BFI announces 2017-18 seasons of Indian School and College Basketball Leagues

After a brief hiatus, the Basketball Federation of India's (BFI) premier nationwide school basketball league returned to action last year. Now, cleared of some of the cobwebs blocking Indian basketball, the BFI is set to bring back with a blast both the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and the Indian College Basketball League (ICBL) for the 2017-18 season in 22 states and territories around the country.

ISBL will be held between December 25, 2017 to March 15, 2018 in each participating states. ICBL will be held between April 18, 2018 to July 31, 2018. The winners of the Boys and Girls categories in School Leagues and Men and Women categories in College Leagues from each state will qualify for the Indian School and College Basketball Leagues - National Championship later in 2018.

According to the BFI, the ISBL and ICBL will create a structured, self-sustaining system which will serve as the platform to increase organised basketball participation at grassroots level and subsequently serve as the talent development system for the Indian National Teams. These leagues are organized in such a way that it extends to a period of around 6-8 weeks where each team plays only one match every week. Also, the School Leagues have certain regulations which helps each and every player to get a good amount of playing time to showcase their talent.

List of states organizing ISBL and ICBL for the 2017-18 season

• Indian School Basketball League: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Chandigarh, Telangana, Gurajat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Indian College Basketball League: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Chandigarh, Telangana, Gurajat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan.

The previous editions of the School and College League have helped provide the Federation a wider talent pool out of which many of the top performers went on to represent India in different age groups. In 2014-15, Baladhaneshwar Poizamozhi from the ISBL and Muin Bek Hafeez from the ICBL both went on to make their Indian national debuts this year.

Rs. 25,000 will be awarded to the State Level Champions in both ISBL and ICBL, whereas the first and second runners-up will get Rs. 15,000 and 10,000 each, respectively. The details, including dates and locations, for the National Championships in both leagues will be announced soon.

Hopefully, the return of these comprehensive leagues can strengthen the backbone of grassroots Indian basketball and make it easier for talented players to get a platform to shine and improve.

Guards of Honour

This article was first published in my blog for The Times of India on July 7, 2017. Click here for the original piece.

With no shortage of talented bigs, India’s immediate basketball requirement is in the backcourt

In the very first game of the BRICS Games in Guangzhou last month, India were down by 10 to China, 38-28 at halftime. The deficit, considering the circumstances, wasn’t really a worry up: China were always going to be heavy favourites over a developing Indian basketball team and the BRICS Games were largely serving as practice for the larger challenge ahead, the FIBA Asia Cup in August. India were playing in the tournament without star big man Amritpal Singh, but had seen good early performances by their other two stars Amjyot Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.

But early in the second half, tragedy struck. Bhriguvanshi, India’s most experienced player, a former captain, and one of the best shooting guards in Asia, took a hard fall and then writhed on the floor clutching his right knee. It took the help of medical staff and teammates to carry him back to the locker rooms. His night was over.

India were outscored by 30 points in the second half and ended up losing the game 97-57 to the hosts. But the larger concern for the team – and for the Indian basketball fans following the tournament from home – was Bhriguvanshi’s health. Medical staff feared an ACL tear. He was ruled out of the rest of the tournament, and crucially, India faced the daunting possibility of heading out to Lebanon for the FIBA Asia Cup without their best wing player.

There is a common belief that basketball is a game for tall players, and scouts in India have long been in the hunt for the most talented bigs around from around the country to hone and develop them into game-changers. The swing towards looking for those athletic bigs took such a turn over the past decade that India now enjoys a glut of tall talents. The Men’s national team is loaded with a logjam of frontcourt riches, featuring Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Singh (set to return to the team for the FIBA Asia Cup), Satnam Singh (India’s first NBA draftee who will return for the championship, too), Yadwinder Singh, Rikin Pethani, Ravi Bhardwaj, and our first NBA G-League draftee, Palpreet Singh Brar. With a variety of skillsets and experience levels, these big guys will ensure that India will have the might to go up against any frontline in the continent.

The real problem for India, however, lies in the backcourt. Any regular player or fan of basketball knows that, while the big guys are the muscle on the court, the “smaller” guys (relatively) are the engine. It is the guards and the “wing” players who are usually every team’s best ball-handlers, creators on offense, shooters, and perimeter defenders. Even in teams where the big guys are the best and highest-scoring players, it is the players in the backcourt that set the pace of the game.

