2016 FIBA Asia U18 Women's Championship: China win third straight title; winless India finish 6th and fall to Level II

Chinese youth players remain the queens of Asian basketball, as for the third consecutive time they have brushed past Japan in the final to win the continent's premier U18 tournament. With an impressive victory at the finale on Sunday, November 20, China were once again crowned champions of the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women, held from November 13-20 in Bangkok (Thailand).

Meanwhile, it was a terribly unsuccessful and disappointing tournament for India, who lost all of their Level I games and then lost the promotion/relegation game to fall into Level II for the tournament's next iteration in 2018.

On the last day of the tournament in Bangkok, China faced Japan in the U18 FIBA Women's ABC final for the third consecutive time, and once again, to the same result. China's duo of Jiaqi Wang (29) and Yueru Li (22) continued their dominant streak in the final, helping to give China a nine-point lead at halftime, and eventually, turning the second half into a long celebration. China won the final comfortably, 78-47.

Earlier in the day, Korea squeezed past Chinese Taipei in a well-contested game 66-63 to secure the bronze medal. Chinese Taipei led the back-and-forth contest 37-35 at halftime, but Korea took a slim lead in the second half and Juyeon Lee (31) hit two late free-throws to secure the 66-63 win. Jihyun Park added 22 for Korea, while Chinese Taipe were led by Jing-Ting Wang's 24.

A day earlier, China had shown more flashes of their dominance on both ends with an impressive 64-35 win in the semi-final against Chinese Taipei. China took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and behind a dominant night by Yeuru Li (20 points, 17 rebounds), were in-charge of the game till the final buzzer. Japan pulled off a minor upset of sorts in the second semi-final with a blowout win over Korea, 63-41. Jisu Park's double double (18 points, 14 rebounds) was not enough to keep Japan's balanced offense from racing ahead for the win.

Once again, the big four of Asia - China, Chinese Taipei, Korea, and Japan - were the semi-finalists and the four top teams in Level I. But the tournament's higher level also featured India and the hosts Thailand. India's squad was led by former international player and veteran coach Shiba Maggon and captained by Karnataka's experienced young star Bhandavya HM. The team had finished sixth in the tournament two years ago but managed to retain their Level I status.

India's best chance of a Level I win was in their very first game, against the hosts Thailand. But a poor start against the highly-motivated hosts doomed India from the start. Thailand's impressive 26-7 second-quarter run gave them a huge, 45-20 halftime lead. India were crawling back from the deficit from that point on, but time was against their side and their comeback fell short as Thailand held on to win 67-58. Captain Bhandavya HM scored 17 for India in the loss.

Things were not going to get any easier for India. The next day, they were pitted against the reigning and eventual champions China, and the difference in class between the two teams was clear immediately. China led India 55-23 at halftime and then improved to 59-15 in the second half, eventually ending the game with a dominant 114-38 victory. Shuangyan Tan (18) and Yueru Li (17) led China in this massive win.

Game 3 for India was against Chinese Taipei, and once again, things began inauspiciously. India were outscored by double digits in each of the first two quarters and trailed 41-13 at halftime. A slight improvement in the second half didn't help matter as India eventually fell to a 80-46 defeat. Meng-Hsin Chen led the way for Chinese Taipei with 17.

The next afternoon, India made a concentrated effort to have a good start, and they were hanging on behind Korea 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. But Korea's depth in talent eventually took over the game, as India's shooting woes continued and the team struggled mightily on the offensive end for the rest of the contest. Korea dominated proceedings to win 69-27.

India's final Level I game was against eventual-finalists Japan. This turned out to be the team's worst offensive performance. India were held under double digits in each quarter and Japan finished with a 31-4 run to cap off a huge 93-26 victory. Kiyo Miyashita had 25 points and 10 rebounds to nearly outdo all of India's production single-handedly.

After five straight losses, India's final chance of redemption was to win their playoff game against Level II winners Indonesia and ensure their place in Level I for the next iteration of the tournament. India started well against the lower level team, leading 26-21 at halftime and holding a six point advantage before the beginning of the final quarter. But in the final quarter, it all fell apart; Indonesia dominated India on both ends of the floor to race out to a commanding 21-3 run and eventually win the game 49-38. The victory secured Indonesia's place in Level I. India's silver lining in this contest was the performance of captain Bhandavya, who chipped in her personal tournament-high 23.

