FIBA U16 Asia Cup: Bahrain’s 111-80 Rout Sends India Home
The Indian Cagers go 0-3 and fail to make it past the group stage of the top continental tournament for the first time in eight years.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2, 2025: India’s U16 boys were handed a humbling 80-111 defeat by Bahrain at the FIBA U16 Asia Cup, in Ulaanbaatar’s Buyant Ukhaa Sport Complex.
The result once again raised troubling questions about the team’s preparation and coaching strategies.
On paper, India, ranked 39th in the world, was expected to fare better against a Bahrain side sitting all the way down at 94th (FIBA rankings, Dec 2024). But rankings meant little on the floor, as Bahrain’s superior execution and relentless energy proved far too much for India to contain.
India came out with energy and trading baskets with Bahrain. At the end of the first quarter, the score read a decent 27-30 in favour of the Gulf country. But not for a minute did it feel like India could go toe-to-toe.
The second frame was where the game tilted. India’s transition defense - already absent from tip-off - remained M.I.A., as Bahrain turned every miss into a fast break. But now India’s scoring too had dried up to just 12 points, which meant that by halftime, Bahrain led 53-39 and India looked out of ideas.
Déjà Vu for India
Just as in their opening loss to Lebanon, India was undone by the same flaws: poor transition defense and conceding too many second-chance opportunities.
Bahrain repeatedly exposed India’s sluggish recovery and racked up 39 fast-break points compared to India’s 14, a glaring indicator of the energy and efficiency gap.
On the glass, Bahrain controlled the paint, pulling down 37 defensive rebounds to India’s 20.
India’s guards were especially guilty of not falling back on defense - a glaring deficiency that undid the positives of a much better outside shooting performance.
These recurring issues point to a lack of adjustment from the coaching staff.
With Ram Kumar Gahlawat, an experienced figure, at the helm, fans and analysts alike will be left questioning why the team appears to be making the same mistakes game after game.
Bahrain’s Twin Towers
Bahrain’s frontcourt duo was unstoppable.
Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir posted 31 points and 21 rebounds, while Somto Patrick added 30 points and 18 rebounds. Together, they bullied India inside, combining for 61 points and 39 rebounds.
Their dominance set the tone for the game and was the driving force behind Bahrain’s overwhelming control inside. Bahrain outscored India 78-24 in points in the paint, a single stat that summed up the night’s imbalance.
India’s Mixed Shooting
While India struggled in most areas, one silver lining was improved shooting from beyond the arc. The Young Cagers showed some promise from deep, hitting 13-of-38 three-pointers (34.2%), an improvement from earlier outings.
But the overall numbers told a harsher story: just 33.7% shooting from the field, compared to Bahrain’s clinical 53.7%. Once again, predictability in half-court sets allowed Bahrain to dictate tempo once India’s early momentum faded.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the lopsided numbers, this defeat carried historic weight.
India’s failure to advance past the group phase marks the first time in eight years that the team has fallen at the opening hurdle of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup. This early exit highlights how far India’s youth systems have fallen behind those of its regional rivals.
The message is clear. Without sharper tactical direction, India risks letting its youth pipeline stagnate, and results like this will only become more common.
India (Arman 23 pts & 9 reb; Shekhar Rathee 22 pts & 7 reb & 8 ast; Krishna Suneriya 16 pts & 5 reb) lose to Bahrain (Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir 31 pts & 21 reb; Somto Patrick 30 pts & 18 reb; Hussain Fuad Moosa Sharaf Ghuloom 12 pts & 4 reb & 7 ast) 80-111 [27-30, 12-23, 21-25, 20-33]
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