In recent years, especially with the way that the game has developed in the NBA and worldwide, there is now an urgent need for elite guards and wings for every successful team. Over the past few decades, guards have been faster, stronger, better shooters, and more athletic. A team with great big players will only be half as useful if it doesn’t have creative and talented options in the backcourt, too.

A great current example of this unbalance in the NBA is with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans’ frontline features arguably the two best big men in the league: Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. But without too many backcourt options to set up plays for the big guys and stretch the floor for them to have space in the middle, the ‘Twin Towers’ experiment hasn’t worked so far.

The Pelicans will serve as a good learning experience for India’s rumoured new men’s basketball team head coach, Phil Weber. Weber has been a long-time NBA assistant and most recently finished working with – you guessed it – Davis and Cousins in New Orleans. In India, he will get a sense of déjà vu in that first practice, as Amjyot and Amritpal (and Satnam and Palpreet and Yadwinder etc. etc. etc.) will provide limitless options for dominance in the post, but the backcourt will continue to be a point of major concern, from New Orleans to New Delhi.

The good news is that Bhriguvanshi’s injury has turned out to be less serious than initially diagnosed; the player I fondly like to call the ‘Banarasi Mamba’ is now likely to return to the team in time for the FIBA Asia Cup next month. Bhriguvanshi will be asked to excel at multiple backcourt positions for India as both our best creator and best scorer at the FIBA Asia Cup. He will be a little rusty, and even if he’s at his best, India has no other players in the guard or wing positions who can match the best backcourts in Asia.

While Akilan Pari, Hafeez Muin Bek, Prasanna Sivakumar, Anil Kumar Gowda, Arjun Singh, Arshpreet Bhullar, and the aging TJ Sahi are all great players at the domestic level, they will struggle against the top guards and small forwards in the continent, such as China’s Guo Ailun, Philippines’ Jayson Castro and Terrance Romeo, Iran’s Samad Nikkah Bahrami, Lebanon’s Wael Arakji and Fadi El Khatib, and many more.

A couple of talented young perimeter players, like Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi and Prudhvi Reddy, are in the pipeline for India already, but still need to add muscle and match experience to be ready for the biggest stages. In the long run, however, India needs to begin focusing on developing young talent all across the board, and not just the “readymade” big players.

So, start dribbling kids: India needs a point guard. Keep working on that outside shot, on those passing skills, on your court vision, and learn to put the ball on the floor to drive and dish or to take it all the way to the hole. Basketball is as much a game for the quick and dexterous as it is for the big and strong, and India’s future excellence depends on finding elite-level talent to cover all ends of the spectrum.

Indian basketball team heads to Hong Kong for 21st Super Kung Sheung Cup

India's senior men’s basketball team is all set to participate in the 21st Best Mart 360° Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championship, which will take place in Hong Kong, at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium from December 13-18. Nine teams, including national teams and local clubs from Hong Kong, will be taking part in this tournament.

In the lead up to this Championship, the Indian men’s team has been training in Indore for almost three weeks. Head Coached by Bhaskar Sappaniambalam, the Indian team sees the return of established stars Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (captain), Amrit Pal Singh, Pratham Singh, Yadwinder Singh, Rikin Pethani, Arvind Arumugam, Aravind Annadurai, Akilan Pari and Prasanna Venkatesh. Chandigarh’s 24-year-old centre Ravi Bhardwaj who made his international debut earlier this year, retains his place in the side. Junior India captain P Baladhaneshwar and Karnataka’s Anil Kumar Gowda, will be making their senior India debuts.

Veteran Australian Coach Damian Cotter visited India's Men's Basketball Camp in Indore last week.

Southern California Fukienese Association won the 20th Super Kung Sheung Cup 2015. India last participated in the 17th iteration of the Championship in 2010, where the reached the semi-finals and finished at fourth place.

Participating Teams

• Group 1: Malaysia, Guangxi Wei Zhuang Basketball Club (China), Eastern Long Lions (Hong Kong).
• Group 2: SCAA (Hong Kong), Singapore, Southern California Fukienese Association (USA).
• Group 3: Thailand, India, Winling (Hong Kong).