It was eventually a disappointing trip for India to Thailand, as Coach Maggon's team returned winless with a 0-6 record and got relegated to Level II. India can take some heart in the performances of Bhandavya HM, who led the team with 12.7 points per game. Nishanthi Masilamani and Priyanka Prabhakara also played big minutes for the team. Hopefully, the individual players will soak up the positive lessons and experience of this tournament and improve for India at the U18 and senior side in a few years.

Final Standings

• 1. China
• 1. Japan
• 1. Korea
• 1. Chinese Taipei
• 1. Thailand

India's roster, schedule, & a preview of the 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Bangkok

The future of the continent's women's basketball talent will be showcased in Bangkok (Thailand) starting this weekend as the 23rd FIBA Asia Championship for Women is set to be held from November 13-20. As it has been in recent years, this championship will once again feature teams from 12 nations from across Asia. While squads like reigning champs China, Japan, and Korea fight for the title, India will be hoping to stay in Level 1 of the tournament and perhaps, even cause an upset or two.

On Friday, India's roster for the tournament was finalised by the Basketball Federation of India as the team set out to Thailand. The Indian team is currently ranked 38th in the world and 5th in Asia (as per the combined FIBA World Rankings for U16 and U18 teams). India is grouped alongside five other teams in elite Level 1, with the top four teams at the end of the league rounds progressing to the semifinals stage. The team is being coached by former international player and veteran coach Shiba Maggon and will be captained by Karnataka's experienced young star Bhandavya HM. Another star to watch for India will be Delhi's Sushantika Chakravortty.

Participating Teams

• Level 1: China, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, India, Thailand.
• Level 2: Indonesia, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka.

China has won this tournament the previous three times and will be looking to complete an impressive four-peat. In 2014, China defeated Japan in the Final in Jordan, while India finished at 6th place but retained their Level 1 status.

As always, Level 1 consists of the higher-tier teams, including the 'Big Four' of the tournament: China, Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei. India will have a difficult time against all of these opponents, and any win here will be considered a historic upset. India's best chance of a Preliminary Round victory is against Thailand, but they will have to be at the top of their game to defeat the home squad, too. The top four teams from Level 1 will move on to the Semi-Final stage while the bottom two will play the top two Level 2 teams in qualification matches to decide the Level 1 status for this tournament in 2018.

India's roster for 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women

• Priyanka Prabhakara
• Riya Verma
• Nishanti Masilamani
• Aakarshan Sandhu
• Sakshi Pandey
• Carina Clarence Menezes
• Bhandavya HM - captain
• Sushantika Chakravortty
• Nimmi George
• Anusha IP
• Gulabsha Ali
• Shrishti Suren
• Head Coach: Shiba Maggon
• Assistant Coach: Kalva Rajeshaver Rao
• Manager: Jugraj Singh Baidwan

"Our motto is to never give up and keep trying to better ourselves," said Maggon. "We will try to improve upon how we performed against Thailand [from their previous encounter in 2014 which they had lost 68-62] and also try to play well against Chinese Taipei."

India's Preliminary Round Schedule - All timings IST

• India vs Thailand – 13th November, 1:30 PM
• India vs China – 14th November, 3:30 PM
• India vs Chinese Taipei – 15th November, 3:30 PM
• India vs South Korea – 16th November, 3:30 PM
• India vs Japan – 17th November, 3:30 PM

2015 Junior Nationals: Tamil Nadu Boys and Chhattisgarh Girls win title in Ludhiana

In one of the most hallowed grounds for Indian basketball, the next generation of the country's basketball stars (under 18s) showcased their skill-sets and their potential, the future merged into the present, and new stars were born. The 66th Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls were held at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana (Punjab) from October 2-9. At the tournament's finale on Friday, October 9th, Tamil Nadu Boys rose above the competition to win the gold medal, while Chhattisgarh's unstoppable girls team notched another victory, completing an impressive threepeat in the championship.

The 'Junior Nationals' were organized by the Punjab Basketball Federation under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). 24 teams each in the boys' and girls' section from all over India participated.

