FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers: Qatar blows out India 53-69
The Indian men’s basketball team’s struggles in the second half continued as they lost 53-69 to Qatar, despite playing at home in Chennai.
Chennai, 22 November 2024: The Indian men’s basketball team’s struggles in the second half continued as they lost 53-69 to Qatar in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
For Qatar, their head coach’s three months of presence has already made a notable difference. In contrast, it has been three months since Scott Fleming was reappointed as India’s head coach, but the team's woes have persisted, as the core players remain the same.
Second-Half Woes Persist for India
After starting strong with three-point shooting in the first half, the Indian team went cold in the second, leading to another loss in the competition. With this defeat, their chances of advancing to the next round look slim.
Coach Scott Fleming, in his post-match conference, stated that the team's identity revolves around three-point shooting, but the shots simply weren't falling in the second half.
Seven players attempted three-pointers, with captain Muin Bek leading the team in scoring, going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc at 71.43%.
Veterans Struggle Against Qatar's Defense
Outside of a hot shooting first quarter for Amjyot Singh, he along with fellow seasoned Punjabi forward Palpreet Singh Brar, struggled against Qatar’s defense. While Amjyot’s lack of match fitness saw him dive into inefficiences on both ends of the floor, Palpreet got into early foul trouble. Also, Amjyot shot an incredibly low 2 of 14 from beyond the arc, and Palpreet was at the other extreme, attempting only 3 field goals in the entire game.
When asked about the team's seeming lack of options among big men and forwards, Coach Scott explained that the choices were made by the Federation even before he assumed his position. He acknowledged that some players weren't in proper shape, and others were unavailable, which influenced the selection.
Coach Scott made it clear that the team's goal is to just secure a victory, as they are currently on a 10-game winless streak. He emphasized that the situation was similar during his previous stint with the national team, where will the first victory took time, a winning momentum was built thereafter. The Young Cagers will attempt to belatedly return to their winning ways against Kazakhstan at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on November 25 at 6 pm.
Enthusiastic Crowd Supports the National Team
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, with a full house of 7,000 spectators cheering passionately for the Indian team. The crowd's unwavering support was evident, as they stood by the team even in a losing effort. This level of enthusiasm underscores the deep rooted love for hoops in Tamil Nadu’s capital city, as it was Chennai’s first major international basketball home game since the FIBA Women's Asian Championship in 2009. It truly showed what it means to have dedicated fans who continue to rally behind the team, win or lose.
India (Muin Bek 17 pts, Pranav Prince 10 reb, Harsh Dagar 6 ast) lose to Qatar (Points - Tyler James & Mike Lewis 17, Rebound - Tyler James 12, Assist - Moustafa Essam 5, Steal - Moustafa Essam 3, Block - Md Hashim 2) 53-69 [14-17, 17-19, 8-14, 14-19]
Next Game for India: vs Kazakhstan on November 25, 6pm IST
How to Watch?
Free entry at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
Free live stream on FIBA YouTube Channel
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