Team India Roster

• Ravi Bhardwaj
• Anil Kumar Gowda
• Pratham Singh
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi - captain
• Amrit Pal Singh
• Yadwinder Singh
• Rikin Pethani
• Aravind Annadurai
• Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi
• Arvind Arumugam
• Prasanna Sivakumar
• Akilan Pari
• Head Coach: Bhaskar Sappaniambalam
• Assistant Coach: Srinivasa Murthy
• Team Manager: Ashok Kumar Sahu

India’s League Round Schedule (all timings IST)

• 13th December: India vs Winling - 6:15 PM.
• 15th December: India vs Thailand - 1:30 PM.

Hoopdarshan Episode 34: India's international basketball results & Olympics with Richard Xalxo

It may be the NBA offseason, but Indian Basketball, and World Basketball, never stops. In Episode 34 of Hoopdarshan, hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok discuss India's recent performances at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship and the William Jones Cup, imagine India's journey to the Olympics, and preview basketball at the Rio Olympic Games. Basketball Federation of India's Media coordinator Richard Xalxo joins the podcast to give fans an inside look of the improving state of hoops in India plus future challenges from the BFI's perspective.

Richard Aditya Xalxo manages Operations and Social Media for the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Apart from learning about his work to promote the BFI to fans around the country, we also learn (sort of) how to pronounce his name.



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

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

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

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

Iran win FIBA U18 Asia in Tehran, India take huge leap to 8th place

It was the year of streak-breaking. Six years of China's dominance of Asian junior basketball while other contenders waited on the wings. Twelve years since India's U18 squad got a shot at the Quarter-Finals.

At the 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men in Tehran, the home team Iran emerged as champs for the first time since 2008, breaking China's monopoly at the top of the podium, with a 71-65 win over Japan in the Final on Sunday, July 31st. Team India, meanwhile, made the Quarter-Final stage of the tournament for the first time in twelve years and finished at 8th place.

With both teams struggling to score in the first half, Iran started with more positive intent, leading 35-26 at the break, and extended their advantage to double digits by halftime. Japan's offensive firepower finally came alive in the fourth quarter, but it was a little too late as they came up short and Iran escaped to a 71-65 win. Japan relied on the single-handed brilliance of Keisuke Masuda, but his 35 points were eventually not enough to overcome Iran's balanced attack. Iran were led by Mehran Rezaei (18) and Mohammad Jafari (16).

Earlier in the day, Korea dominated Lebanon on all fronts to win 86-63 and grab the bronze medal, thanks to 26 points and 8 rebounds from Yang Jae Min. Park Jiwon chipped in 17 points for Korea. Karim Zeinoun scored 19 for Lebanon in the loss.

Iran, Japan, and Korea secured a spot in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Championship.

This tournament also ended up being a great exhibition of the future of Indian Basketball, as the U18 Men's squad featured some exciting young talent and displayed encouraging performances against some of Asia's finest teams. Coached by Dilip Gurumurthy and Paramdeep Singh, India's young roster with stars like Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Hariram Ragupathy, and Sahil all gave indications that they are on track to become important senior team players in the future.

India's first Preliminary Round game was also one of their most-winnable ones, against Thailand. Relying on their bigger size and athleticism, India enjoyed an offensive explosion to win the high-scoring game, 100-93 and start their tournament on the right note. A number of young players put up big stats for India, led by center Sahil who had 25 points and 8 rebounds. Poiyamozhi added 21, Ragupathy scored 17, and Vishal Kumar Gupta finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Justin Bassey (21), Suwichai Suwan (17), and Nattaworn Banchathon (16) led the scoring output for Thailand.

Facing the previous three-time champs, India's young players had to grow up quick against China in their second game. India responded to the challenge in style, and shocked China to lead 21-17 in the first quarter. But this was the perfect wake-up call for the Chinese squad, who outscored India by 20 points in the second half, and continue to blow out India in the second half to race to a massive 106-66 victory. Jianiyou Taruike (20), Jiang Man (19), and Zeyi Liu (16) led the scoring barrage for China. India's attack was carried by just two exceptional individuals, Ragupathy who ended with 31 and 8, and Poiyamozhi who added 25.

India's trend of starting games well before losing their concentration continued in Game 3, against Chinese Taipei. The game seemed to be in the balance as Taipei led by just three in the first quarter, but crucial runs on either side of halftime help Taipei create the necessary separation en route to a 93-79 win. Kuo-Hao Tao and Sheng-Ju Ting each scored 16 for Taipei in the win. The duo of Ragupathy (21 and 7) and Gupta (20 and 15) played well but the rest of the squad couldn't match their efforts.

