perfect 5-0, winning each game with an average margin of 34.2 points. The victory ensured that India will be promoted to Division A when the next iteration of this tournament comes around in two more years.
India and Visic have a lot to be proud of after this tournament, particularly the impressive performances by the Bopaiah, who led the team in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounds (11.2 rpg). Point guard Dharshani Thirunavukkarasu showed maturity beyond her years in shepherding the squad and averaging 10.8 points and 4 assists per game. Other consistent performers for the team included Srishti Suren and Ishwarya Janardhanan, who led the squad in minutes played and assists (6.0 apg).
This victory again highlighted the strange space occupied by India's Women's basketball: too good for Division B; too terrible for Division A. Hopefully, all three promoted squads (Seniors, U16, U18) can find Division A success in the next tournaments.
FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women - Final Standings
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.
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
In Episode 67 of Hoopdarshan, Rohit Bakshi, the Commissioner of 3x3BL - the FIBA-affiliated 3x3 pro basketball league in India - talked to Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about the league's unlikely inception, dealing with speed-bumps in the first season, 3x3 fans around the country, expansion plans, and much more!
Bakshi is the CEO of YKBK Enterprise and the commissioner of the 3X3BL. Born and raised in Japan, he has long been involved with Indian basketball and has played in the 3x3 circuit in Japan. The 3X3BL will be starting its penultimate (fifth) round of the first season in Bengaluru this weekend.
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.
The women's tournament 2018 William Jones Cup - an invitational basketball tournament held in New Taipei City, Taiwan over the past week - came to a conclusion on Sunday after five days of round-robin action among the six participating teams. With a perfect 5-0 record, New Zealand emerged as champions of this year's event. India's squad also participated, but lost every game with a blowout margin to finish at last place.
The William Jones Cup was 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 faced all the participating teams in the round-robin tournament, including two squads from the home side Chinese Taipei, reigning women's Asia champions and last year's William Jones champions Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
New Zealand rounded up their perfect record with a win over their biggest likely challengers - Japan - in the final day of the tournament, 85-74. Ashleigh Karaitiana ended the tournament as NZ's leading scorer, averaging 22 points per game.
Team India were 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 included experienced guard Raspreet Sidhu, Shireen Limaye, Anjana Prasannan Geetha, Stephy Nixon, and more.
India began their campaign in a trial by fire, against eventual winners New Zealand, who ran rampant en route to a 114-39 victory. Karaitiana single-handedly outscored Team India with 40 points in the win.
In Game 2, Japan used a balanced offence with six players scoring in double digits to beat India 94-38.
India lost again in their third game to South Korea (Eunsil Choi 22) 101-48.
India had a relatively better scoring performance in their fourth game against the first of two home teams, Taiwan A, but the hosts still won comfortably 102-54. Scaria led India with 17 points in the loss.
In their final game, India lost to the second host team, Taiwan B, 91-60. This was, technically, India's closest game, and Pushpa Senthil Kumar led the squad with 16 points. Wei Yu Chun (20) and Hsi-Yeh Liu (17) led the way for Taiwan.
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.
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.
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.
We are only halfway through the first season of the 3BL, India's first-ever 3x3 basketball league, and there's already a dominant powerhouse that has separated itself from the rest of the fray. The Delhi Hoopers have won all three rounds of the league so far in Delhi, Aizawl, and Kolkata, and find themselves comfortably at the top of the standings. With three more rounds to go for the first season, the Hoopers are favourites to take the crown out of the 12-team league.
But first, they will get a chance at some international exposure. The Hoopers will be the first team to represent India at an international 3x3 basketball platform, at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya, Japan on July 28-29. The World Tour leg in Japan is the Utsunomiya World Tour Masters, which could also give the participants a chance to be qualified for the World Tour Finals 2018 in Beijing, China based on their performance in Japan.
The Hoopers are boosted by Indian-American Inderbir Singh Gill (MVP of Round 1 and 2), Kiran Shastri (Round 2 MVP), Dhruv Barman, and Harkirat Jattana Singh.
Rohit Bakshi, commissioner of the 3BL said, "We are amazed by all the teams’ performances so far this season. Being a basketball enthusiast myself, I am proud to send Delhi Hoopers to World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya. Team will aim for the Champion trophy, which is one of the biggest milestones for Indian Basketball and the ticket to World Tour Final in China. We can’t wait to witness India’s gameplay in Japan."