Both the defending champions from last year - Chhattisgarh Girls and Punjab Boys (who also enjoyed a strong home support - reached the final again this year and had the opportunity to repeat. Chhattisgarh faced an improving Karnataka squad in the final that turned out to be a classic battle between two rising stars of the game, Chhattisgarh's Riya Verma and Karnataka's Bhandavya HM, who had recently returned from national team duty for India at the 2015 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship. While Chhattisgarh started as favourites, it was Karnataka that took the strong early lead, opening up a 24-11 advantage in the first quarter. Karnataka had command for the majority of the game, and found themselves holding on to a comfortable 54-39 lead before the final period began. But it was the fourth quarter that showed Chhattisgarh's true mettle: In a comeback for the ages, Chhattisgarh caught fire from the three-point line in the fourth to outscore Karnataka 28-9 in the period, eventually holding on to a slim 67-63 lead as time expired. Riya Verma scored 37 points in the game, including five three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. Bhandavya HM had 31 for Karnataka in the loss.

Starting as reigning champions and hosts, Punjab were certainly the favourites in the boys' final. But they were facing a deep and experienced Tamil Nadu squad. The two teams matched their firepower in another final for the ages. Little separated the two teams in this back and forth contest. TN had a slim, 43-40 lead at halftime, which Punjab quickly recovered, and then lost again. And back and forth they went. R. Hari Ram (21) managed to put TN up in front in the final minute by getting to the charity stripe and knocking down clutch free-throws. His teammate Baladhaneshwar (18) forced a crucial turnoA ver with under a minute to go in the game by stealing the ball from Rahul Mehla (28). TN won the game 91-86. A. Daniel Richards added 16 for the winners, while Mehla's effort for Punjab was aided by Jaipal Singh Mann (19).

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

The winners, Chhattisgarh girls and Tamil Nadu boys, were awarded gold medals and cash prizes of INR 75,000 each. The second placed teams, Karnataka girls and Punjab boys were awarded silver medals and INR 50,000 each, while the third placed teams, Kerala girls and Delhi boys were awarded INR 30,000 each.

Satnam Singh, the product of Ludhiana's Basketball Academy who this summer made history by becoming the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, was present at the awards ceremony of the Junior Nationals and greeted the participating players.

The boys’ Most Valuable Player was awarded to R. Hari Ram from Tamil Nadu. Chhattisgarh captain Riya Verma won the girls’ Most Valuable Player.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

In the third-place games earlier on Sunday, Kerala Girls defeated Punjab and Delhi boys beat Haryana to win their respective bronze medals.

A day earlier, Karnataka's Girls outlasted neighbours Kerala 76-66 to win their semi-final clash. Bhoomika P scored 21 for Karnataka in the win while Bhandavya (19) and Priyanka P (16) helped with the offensive firepower. Kerala's leading scorer was Mayuka with 17 points. In the other girls' semi-final, Chhattisgarh showed no mercy to silence Punjab in front of their home crowd en route to a 78-49 win. Vandana paced Chhattisgarh with 23 while Punjab's leading scorer was Gagandeep Kaur (17).

MVP R. Hari Ram was on fire in the boys' semi-final for TN against Haryana, scoring 35 points to lead all scorers in a 99-85 win. Haryana kept pace with TN For three quarters and held a four point lead before the start of the fourth. But Hari Ram and TN took over from their, outscoring their opponents by 18 in the final period for the decisive win. P. Baladhaneshwar added 20 for TN while S. Kalidas had 19. Haryana were paced by Sonu Kumar (20) and Deepak (18) in the loss. In the other semi-final, Punjab outlasted Delhi and a magnificent individual effort by Sunil Kumar (32) to win 85-74. Punjab trailed by a close margin for most of the game, but once again, the fourth quarter proved to be the difference, as they turned a one-point disadvantage into an 11-point win. Dilpreet scored 21 for Punjab, while Delhi's Erash Hooda scored 17 in the loss.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

Final Scores

• Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 37) bt Karnataka (Bhandavya Mahesha 31, Priyanka P. 15) 67-63 (11-24, 18-12, 10-18, 28-9).
  
• Boys: Tamil Nadu (R. Hari Ram 21, P. Baladhaneshwar 18, A. Daniel Richards 16) bt Punjab (Rahul Mehla 28, Jaipal Singh Mann 19) 91-86 (23-20, 23-23, 20-22, 25-21).
  