The most exciting game of India's tournament was next against Iraq. At one point, as India led by 13 in the fourth quarter, it seemed that they had locked up their second win of the championship. But Iraq made a fantastic comeback to tie the score 77-77 at the end of regulation and send the game to overtime. It was all India in the extra period, as budding star Poiyamozhi (31 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) grew up leaps and bounds to win 93-83. Iraq's duo of Ihab Al-Zuhairi (23) and Rekan Abdalla (21) led the way for the losing side.

India's final Preliminary Round game was against Philippines, and from the start, India rarely stood a chance. Jojo Mendoza of Philippines led all scorers with 23 to win 105-82. India's Daniel Richards Arthur Wilson scored 16.

The 2-3 finish saw India finish fourth in the Group and face off against Group A winners Lebanon in the Quarter-Finals, where India had reached for the first time in 12 years. As it had become their habit, India started off extremely well, but Lebanon used a massive 26-9 advantage to secure an insurmountable lead. Mark Alkhoury (18) and Naji Ozeir (17) carried Lebanon to 98-67 win. Gineeb Benny scored 19 for India while Poiyamozhi ended up with 17 points.

India now had to contend with the 5-8th PLC classification game, and faced a rematch against Chinese Taipei. Taipei were much more dominant this time around. Taipei blew out India early to race to a 97-66 victory led by 16 points by their captain Ting-Jhao Jian.

India's final game was also a rematch, this time against the Philippines. Although India played without their captain Poiyamozhi, the rest of the squad showed fantastic determination to bounce back from a 10-point first-half deficit to make it a three-point game in the fourth quarter. The back-and-forth match ended with the Philippines surviving to win 67-64. Gupta had 20 points and 11 rebounds for India while Ragupathy added 18.

With the loss, India finished the tournament with a 2-6 record at 8th place.

With 17.1 points per game, Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi ended up as India's leading scorer and the 5th-leading scorer of the tournament. He also led the team with assists (4.0 apg), which was the second-highest assist average in the championship. Hariram Ragupathy added 15.4 ppg while Vishal Kumar Gupta averaged 12.3 ppg. India relied heavily on their top tier starts to carry them, as Poiyamozhi, Ragupathy and Gupta each played over 35 minutes per game and had three of the top five highest minutes averages in the tournament.

India will consider this a huge upgrade after their disappointing performance in the 2014 edition of the tournament, where they finished at last (13th) place. By breaking into the Quarter-Finals, India has ensured that their basketball squad will not be taken lightly any more. More importantly, they now have a framework to build an exciting team for the future of the Senior Men's team.

Preview: India's campaign at 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship to tip off in Tehran (Iran)

The qualifying round was a breeze. India's Junior players, the future stars of the senior national squad, easily swept aside South Asian rivals at the SABA Qualifiers in Bangladesh last month. The average margin was victory was over 68 points each, and India - in impressive fashion - had secured their spot at the 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

Now begins the real test.

India's U18 squad was officially announced by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), as the 12-man contingent headed for Tehran (Iran) for the FIBA Asia U18 Championship, set to be held from July 22-31. The tournament will take place at the Azadi Sports Complex in Tehran. India will be among 12 teams taking part in this tournament, which is the highest level of competition for junior players in the continent. In the last iteration of the FIBA Asia U18 in 2014, China won the championship for the third time in the row while the disappointing Indian squad finished at last place (13th).

For the preliminary round of 2016 FIBA Asia U18, India have been grouped with reigning champions China, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Iraq. India will be captained by Tamil Nadu phenom Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi and head coached by Dilip Gurumurthy, a former Indian Olympian from the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Participating teams

• Group A: China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iraq, Philippines, Thailand.
• Group B: Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon.

Team India roster for 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship

• Hansraj (Delhi)
• Saqlain Jamir Sayyed (Maharashtra)
• Rachit (Delhi)
• Vishal Kumar Gupta (Uttar Pradesh)
• Mohammed Ali (Rajasthan)
• Deepak (Haryana)
• Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi (Tamil Nadu) - Captain
• Hariram Raghupathy (Tamil Nadu)
• Daniel Richards Arthur Wilson (Tamil Nadu)
• Gineeb Benny (Kerala)
• Muhammed Shiras Noushad (Kerala)
• Sahil (Haryana)
• Head Coach: Dilip Gurumurthy
• Assistant Coach: Paramdeep Singh
• Physio: Dr. Kannan Ratinasamy Bose
• Team Manager: Ashok Sahu

India's Preliminary Round Schedule - All Timings IST

• India vs Thailand – 22nd July, 5:00 PM
• India vs China – 23rd July, 1:00 PM
• India vs Chinese Taipei – 24th July, 5:00 PM
• India vs Iraq – 26th July, 9:00 PM
• India vs Philippines – 27th July, 9:00 PM

The top four teams from each group will qualify for the Quarter-Finals and Placement Rounds, which are set to begin on July 29th. The Final is scheduled on July 31st.