"3x3 basketball in India has kept getting bigger and better since the time we began the season in June," said Vivek Krishna, the 3BL's Entertainment Director. "An international stage will give huge opportunities to the Delhi Hoopers team, and we are excited to see how well they play in Japan."
Round 4 of the 3BL League will be held in Chennai on July 21-22.
First-timers in the Asian circuit, Australia, routed hosts China in the final to win gold at the delayed FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan on Sunday, April 8, 2018. The tournament, originally slated to be held last year, brought together the best youth players from Asia/Oceania from 13 national teams.
India's youth squad also took part in the tournament, but had a disappointing outing, losing all of their preliminary round games and finishing at last place.
Australia got off to a slow start in the final on Sunday, as China build up a 6-point lead after the first quarter. But then the tides change, and the Aussies' offensive arsenal took control. Led the unstoppable trio of Luke Travers (22), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (21), and Tamuri Wigness (20) Australia beat China 91-67 to win the championship. Haoqin Sun had 16 for China in the loss.
Another newcomer - New Zealand - secured third place in the tournament by defeating the Philippines 76-70 in the bronze medal game on Sunday. The win was fuelled by a 24-7 second-quarter run by NZ. Marvin Williams-Dunn (17) and Mitchell Dance (16) were New Zealand's top performers, while Terrence John Fortea scored a game-high 18 for the Philippines in the loss.
The top four finishers above qualified to represent FIBA Asia to the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup.
India were placed in Group D of the preliminary stage of the tournament, the only group with four teams, making it mandatory for the team to win at least one game to move on to the next stage. India sent a squad of the best young players in the country, headlined by Harshwardhan Tomar, the captain, Princepal Singh, and coached by Vibhor Bhriguvanshi.
It was a difficult outing from the very start. India opened their campaign against reigning champs Korea, who immediately pulled out to a 27-12 first quarter lead. Despite matching the Koreans blow by blow for the rest of the game, the early hiccup was too much for India to overcome, and Korea went on to win 92-71. Jae Hyeon Kim scored 19 for his side in the win. India's top player was Princepal, who had 28 points and 17 rebounds in a heroic losing effort.
India faced another Asian powerhouse - Japan - in their second game. This time, India started better, and the score was tied at 17-all after the first quarter. But Japan took complete control from there on, taking a sudden 24-point lead in the second quarter and continuing their strong defence and tough shooting to notch a 109-57 win. Keisei Tominaga (27), Chikara Tanaka (22), and Keijiro Mitani (18) led Japan. India's top player was again Princepal, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds.
The team's final contest, against Lebanon, would prove to be the closest, to determine which team would join Korea and Japan in the next round. Once again, after a good first quarter, India slipped, and Lebanon turned a 2-point lead to a 15-point advantage by halftime. Despite a strong second-half surge, India couldn't close the gap and lost the game 88-81. Rayan Raine Zanbaka scored 27 for Lebanon while India were led by Rajveer Singh Bhati (22) and Priyanshu (16) in the loss.
The loss dropped India to 0-3 to finish at last place.
Although it was a disappointing outing overall, India can be encouraged by the performances of Princepal, who has improved a lot after spending the past year with the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida. The 6-10, 17-year-old Center led the team in scoring (22.7) and rebounds (13.0) and is sure to be a force for India's frontcourt in the future. Other top performers included Bhati, the team's second leading scorer, and the captain Harshwardhan, both of whom will surely be a part of the national U18 team in the next major FIBA tournament.
The U16 level is the youngest official stage of international basketball competition. For teenage basketball stars in India that hope to become future leaders of the game, it's their first chance to wear the team's national jersey, to travel for a major event abroad, to give a preview of their potential.
Unfortunately, for many of India's next generation their dream FIBA champsionship debut was delayed. FIBA's official event for the continent's youth boys' squads - the 2017 FIBA U16 Asian Championship - was postponed from its original scheduled dates in Fall 2017.
Now, the long-delayed opportunity finally presents itself. The 2017 FIBA U16 Asian Championship is set to be held in Foshan, China, from April 2-8, 2018. India is among the 13 squads taking part in this tournament, a fray of teams that includes hosts China, reigning champions Korea, the 2015 silver-medallists Chinese Taipei, and competitive new additions from Oceania: Australia and New Zealand. The tournament will serve as Asia's qualifier for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 in Argentina.
India will be hoping to overturn the disappointments of the 2015 U16 FIBA Asia tournament in Jakarta, where the squad finished with a 3-5 record and dropped to 13th place among the 15 participating teams.
