Basketball: Tamil Nadu to Compete in West Asia Super League Final 8
The reigning Indian National Champs book their place for the second straight time, after an unbeaten run at the recent South Asian Basketball Association Club Championship in Chennai.
Chennai, 9 April 2025: In a consistent display of dominance, Tamil Nadu swept through the 1st South Asia Basketball Association (SABA) Club Championship 2025 hosted by India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. The victory ensured that the home side sealed their spot in the West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8.
Held for the first time, the SABA Club Cup, from April 2 to 6, brought together top teams from across South Asia. From the very first tip-off, Tamil Nadu proved why they were the tournament favourites. The winners of the 74th Senior National Basketball Championship 2024 not only went unbeaten in the tournament but scored over 100 points in every game.
Tamil Nadu opened their campaign with a powerful 107-41 dismantling of Bhutanese club Thimpu Magics. They followed that up with another emphatic win against Sri Lanka’s Colombo BC, 110-54. Their third game saw them register their biggest points margin, thrashing Nepal's Times Club 118-44. In the final game of the tournament, Tamil Nadu once again maintained their winning streak with a 106-49 win over T-Rex from the Maldives.
WASL Final 8 in May
Despite their strong performance, Tamil Nadu has already shifted its focus to preparing for the WASL Final 8, which is scheduled to take place in May 2025. The competition will be fiercer, with top clubs from across West Asia battling for a place in the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), which will be held later this year.
Although Tamil Nadu dominated the SABA Clun Championship, they are not taking anything for granted. In an interview with TOI, Head Coach CV Sunny said, “This tournament (SABA) was a one-sided affair as we did not face tough opponents. It did not give us much experience, but this will not be the case for the WASL. Our opponents there will be very strong, and we will have to prepare well.”
TN on the Lookout for Foreign Reinforcements
Since Tamil Nadu is a state team, it is composed entirely of domestic Indian players. No foreign players were on the roster even during the 2025 SABA Club Championship.
However, this raises an interesting point as they prepare for the WASL Final 8, where most of the other competing teams are professional clubs with foreign talent from the U.S., Europe, and other parts of Asia. Tamil Nadu now has the opportunity to sign two foreign players to their team for the tournament.
Sunny shared, “We have not finalised the foreign players, but we have shortlisted a few candidates in the centre forward and power forward positions who can fit in our squad. We are planning to have at least a week’s training with them before we travel for the competition in Lebanon.”
As Tamil Nadu prepares to make their second appearance in the WASL Final 8 and take on Asia’s best, all eyes will be on this Indian side to see if they can replicate their regional dominance on a larger stage. In 2024, Tamil Nadu crashed out of the tournament without a single win, but showed visible improvement across each of its three games.
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