For India, qualifying for a Quarter-Final spot is a real possibility if the team can provide up to its potential. India, on paper, is better than Thailand and Iraq in Group A. If they are able to defeat both those teams, they can be ensured of a fourth place finish. Anything more - against better-seeded sides like China, Chinese Taipei, or the Philippines - will be a bonus.

India's fortunes will depend largely on the performances of Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, who has played well for the national squad in the SABA Qualifiers and the FIBA Asia U16 Championship last year. He also represented India at the Basketball Without Borders Asia camp earlier this year. Fans should also keep an eye out for talents such as Gineeb Benny and Vishal Kumar Gupta.

The favourites for the tournament will again be China, while Group B giants Korea and Iran could also be in the mix for ending China's unstoppable run at the top.

Hoopdarshan Episode 32: Akanksha Singh speaks up for basketball in India

In Episode number 32 of India's finest basketball podcast Hoopdarshan, star international point guard Akanksha Singh joins hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to speak up for the problems in Indian basketball. One of Varanasi's famed 'Singh Sisters', Akanksha candidly discusses how the BFI split is hurting Indian players, the growing popularity of Women's basketball in India, and dealing with her creepiest fans.

Born in Varanasi, Akanksha Singh (27) has already enjoyed a run as an experienced veteran point guard for India and Delhi state and represented the country regularly in international contests at the FIBA Asia or South Asian stage. Aside from our interview with Akanksha, Kaushik and Karan also recap the NBA Finals in great detail, give their hot takes about the NBA Draft, and look forward to free agency.



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

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

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

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

Three young Indians chosen for NBA's Basketball Without Borders Asia 2016 camp in Australia

Bringing together the best youth basketball talents in the Asia-Pacific region for an elite camp, the NBA's Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia 2016 camp is set to be held in Melbourne (Australia) from June 23-26. Three promising Indian players - Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Aashay Verma, and Sahil - have been chosen for the four-day camp, which will also feature numerous current and former NBA stars. The 2016 BWB Asia is being coordinated between the NBA, FIBA, and Australia's National Basketball League (NBL).

All three Indian players will be a part of the top 45 male players - born between 1999-2001 - selected from 17 countries for the training scheduled to be held at Dandenong Basketball Stadium in Melbourne.

In the Indian contingent, Poiyamozhi is clearly the most exciting prospect. The shooting guard from Tamil Nadu recently captained India's U18 squad as they won the South Asian Basketball championship in Bangladesh to qualify for the FIBA Asia U18 Championship. Poiyamozhi has been part of Tamil Nadu's back-to-back champion junior squad and was India's shining bright spark at the FIBA Asia U16 championship last year. Aashay Verma is a 7-foot-2 center from Hyderabad and Sahil represents Punjab. All the three were selected from various BWB camps conducted by the NBA-India across the country.

A large number of NBA players and legends - especially those with Australia connections - will be mentoring the young players at the camp, including Aron Baynes (Detroit Pistons, Australia), Dante Exum (Utah Jazz, Australia), Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz; Australia), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks, US), and Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs, Australia). NBA legend David Robinson, his former Spurs teammate Bruce Bowen, and former All Star and Raptors' Assistant Coach Jerry Stackhouse will be coaching at the camp, too. President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches Patrick Hunt will serve as camp director.

India's U18 Basketball Team sweep South Asian opponents, qualify for FIBA Asia U18 Championship

Two days. Three games. Three dominant wins. And most importantly, an important qualification.

At the 2016 South Asian (SABA) U18 Basketball Championship for Men in Dhaka (Bangladesh) on June 1-2, India's junior team simply came, saw, and conquered. India defeated South Asian opponents Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal over two days by an average point differential of 68.3 points per game, won the SABA U18 Basketball title once again, and qualified for the FIBA Asia U18 Championship scheduled next month against the best teams in the continent.