This year's squad will be led by a couple of young players who have already started to make a name for themselves in Indian hoop circles, including the captain Harshwardhan Tomar and big man Prince Pal Singh. Both these players played a prominent role in helping India win the 2017 U16 South Asia Basketball Championship in Nepal. Prince Pal, who plays for the NBA Academy India, was named the MVP of that tournament and has also been part of the NBA/FIBA's Global Basketball Without Borders camp during this year's NBA All Star Weekend. Tomar was notably a young prospect at the Stellazzurra Academy for basketball in Italy. Another player to watch in Indian colours is Priyanshu, who showed some great potential at the championship in Nepal last year.
The squad will be led once again by head coach Vibhor Bhriguvanshi, who helped deliver the dominant 2017 South Asia Championship triumph.
2017 FIBA U16 Championship Groupings
Group A: China, New Zealand, Hong Kong.
Group B: Australia, Philippines, Malaysia.
Group A: Iran, Chinese Taipei, Macau.
Group A: Korea, Japan, Lebanon, India.
India's roster for 2017 FIBA U16 Championship
Prashant Tomar
Jerome Prince
Rajveer Singh Bhati
Nitish Beniwal
Vigneshwar Upadhyay
Manikanta Manuri
Divyaraj Singh Rathore
Harshwardhan Tomar
- Captain
Priyanshu
Prince Pal Singh
Ajmer
Head Coach: Vibhor Bhriguvanshi
Assistant Coach: Babu Davis
Manager: Ajeet Singh Rathore
India's preliminary round schedule - all timings IST
"We are proud of your achievements so far and expect a lot more from you in the coming days," said K. Govindraj, the president of the Basketball Federation of India, to the young players. "It as an incredible achievement to represent the country at such a young age but we hope that all of you keep on learning and improving so that in future we can see you representing the Senior team as well. I wish you all the best and hope that you make the country proud."
India are in a difficult group, the only group of four, and will surely struggle in their first two matchups against the faster and more athletic Korea and Japan. India's best opportunity for a victory might be against Lebanon, and if they can pull it off, they will move on to the playoffs stage. Regardless of result, this tournament will provide a good chance for India's young players to show their standings against others of their age group in Asia, and hopefully can some experience and confidence for future events.
For the second time this year, India played host to one of FIBA Asia's marquee basketball events in the region, with the top youth women from over a dozen Asian nations descending into Bengaluru's Sri Kantaveera Stadium for the 2017 FIBA U16 Asia Championship For Women. As the week-long tournament concluded on Saturday, October 28th, newcomers Australia - playing under the Asian banner for the first time - took the gold medal with a thrilling win over Japan in the final.
India, meanwhile, began the tournament in the lower Division B. With many encouraging performances, India dominated the second-tier of the competition, winning all of their games in comfortable fashion and securing a qualification to Division A in front of their home fans.
The Division A final pitted the two strongest teams of this year's competition - Australia and Japan - against each other. Japan have been to every final of this tournament (five consecutive times), but only won once, back in 2011. Leading 41-32 at halftime on Saturday, it seemed that they would finally add another gold to their tally. But Australia amped up their defense after halftime were able to edge Japan to secure a nail-biting 61-60 win. This was the first time that teams from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) were playing in this tournament, and Australia celebrated their entry with a debut gold.
Also on Saturday, 2015 champions China defeated New Zealand led by Ming Zheng (20) and Yutong Liu (17) to secure third place.
The top four teams from Division A - Australia, Japan, China, New Zealand - qualified for the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup.
Two years ago, India had a forgettable experience at the FIBA U16 Asia Women in Medan (Indonesia), losing all of their higher division games and getting relegated to Division B. This had been a similar situation with India's senior women's team for this year's FIBA Asia Women's Cup in Bengaluru earlier this year. India's coach - the Serbian Zoran Visic - helped the senior team finish that previous tournament in perfect fashion and regain Division A status. Visic was named head coach of the U16 team by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to help repeat his achievement for the younger girls.
India started the 2017 U16 championship in Division B's Group A, alongside Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the last-minute addition, Iran. India opened the tournament in dominant fashion with their best offensive performance: led by a dominant all-round performance by Vaishnavi Yadav (23 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 steals), India blew past Nepal to a 106-37 win. Captain Pushpa Senthil Kumar added 18 points and 11 rebounds to India's winning effort.
Game 2 against another South Asian competitor Sri Lanka proved to be more of the same. India started the first quarter in style, getting a 30-7 lead, and cruised to a 86-58 victory. Monica Jayakumar had her breakout moment with 19 points and 8 rebounds, while Kumar was unstoppable in the post again (18 points, 19 rebounds).