Final Standings Girls

• 1. Chhattisgarh
  
• 2. Karnataka
  
• 3. Kerala
  
• 4. Punjab
  
• 5. Tamil Nadu
  

Boys

• 1. Tamil Nadu
  
• 2. Punjab
  
• 3. Delhi
  
• 4. Haryana
  
• 5. Kerala
  

Cager Watch: 10 Indian basketball players to watch in 2014

Indian basketball is slowly arriving at a turning point, where the next generation of young talents now have better coaching, opportunity, and facilities than ever before to keep the established stars at the tip of their toes. For both veterans of the game with dozens of international appearances or newcomers ready to burst out and turn heads, 2014 will be an important year to prove their place in the system as attention on the game increases.

Through the course of 2014, the only major international opportunities for India will be the FIBA Asia U18 Men and Women tournaments later this year. India's Senior Men and Women teams will also be taking part at the basketball tournament in the Lusofonia Games next week. But domestically, India's top men and women players will be involved in various tournaments around the year, including the Basketball Federation of India's (BFI) national championships, prestigious invitational tournaments like the Savio Cup, the Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament, and more.

Here - in last name alphabetic order - are 10 Indian basketball players to watch for 2014.

Kavita Akula

Akula, a wily young point guard from Chhattisgarh, was part of the original eight students chosen for the IMG Academy scholarship four years ago. The youngster has blossomed into an important player for state and country since. She was the MVP of last year's Junior National Championship for Chhattisgarh's gold medal winning team, and could make a difference at both junior and senior levels this year. She is also likely to play a major part for India's U18 Women's squad. Three years ago, she was one of leading assist-makers in Asia at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship.

Loveneet Singh Atwal

Punjabi guard Loveneet Singh is a little ball of energy. Loveneet has starred for India at various senior and youth levels, including FIBA Asia's U18 3x3 championship last year and was one of the youngest players in India's senior team as well. As the baton is passed to the next generation, expect this exciting, high-octane guard to be a major part of that future.

Satnam Singh Bhamara

If you're in the obscure minority of Indian basketball fans who haven't heard of Bhamara, read up. The talented 18-year-old 7-footer from a small village in Punjab is currently learning the game at the IMG Academy in Florida, USA. Because of his combination of size, skill, and youth, Bhamara has been India's most tantalizing male talent in ages. Depending on his IMG schedule, he will be back for India's senior national and under-18 championships representing Punjab, and leading them close to glory again. But his big moment might come later this year at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship. Three years ago - he was the most devastating force in Asia at Nha Trang City at the U16 FIBA ABC. Could he be India's hope for a knockout round appearance this year?

Vishesh Bhriguvanshi

Bhriguvanshi could have been a part of this list for a decade. The Varanasi-born slasher broke out as a young star and was quickly promoted to captain of India's Senior national team. He is still the captain, and still one of India's most talented players. Now in the prime of his career, Bhriguvanshi will likely have another stellar year for ONGC and Uttarakhand. He is the center of ONGC's unstoppable squad, and has already led to a Federation Cup win with an MVP performance. Expect big things from him in the current Savio Cup, the Lusofonia Games, and other domestic tournaments.

Poonam Chaturvedi

Poonam Chaturvedi - who plays for Chhattisgarh - stands as India's tallest Women's basketball player, perhaps ever! The 18-year-old Chaturvedi picked up the game late in her life, but under the tutelage of Rajesh Patel in Chhattisgarh, she has taken quick strides to improvement. Now, she is the centerpiece of Chhattisgarh's Senior and Junior Women's teams. She was one of the stars for Chhattisgarh as they won the Junior Nationals last year and also in last week's Federation Cup victory in Ahmedabad. She will likely be chosen for India's Lusofonia Games squad, too, and will surely be part of India's squad at the U18 FIBA Asia Championship.

Bhandavya HM

Karnataka's up-and-comer Bhandavya HM wasn't a big name outside of her state until she was chosen for India's U16 side and became the team's most consistent performer last year. Bhandavya will be graduating to the Junior national team for the FIBA tournament this year.

Geethu Anna Jose

Jose is synonymous with Indian basketball, and a lifelong member of any 'players to watch' list in India. Jose has been India's best player every year for over 10 years internationally and has been one of the few Indians to stand neck-to-neck against Asia's finest. Domestically, there is only one rule in India's Women's basketball: whichever team Geethu is on will win. Born in Kerala, Geethu is the only Indian player to earn a WNBA trial and has played professionally in Australia and Thailand. She has led Southern Railway or Indian Railways to dozens of club or national level tournaments. The only thing that could stop Geethu in 2014 is Geethu herself: after her marriage, she has hinted that she is thinking about retiring from the national team. But as long as she plays, she will still be the best.