India's squad for the tournament was picked based on performances at last month's Junior National Basketball Championship in Puducherry. The final 12-man roster in Dhaka is being led by experienced head coach Jai Prakash Singh and rising young star Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi from Tamil Nadu.

In the first game against Bangladesh on Wednesday morning, India scored 57 points in the first half and cruised the rest of the way en route to a 80-31 win against the hosts. With such a strong first win, India set the wheels in motion to carry their momentum for the next two games. With multiple players contributing, Vishal Kumar Gupta scored 15 points to lead India's scoring attack.

The second game against Sri Lanka was later on Wednesday afternoon, and India again won by a comfortable margin, 127-52. Here too, most of India’s damage was done in the first half, with 73 points against 21 by Sri Lanka. India put the game out of reach with a 28-9 run in the third quarter. Gineeb Benny (21) and Baladhaneshwar (18) were the top scorers for India.

India's final match of the round-robin tournament was on Thursday morning versus Nepal. India left no room for doubt that they are the force to contend with in the South Asian region with a 117-40 win and retained their SABA U18 title.

India have now qualified for the 24th FIBA Asia Championship, which will be held at Tehran (Iran) from July 15-24, 2016.

2016 SABA U18 Basketball Championship: India's Junior Men ready to defend South Asian basketball title in Dhaka

India has dominated basketball in the South Asia region. But success is never guaranteed, and to be the South Asian representative in Asia's biggest basketball championships, this success has to earned, not given. This week in Dhaka, India's Junior Men's squad will have a chance to earn their success all over again.

India's U18 Men are in Dhaka (Bangladesh) to participate in the two-day 2016 South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) U18 Championship for Men on Wednesday June 1st and Thursday June 2nd in Dhaka (Bangladesh). The tournament will feature four teams: India, hosts Bangladesh, reigning silver medalists Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The winner of the 2016 SABA U18 Championship will qualify for Asia's biggest junior basketball championship, the 24th FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

The tournament will be held in round-robin fashion over the two days, with each team playing three games to determine the champion.

India's roster was picked based on performances at last month's Junior National Basketball Championship in Puducherry. The initial 25 probables spent time in camp in Puducherry and played practice matches against Chennai's Sathyabama University and IOB in preparation. The final 12-man roster in Dhaka is being led by experienced head coach Jai Prakash Singh and rising young star Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi from Tamil Nadu.

Team India U18 roster for 2016 SABA U18 Championship

• Gineeb Benny (Kerala)
• Sahil (Haryana)
• Mohammed Ali (Rajasthan)
• Kalidass Singamuthu (Tamil Nadu)
• Rachit (Delhi)
• Muhammed Shiras Noushad (Kerala)
• Daniel Richards Arthur Wilson (Tamil Nadu)
• Hariram Raghupathy (Tamil Nadu)
• Guruprasad Nayak Kukkundur (Karnataka)
• Vishal Kumar Gupta (Uttar Pradesh)
• Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi - Captain (Tamil Nadu)
• Saqlain Jamir Sayyed (Maharashtra)
• Head Coach: Jai Prakash Singh
• Assistant Coach: Vinod Pazahmi Goutham

India’s Tournament Schedule - All Timings IST

• India vs Bangladesh – 1st June, 07:30 AM
• India vs Sri Lanka – 1st June, 02:30 PM
• India vs Nepal – 2nd June, 07:30 AM

India are reigning champions of this tournament, after winning the 2014 SABA U18 Championship at home in Bengaluru. Another win this year will ensure India's return to the 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship, set to be held in Tehran (Iran) from July 15-24, 2016.

Korea win 2015 FIBA Asia U16 title in Jakarta; India drop to 13th place

Korea's youth team have emerged among Asia's best and given a ray of hope for the future of the nation's basketball programme. At the 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Basketball Championship (FIBA U16 ABC) in Jakarta (Indonesia), Korea ended China's monopoly at the top of the tournament's standings at the semi-final stage, and followed it up with a victory in the Final against Chinese Taipei on Saturday, November 7. This was Korea's first title at the tournament, and the first time that anyone other than China has won the FIBA U16 ABC after four iterations of the tournament.

The tournament was held from October 29 to November 7 and featured 15 teams (should've been 16 but North Korea pulled out) including India. India's U16 team ended the tournament with a 2-3 record and dropped to 13th place.

