India's journey at FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2024 ends with 4th place finish

Women’s team failed to win single game at the tournament.

The Indian Women’s Basketball team crashed out of the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup 2024 after finishing 4th in Pool D with a 0-3 record. India lost to Japan (12-21), China (11-21), and Kyrgyzstan (19-21).

Seeded 11th in the tournament, India was grouped with China, Japan, and Kyrgyzstan. According to Ekalavyas, the Ugandan national team couldn’t attend the tournament due to visa issues, which increased India’s chances. Pool D was the only group in the women’s category with just four teams.

This was India’s second appearance at any level in the past two years; before this, the women’s team last played on the international stage at the 2023 Asian Games.

Japan 21-12 India

Japan, the highest seed in the Pool, showcased their dominance early in the game. In the first two minutes, the Japanese capitalized on India’s lack of communication and on-court awareness, scoring four points in quick succession.

Aahana Benil George opened India’s scoring with a post-up move, and the team soon recognized Japan’s vulnerability in the post. However, India struggled with ball possession, losing the ball due to bad passes and steals. Japan’s tactical awareness shone as they aggressively defended passing routes, thwarting India’s post-centric offense. As India faltered in their attempts to finish at the hoop, Japan’s entire roster caught fire, with each player contributing no less than five points to the scoreboard.

China 21-11 India

In the second game, India appeared far more comfortable and played with better awareness. India’s strong defense, backed by good communication, helped them keep up with China’s fast pace and execute smart plays. In a game characterized by momentum shifts, India’s Gunvi Agrawal dazzled spectators with her spin moves under the basket.

She impressed with a lightning-fast sequence, spinning past her defender, receiving a crisp pass from Ananya Bhavsar, and launching a daring shot all in one motion.

Although Gunvi’s spin moves initially caught China off guard, after she made three baskets using the same technique, China responded by assigning a bigger defender to block her shots. China operated on a different level, effectively using screens to free up their players.

The game seemed poised for a close finish, but India couldn’t convert enough of their shots. Jiaxin Wang, who was expected to sit out after twisting her ankle against Kyrgyzstan, and Yuqian Li, sparked a 7-0 run with consecutive two-pointers, leaving India unable to recover.

India 19-21 Kyrgyzstan

This was India’s most thrilling game of the tournament. Kyrgyzstan had recorded the third-fastest game in the women’s category during their loss to China (3-21). Both teams looked fresh initially but were visibly fatigued by the midpoint.

Gunjan Mantri twisted her ankle when India was leading 8-5. Mantri shot a three-pointer but landed on Urmambetova’s ankle, which was ruled out as a foul. Kyrgyzstan capitalized on the situation by playing more physically and increasing their movement to tire out India. Despite this, India maintained their lead before calling a timeout with four minutes remaining.

The game came down to the wire when Kyrgyzstan tied it at 17-17, and Bhavsar committed India’s 8th team foul, sending Kyrgyzstan to the free-throw line. India had once led by five points, but that lead quickly evaporated. Mantri returned to the game looking fine, with India just one point behind. The turning point came when Bhavsar tied the game at 19-19, but a technical foul on Gunvi after the basket gave Kyrgyzstan another shot at the charity stripe and possession of the ball.

This game was a strong matchup for India, as Kyrgyzstan had never scored more than five points in either of their previous group games and seemed out of sync, which was surprising for a team seeded third in the tournament.

The focus now shifts to the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, where the Indian men’s team will face Korea, Iran, and Kuwait starting on September 2nd.

The team, looking to match their 2022 performance which featured players like Lokendra Singh, Harsh Dagar, Kushal Singh, and Jaideep Rathore, performed well in the SABA qualifiers. However, they should be wary of repeating the poor performance from last year’s U16 tournament.

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