India's most interesting group opponent was set to be Iran, a late entrant to the women's basketball stage in the continent. After a hesitant start, India took complete charge in the second quarter and dominated on both ends of the floor after halftime for a convincing 97-53 win. Vaishnavi Yadav (29 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) was at the top of her game, leading five Indians in double figure scoring.
India had now earned a qualification straight for the semi-final, where they played a much taller Kazakhstan side. But the height disadvantage didn't stop India, and instead, spurred to the team to a strong defensive effort. Led again by Yadav (21 points, 15 rebounds), India shut down the Kazakhs to win 77-40.
In the senior women's final against Kazakhstan, India had needed a dramatic game-winning shot by Shireen Limaye to secure their Division B victory. In the U16 final against Malaysia, however, no such heroics were necessary. Like they had been all tournament, India were dominant from the star, holding Malaysia to just three points in the first quarter and holding a 32-24 halftime lead. Another spurt in the third and some tenacious defensive work helped India close the game out with a 64-48 win.
India ended the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, won Division B, and secured their promotion to Division A for the next iteration of this tournament.
The biggest star to emerge for India from this championship was Uttar Pradesh girl Vaishnavi Yadav. After making a name for herself at the Youth Nationals for UP earlier this year, Yadav enjoyed her major international breakthrough in front of an eager home crowd. She finished the tournament as Division B's leader in points (20.4 ppg) and joint leader, with another Indian Neha Karwa, in assists (6.2). Yadav was also India's second-best player on the boards, grabbing 8.8 rebounds per contest. The team's captain Pushpa Senthil Kumar was also a major force in the post, finishing as the division's second-best rebounder (13.2 rpg). Karwa was a steady presence for India all tournament, too, and could be a guard to watch for the future.
Over the past few years, as 3x3 basketball has risen in stature, Team Hamamatsu have strongly established themselves as the most dangerous Asian squad in this shorter format of the game, and as one of the top teams around the world, too. Although they officially represent the Japanese city of Hamamatsu, the team is a collection of top desi talents of Indian, American, and Canadian origins. So, when India hosted their own major showcase of high-level 3x3 basketball, it was no surprise that the star-studded Hamamatsu squad once again rose to the top.
Last month, the first-ever international professional 3x3 basketball league was announced in India by YKBK Enterprise Pvt Ltd, a company who have won the exclusive rights from FIBA to hold the event in the Indian subcontinent. Although the league itself won't be held till next year, a special two-day 3x3 showcase event called the ‘3x3 Road to Mexico’ was conducted on September 16-17 at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram. Featuring 12 top teams from India, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Maldives, this fast-paced tournament featured marquee national basketball stars like Amjyot Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Satnam Singh, TJ Sahi, Palpreet Singh Brar, and more.
In the tournament's final game, Hamamatsu won in an exciting back-and-forth battle against another Japanese squad, Yokohama, 20-19 on the back of strong efforts by Palpreet Singh Brar, Kiran Shastri, and Bikramjit Gill. As winners, they were awarded a cash prize of INR 4,00,000/- and an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour in Mexico City from September 30 to October 1, 2017.
The final round of the dunk contest was also held on Sunday, which was won by Ukraine's Dmitry ‘Smoove’ Krivenko.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Hamamatsu defeated Japan's Tsukuba 21-16 while Yokohama bested the Indian Ludhiana Basketball Academy 21-14 to enter the tournament's finale.
The biggest women's basketball tournament in the continent - and beyond! - was held in our very own shores as India hosted the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 from July 23-29 in Bengaluru. The top teams from the Asia and Oceania region took part in a week of memorable action at the Sree Kantaveera Indoor Stadium. The event came to a breathless end with two huge moments on Saturday: Japan defeated Australia in a nail-biter to win their third straight gold medal; and India were lifted in spectacular fashion with a game-winning shot to the Division B title and promotion to the higher Division A.
The FIBA Women's ABC was the first time India hosted a major FIBA event since the same championship was held in Chennai in 2009. A total of 15 teams took part this year in the two Divisions, featuring, for the first time, teams from the Oceania region, too. It was was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Asia at the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain.
Japan landed in India as two-time holders of the title, including the most-recent win in 2015 at Wuhan, China. In Bengaluru, they finished another magical run with a thrilling final victory over Australia. In a contest truly befitting a final fight for the crown, Australia and Japan went through seven lead changes and several ties in the final. Shooting guard Saki Mizushima ended up being Japan's unlikely hero, exploding for 26 points in the final including a clutch three that broke the deadlock in the game's dying minutes. Australian superstar Kelsey Griffin scored 30 in the final, but her efforts weren't enough and Japan sneaked by to a 74-73 victory at the end of regulation.