Korea were still buzzing after ousting China at the semi-final stage, but their energy was matched by Chinese Taipei's youngsters in the Final. For the first half, there was little to separate the two teams, as Chinese Taipei held on to a slim 31-30 lead at halftime. But Korea pushed into an extra gear in the third quarter, outscoring Chinese Taipei 28-15 in a stretch that ultimately proved to be the difference. Lee Junghyn and Minwoo Park both scored 17 apiece to lead Korea's march to a 78-69 victory. Minsuk Shin added 16. Lin Ting-Chien was Taipei's highest scorer with 19.

Both the finalists qualified for the 2016 U17 FIBA World Championship in Spain, as did China, who finished third in the tournament.

China took out the frustrations of their semi-final loss in the Bronze-Medal game earlier on Saturday against Japan. Led by Rui Wang (22) and Jie Xu (20), China blew the game open in the second quarter. Their 13-point halftime lead was unassailable for the Japanese as China stretched their lead to a 80-58 win. Yudat Nishida scored 18 in a losing effort for Japan.

Both the semi-finals on Friday were memorable contests between the remaining East Asian teams in the tournament. Korean captain Jae-Min Yang exploded for 30 points as his team edged China 90-84 in an entertaining, high-scoring contest. Minsuk Shin dropped 21 for Korea while Junghyun Lee added 18. China's duo of Rui Wang (20) and captain Yibo Wang (17) couldn't do enough to stop Korea from turning a three-point halftime deficit into a six-point victory. In the earlier semi-final, Chinese Taipei survived a late flurry by Japan to win 60-57 and book their ticket in the final. After a close first half, Chinese Taipei created some separation between the two teams in the third period, and held on to their lead just in time for the final buzzer. Wei-Chieh Tang of Taipei led all scorers with 21.

At the start of the tournament's Preliminary Round, India found themselves in a tough Group D, which featured two semi-finalists - Korea and China - as well as Iraq. The team was led by Head Coach Mahendar Singh Rathore and captained by rising young star Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi from Tamil Nadu.

India's start - against threepeat winners China - was not pretty. Despite a good offensive showing in the first quarter, India were helpless to put a roadblock on China's onslaught on the other end of the floor. China outscored India by double digits in each quarter and raced to a comfortable 116-57 win. Rongqi Huang scored 22 to pace China, while Poiyamozhi - a 5-foot-11 undersized forward - had 18 for India.

Facing the eventual champions Korea the following day, India were determined to correct the previous day's mistakes and put up a more respectable showing. Despite a 19-point loss, India played one of their best games on the tournament. Korea had a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter, which they opened up to 12 by halftime. But an offensive explosion in the third had India down by just 8 before the start of the final period with dreams of an upset. Alas, Korea showed their class in the decisive fourth, outscoring India 28-17, and cruising to a 104-85 win. The Korean duo of Jae-Min Yang (25 points, 12 rebounds), Sechan Seomoon (22), and Hyunjung Lee (19) were a handful for India all game, but it was Indian captain Poiyamozhi that truly stole the show, totaling his tournament-best 33 points to go with 10 rebounds for India in the loss. Adarsh Jayakumar aided his effort with 23.

India followed the encouraging performance with a dud against Iraq, in what would've been their most-winnable game of the Preliminary Stage. Despite ranking higher than Iraq, India came out flat and allowed Iraq to lead by double digits early in the game. India had no answer for Iraq's Abdullah Abdullah, who exploded for 39 points and 6 rebounds in an impressive solo performance that helped his squad win 90-69. Abbas Al-Qarnawi added 16 for the winning side. Poiyamozhi was again India's top man, scoring 26 points in a losing effort, while his teammate Ankit Joshi scored 24.

By finishing last in their group, India failed to qualify for the tournament's Second Round and had to settle for 13-16th place classification games. They received a 'bye' win 20-0 against the absent North Korea in the first game.

India's first and only 'real' win of the tournament was in their last game against Hong Kong. After gaining an extra day's rest because of North Korea's no-show, India played with an extra skip in their step in the second and third quarters of the game versus Hong Kong, outscoring their opponents by 16 in that crucial 20 minute stretch. Three Indians touched 20 in this encouraging 80-70 win, led as always by Poiyamozhi (22 points, 8 rebounds), Ankit Joshi (20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), and Adarsh Jayakumar (20 points, 7 rebounds). Hong Kong's captain Yiu Pong Yip scored a team-high 21.

