South Asian Women's Basketball: India Crowned Champs; Punch Tickets to Asia Cup Div B

The Indian women’s basketball team put on a superb show for their home fans at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, storming to a 107-32 victory over Maldives in the final.

February 26, New Delhi: The Indian women’s basketball team put on a superb show for their home fans at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, storming to a 107-32 victory over Maldives in the final of the 3rd SABA Women’s Championship.

The win reaffirmed India's absolute dominance in South Asian basketball and marked their return to FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Division B. The home team finished the tournament with three wins in as many games—all by margins of over 50 points.

India’s Superior Height and High Tempo Game

The Indian players' significant height advantage played a major role in their win. Towering over the Maldives players enabled them to keep the baskets coming and maintain a high-tempo style game.

However, unlike their previous game against Maldives, India started off slightly slower in the final. The visitors held a narrow lead for the first six minutes of the first quarter, and for a moment, fans wondered if Maldives could mount a real challenge.

That hope was short-lived. India quickly regained control of the game and from that point onward, Maldives struggled to keep up. As the game progressed, India’s win was inevitable, thanks to their relentless offensive pressure and tight defense.

With the win almost in the bag for the home team, the game took an unfortunate turn in the fourth quarter. Manmeet Kaur went down clutching her knee, sparking immediate concern from her teammates. She was assisted off the court by the team physio and captain Sreekala Rani. Despite the injury setback, India comfortably walked away with the win and secured their place as champions.

As India celebrates this tournament's success, attention now turns to their preparation for future international competitions, with fans hoping to see the same momentum carried forward on a bigger stage.

India (Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu 20 pts & 7 ast & 5 reb, Sanjana Ramesh 19 pts & 6 reb, Rani Sreekala 9 pts & 7 ast & 7reb) bt Maldives (Raifa Ibrahim 7 pts & 2 ast, Bari Aminath Shiura Abdul 6 pts & 9 reb, Aminath Israau Abdul Shukoor 4 pts & 5 ast & 5 reb) 107- 32 [19-10, 30-7, 27-5, 31-10]

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