India defeat Maldives to clinch SABA Women's Championship 2025, book FIBA Asia Cup spot

The Indian women’s basketball team also finished the tournament unbeaten.

The Indian women’s basketball team delivered a stellar performance, clinching the SABA Women’s Championship 2025 title with a decisive 107-32 victory over the Maldives at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium. This triumph not only underscores India’s dominance in South Asian basketball but also secures their spot in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Division B, set to take place in Shenzhen, China, later this year.

Meanwhile, Maldives finished as the runners-up while Nepal ended the tournament as the bottom-placed team in the competition.

Game overview

The final match saw India leveraging their significant height advantage and high-tempo gameplay. Despite a sluggish start, where Maldives briefly held a narrow lead in the first six minutes, India quickly regained control. Their relentless offensive pressure and tight defense stifled the Maldivian side, making the outcome increasingly evident as the game progressed.

Top performers

(India: Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu: 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, Sanjana Ramesh: 19 points, 6 rebounds, Sreekala Rani (Captain): 9 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds) beat (Maldives: Raifa Ibrahim: 7 points, 2 assists, Bari Aminath Shiura Abdul: 6 points, 9 rebounds, Aminath Israau Abdul Shukoor: 4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) Final:107-32 |19-10, 30-7, 27-5, 31-10|

Key moments

A concerning moment arose in the fourth quarter when Manmeet Kaur sustained a knee injury, leading to her being assisted off the court by the team physio and captain Sreekala Rani. Despite this setback, the Indian team maintained their composure and secured a comfortable victory.

Also Read: ‘I can’t imagine my life without India’ – Coach Scott Flemming’s vision, adaptation and nurturing Indian basketball ‘brick by brick’

Path forward

With three dominant victories, each by over 50 points, India has reaffirmed its regional supremacy. Now, the focus shifts to the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, set for July 13-20, 2025, in Shenzhen, China, where the team looks to build on its momentum and make a strong impact on the continental stage.

This South Zone championship victory not only brings pride to the nation but also paves the way for a promising future for Indian women’s basketball. Shenzhen, the host city for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025 Division B, will soon unveil further details about the competition.

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