India ended the tournament at 13th place, dropping two spots after finishing 11th in 2013.

It was a tournament of ups and downs for the young, relatively inexperienced Indians. The performances against Korea and the finale versus Hong Kong showed the potential of many of players, as individuals and as a collective. But the loss against Iraq will be remembered as the tournament's big tipping point for India. They can also consider themselves lucky to earn a win without playing against North Korea, although an extra game would've always been useful to provide more exposure to the players.

The big story for India was of course the star captain Baladhaeshwar Poiyamozhi. After dominating the youth and sub-junior levels for Tamil Nadu in recent years, Poiyamozhi was a force to be reckoned with in his first big international tournament for India. He finished as India's leading scorer (24.8 ppg) and rebounder (6.2 rpg) and was second in assists (3.5 apg) and would've finished as among the leading scorer in the entire tournament had India played more games. The little forward plays much bigger than his size, and hopefully has a bright future ahead of him for the country. India also got encouraging performances by Ankit Joshi (13.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Adarsh Jayakumar (14.2 ppg) and Manoj Sisodiya.

2015 U16 FIBA Asia Championship: The full Team India roster, schedule, and preview

The youngest competitors at the Asian basketball stage are the under-16s; youth players who have shown potential for greatness, and get their first opportunity to represent their squads at the biggest stage in the continent. When the U16 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship (ABC) began in 2009, China - one of the continent's finest teams - jumped out in front and took charge of the future. The tournament has taken place every two years twice more, and China have won every single time, including the most recent championship held back in 2013 at at Tehran (Iran).

On Thursday, October 29, the tournament will return in full force to Jakarta (Indonesia), as China attempts to make it four out of four. India, meanwhile, have finished 10th, 10th, and 11th in the first three turns of the tournament, and the newest brigade of young players heading out for the 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Championship will hope to provide a boost and some encouraging results to showcase the bright future of Indian hoops. This tournament is a qualifying tournament for the 2016 FIBA Asia U17 World Championship.

India have been placed in Group D of the tournament with none other than reigning champions China, along with South Korea and Iraq. The 12-member boys squad, under the helm of coach Mahendra Singh Rathore, headed out to China a few days ago. Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi of Tamil Nadu was named team captain.

The tournament was initially supposed to be held in India itself - at Bengaluru - in July, but due to the troubles with India's own basketball federation, FIBA shifted the tournament to Indonesia and to a later date. Jakarta's BritAma Arena and GOR Pulogadung will be the two venues for the games.

Addressing the players before their departure, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) secretary Chander Mukhi Sharma said, "You are the top talent in the country at your age group. The coaches have imparted their knowledge over the last few weeks to all of you. It is now your duty to perform to the best of your abilities and make the nation proud."

Preliminary Round Groups

• Group A: Japan, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Malaysia.
  
• Group B: Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lebanon.
  
• Group C: Philippines, Bahrain, North Korea, Thailand
  
• Group D: China, India, Korea, Iraq.
  

Team India for the 2015 U16 FIBA Asia Championship

• Swapnil Sharma
  
• Manoj Singh Sisodia
  
• Hansraj
  
• Sorav Singha
  
• Ankit Joshi
  
• Muhammad Shiras Noushad
  
• Harshwardhan Tomar
  
• Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi
  
• Joshua Jaison George
  
• Amit
  
• Adarsh Premsan Jayakumar
  
• Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu
  
• Head Coach: Mahendar Singh Rathore
  
• Coach: Aju Jacob
  
• Manager: Venkata Siva Naga Prasad Takasi
  

Preliminary Round - all timings IST

• India vs. China - October 29 - 12:30 PM.
  
• India vs. Korea - October 30 - 4:30 PM.
  
• India vs. Iraq - October 31 - 4:30 PM.
  

The Second Round will be held between November 1-3, and the Final Round from November 5-7. India have to finish in the top three of the four preliminary round groups to qualify for the Second Round. China, as favourites will be the toughest to beat, while Korea - who are also in India's group - are the second-ranked youth team in the FIBA Asia rankings. India's (rank 10) best chance for a victory will be against Iraq (rank 16), but they will need their star young players - led by Baladhaneshwar - to perform at a high level. A second round appearance will ensure a 9-12 place finish for India, but if they want to emulate the seniors who finished top 8 in Asia this year, India will need to shock a few more teams in the Second Round and qualify for the Quarter-Finals.