Mahipal Singh

With massive performances in every game, India's campaign at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship last year was mostly a one-man show, and that man was 16-year-old Mahipal Singh. This year, Singh will be looking to capitalize on his big performances with a go with the U18 team, and a chance to turn heads again. Domestically, he'll have to be the backbone for Rajasthan as they try and compete amongst much stronger sides around the country.

Smruthi Radhakrishnan

Now a regular India senior international, Maharashtra's Smruthi Radhakrishnan was the MVP of last week's Federation Cup, as she helped her team secure a silver medal. She will get a chance to show her best at the international level at the Lusofonia Games and at the William Jones Cup - if India are invited this year. Back home, she will he hoping to join hands with Shireen Limaye to bring Maharashtra Women glory in the National championship.

Amjyot Singh

Punjab's Amjyot Singh has been a revelation. The lanky power forward was a relative unknown until a few years ago, when he broke out with Kenny Natt's Indian squad, and continued the form with big performances for the national squad ever since. Amjyot is now a permanent starting fixture for Team India, and was the squad's leading rebounder at the most recent FIBA Asia Championship. India will rely on his size and finesse once again at the Lusofonia Games. Domestically, he's currently representing IOB and Tamil Nadu. Look for this being the year when he breaks out to become the most valuable player in India.

China win 3rd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women; India finish 5th again

China's young stars were at the top of their game as they stole the show in Colombo (Sri Lanka), defeating Japan in the Final to capture gold at the 3rd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women on November 30, 2013. It was China's second gold at the competition, and their 62-50 triumph held Japan from repeating after their 2011 triumph.

For the second straight iteration of the tournament, India finished fifth with a 2-4 record and continued to solidify their stake as Asia's best women side after the dominant top four of China, Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei.

China used a balanced and defensive strategy to overwhelm Japan in the Final, bouncing back from a 17-9 deficit at the end of the first quarter to take a halftime lead, and then stretch out their advantage to a 62-50 victory.

Earlier on Saturday, Korea cruised past Chinese Taipei to a 86-64 win to secure third place. Heji Ann had a triple double for Korea with 22 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, while Yejin Kim added 19. Yu-Lien Hsu (19) and Jing-Ting Wang (18) were the leading scorers for Chinese Taipei.

In the semi-finals stage, China showed no mercy as they put up a dominant 81-55 win over Korea, led by Haimei Wang (19) and Dilishati Dilana (17). Japan also joined them in the Final with a big win against Chinese Taipei, 99-60.

Placed in Level I with Asia's best, India were expected to play the role of minnows in the Preliminary Round, and started with their worst defensive performance, losing 112-45 to Japan.

India didn't get much better a day later against eventual champions China, who rode behind the efforts of Zhen Wang (24) and Jia Niu (21) to dominate from end to end and win 109-51.

India's most crucial encounter came in their third game, against Malaysia. They needed a win to secure at least fifth place, and started well, leading 29-24 at halftime. But Malaysia bounced back to tie the game at 43 by the end of the third quarter. In a neck-to-neck final period, India outlasted their opponent and survived to a secure a close 57-55 win.

India were back to losing ways as Chinese Taipei were the next team to exploit India's defensive deficiencies 105-50. Yu-Lien Hsu had a game high 24 points.

In their last Preliminary Round game, Yebin Yun had 23 points and eight points to lead Korea to a 106-56 win over India, who then finished at fifth place in their group.

India had to play one last game in the tournament to ensure that thy would return to Level 1 for 2015 against Level 2's second-place side Kazakhstan. They had their best showing, as three Indian players scored 20 or more points - Riya Verma (24 points), Bhandavya HM (23 points, 12 rebounds), and Srividhya Venkataraman (20 points, 11 rebounds). While the game was tied at 36 at halftime, India took charge of the third quarter to take a 11 point lead, and finish the game to win 84-71. Anastassiya Arzamastseva had a valiant performance (21 and 15) in a losing effort for Kazakhstan.

While Coach TD Biju's side showed some great performances against lower-seeded sides, they don't seem to have made any progress against the top teams who have a stronghold at the top of standings. Bhandavya HM and Riya Verma have showed the most potential for the side and could grow to be regulars for India's future senior teams.