India rout Bangladesh 142-71 and are 3-0 in the 5th SABA Championship 2017
India posted a commanding 71-point margin victory over challengers Bangladesh. India’s Vishesh Bhriguvanshi was declared the ‘Player of the game’.
The winners of the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Championship will qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup taking place in Lebanon from 8th-20th August this year.
The winner also ensures qualification for its country’s top club team in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup – a tournament where the premier club teams of Asian countries go head to head.
India are defending champions and favourites looking to complete a five-peat. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the biggest threats to India’s five-peat.
Male/Bengaluru, 22nd May 2017: In the 5th South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Championship underway in Maldives, India routed challengers Bangladesh 142-71 to post its third straight victory.
India beat Bangladesh 142-71
India guard Anil Kumar takes a wide open jumper against Bangladesh. Image credits: Basketball Federation of India
Playing its third round robin encounter, defending champs India routed Bangladesh 142-71 in a lopsided affair. India came out the gates strong and outscored Bangladesh 36-9 in the very first quarter and posted a rather insurmountable lead.
India centre Amritpal Singh had his third straight game scoring over 20 points, with 22 in this contest. Veteran shooting guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi also joined the party by chipping in with 14 points of his own while controlling the flow of the game.
For Bangladesh, captain Kumar Biswas Mithun led the charge with 25 points and was ably supported by Khan Md. Shamsuzzamam with 22 points but the duo lacked support from the rest of the team.
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi was declared player of the match.
India now take on Nepal on the final day of the championship, i.e. 23rd May, to retain the trophy and complete a historic five-peat.
India (Amritpal Singh 22, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi 14) bt Bangladesh (Kumar Biswas Mithun 25, Khan Md. Shamsuzzaman 22) 142-71 [36-9, 32-20, 45-13, 29-29]