SABA U-16 Qualifiers: Indian men's team qualify for FIBA Asian U-16 Championships 2023

Published at :September 1, 2023 at 4:01 PM

Modified at :February 23, 2024 at 8:10 PM

(Courtesy : TW/@BFI_Basketball)

Indian Hoopsters secured the top spot among the three teams

The Indian U-16 men’s basketball team secured a spot at the FIBA U-16 Asian Championships 2023 by advancing to the final and triumphing over Sri Lanka (62-55) in the SABA U-16 Qualifiers. The upcoming U-16 Asian Championship is scheduled to take place at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Hall in Doha, Qatar, spanning from 17-24 September, 2023.

The tournament had three teams participating – the Maldives, India and Sri Lanka. The Maldives lost both their matches against Sri Lanka and India and were out of the qualification race. Staying undefeated, the Indian team emerged as the force to reckon with in the entire tournament. The Blue Colts secured an easy victory against the Maldives in the opening fixture and won over the hosts, Sri Lanka, on two occasions including the group stage and final.

Throughout the tournament captain Lavish Choudhary, Mohit Jogchand, Harjeet Singh, Adavan Chellam Kumaresan, and Lokesh Singh stood out for the Indian team. Lavish and Mohit led the scoring charge from various positions. Harjeet and Kumaresan excelled in rebounds and close-range scoring, while Lokesh Singh’s aggressive defence translated into crucial steals.

India’s performance at SABA U-16 Qualifiers

India 90-34 Maldives

It was an easy start for the Young Cagers against the Maldives. From the very first minute, India made it challenging for the Maldives getting the defence tight and coring on the rebounds..

India made sure to press hard on defence as they looked to trap the ball as soon as the Maldives entered the half-court, trying to get as many steals as possible. The opponents did try to deploy both manmarking and zonal defence, but it was too much for them to handle.

The Maldives started conceding a lot of two-pointers from the restricted area. Offensively, they waited for that extra pass at the perimeter to shoot from the three and seemed successful. Still, their ball-handling weakness caused them to lose momentum early on in the game. The game was all but over at half-time when India led 47-21.

Sri Lanka 54-113 India

The match was more of a pre-cursor to the final as both teams had secured their spots with their wins against the Maldives. They were set to face each other again for the ultimate showdown the following day.

Anticipating India’s preference for paint scoring, Sri Lanka initiated an aggressive approach, contesting every lay-up and drive. Meanwhile, India maintained their aggressive half-court press strategy, aiming for steals and quick conversions. Leading the charge, Harjeet Singh dominated the scoreboard until the 5-minute mark of the first quarter. However, Sri Lanka capitalized on turnovers, securing all six of their initial points from these opportunities.

India’s gameplay showcased exceptional passing, with a memorable moment in the second quarter – what began as a baseline lay-up seamlessly transformed into a pass for a corner three-pointer. By half-time, India boasted a 68% field goal accuracy compared to Sri Lanka’s 29%.

As the third quarter unfolded, India opted to deploy their bench players. Sri Lanka continued their pursuit of narrowing the gap and outscored India by 19-15 in the quarter. To bounce back from this, India scored 41 points in the final quarter and restricted Sri Lanka to 17.

Sri Lanka 55-62 India

This match was supposed to be an easy one for India, considering their dominant win in the previous encounter, but it turned out to be an entertaining contest. The home crowd was in full support of the Lankans, playing the twelfth man role.

The Indian Cagers started strong with a 7-0 scoring run, but a few minutes later Sri Lanka changed the complexion of the match with a 10-point run. They were able to take offensive rebounds and convert them into points.

Gradually, it became apparent that the crowd’s energy was beginning to affect India’s performance, resulting in missed shots and rebounds. With four minutes elapsed, India found themselves without any points on the board, until their captain Lavish managed to break the drought with a crucial two pointer.

In the second quarter, India managed to secure the lead at the midway point, sparkling a seesaw battle where both teams alternated leads until the conclusion of the first half. The second quarter concluded with a tie at 20-20, resulting in a cumulative score of 36-34.

With the winning streak on the line, it was important for India to bounce back in this quarter to avoid any further damage. Mohit Jogchand opened the scoring for India with a three pointer, which led to India taking a comfortable 53-46 lead. In the fourth quarter, India never lost the advantage over Sri Lanka, eventually trying everything to make a comeback.

Even though India won, the mid-game slump, which led to Sri Lanka taking the lead, was a bit concerning. India’s weak shooting from three pointer region and conceding turnovers can hurt during big games.