This was Japan's fourth title overall and third in succession, cementing their place atop Asian women's basketball. Griffin was named the tournament's MVP. Australia's Griffin was named tournament's MVP.
China won the bronze medal on Saturday with a comfortable 75-51 victory over Korea. Sijing Huang and Yueru Li each scored 16 for China in the victory.
The top four teams from Division A - Japan, Australia, China, and Korea - qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2018.
After falling out of the top division at the tournament's previous iteration in 2015, India had to begin the 2017 competition at home from Division B. They would have no chance to compete for the title, but a Division B victory could secure them a place in Division A for the next FIBA Asia Women's Cup. With this mission in mind, India hired Serbian head coach Zoran Visic to lead a healthy and talented squad, featuring important players like the veteran Anitha Paul Durai, Jeena Scaria, Shireen Limaye, Kavita Akula, and more. India were placed in Group A of Division B along with Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and American Samoa, but American Samoa pulled out of the tournament before it began.
India opened their account on home floor against Uzbekistan in their first game, and captain Anitha Paul Durai ensured that the team got off to a positive start. A 19-9 run in the first quarter proved to be the big difference in the game. Paul Durai led all scorers with 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Grima Merlin Varghese, a late replacement to the squad in place of Poojamol KS, was India's surprise x-factor, scoring 17 in the victory.
India showed no mercy to South Asian neighbours Sri Lanka in their second preliminary group game, flying off to another quick start 23-10 and holding Sri Lanka to just three points in the second quarter. Varghese continued her dream run, pouring in 19 points and 10 rebounds for India's 88-42 win, which put them through to the Quarter-Final as group leaders.
The knockout stage began with another easy rout for India, an impressive 93-51 win over Fiji. Captain Paul Durai led India with 19, while Fiji's star player Miji Koiyamainavure (24) fell short despite a strong individual performance.
The semi-final presented India with their toughest challenge yet, against Lebanon. India had a hesitant start to the crucial match, and Lebanon, the more confident team from the get-go, marched to a 38-33 halftime lead. With Lebanon still leading by 2 at the end of the third quarter, India needed one last boost to carry them to the final stage. They got just that from Kerala's star Jeena Scaria, who went into beast mode in the fourth quarter, ultimately finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists to help India go on a late run and win the game 79-69. Raspreet Sidhu added 17 in the win. Lebanon's Rebecca Akl and Chirin El Charif scored 20 and 17 respectively in the loss.
India's biggest test, appropriately, came in the Division B final against Kazakhstan. Playing in-front of a sell-out home crowd in Bengaluru (which was a relief, after several days of sparse audience at the event), India once again started slow, and fell down by 14 points midway through the second half. Led by the amazing Nadezhda Kondrakova (who finished with 30 points and 18 rebounds) and Zalina Kurazova (17) Kazakhstan were up by 8 at the end of the third quarter. Once again, Scaria came to the rescue (20 points, 6 assists), helping ignite India's big comeback in the fourth quarter. In crunch time however, India's hero turned out to be All-Around talent Shireen Limaye. Limaye hit two huge baskets in the game's last minutes, including a memorable game-winning shot with just five seconds left on the clock that gave India the 73-71 victory. The heroics capped Limaye's biggest game of the tournament, as she finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
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The victory earned India promotion into Division A for the next iteration of the tournament in 2019. They will replace North Korea, who will fall to Division B.
This well be a tournament that basketball fans won't easily forget. Even though India played in the lower division, they delighted the fans and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) by going 5-0 with incredible performances, and then winning the division in dramatic fashion. BFI announced a reward of Rs. 15 lakhs for the team for their efforts.
Coach Visic's contract technically expires at the end of this tournament, and the BFI will now decide whether or not they will choose to extend this successful coach to stay and build up Indian basketball for a longer period.
Paul Durai, who returned to this team after maternity leave, ended up as India's top scorer at the tournament (16.4 ppg). 22-year-old Varghese was the surprise package for the squad and should now feel confident of playing a major role in the team in the future, too. Raspreet Sidhu, Kavita Akula, Jeena Scaria, and Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi were all part of India's main rotation throughout the tournament. And Limaye can return home safe knowing that she hit one of the biggest shots in Indian women basketball history!
