South Asian Women's Basketball: India and Maldives through to Finals
Both teams made it to the final with wins over Nepal in the three-nation tournament.
New Delhi, 25 February 2025: India secured another big win in their second game of the 3rd SABA Women's Championship 2025, overpowering Maldives 113-25 at New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium.
Maldives now have another chance at redemption. Both teams made it to the final with wins over Nepal in the three-nation tournament. They will now face off once again in the championship decider, which will be held on February 26, 2025.
Another Commanding Performance
India started the game in style with an almost immediate three-pointer from Captain Sreekala, which helped them gain a 26-8 lead over their opponents in the first quarter.
Although Maldives initially put up resistance and even managed to contain India’s fast breaks to an extent, their lack of offensive firepower let them down. The visitors struggled to convert easy scoring opportunities, missing several free throws courtesy of India’s fouls, which will cost them dearly in the final.
Much like their game against Nepal, India’s aggressive, fast-paced style of play resulted in 32 fouls, something the home side will have to manage better in the final. However, they did make up for it with 52 rebounds. Sathya Krishnamurthi was the star of the night leading the team with 19 points while also contributing five assists.
Road to the Final
India will be banking on star performers Sathya Krishnamurthi and Captain Rani Sreekala to drive home tomorrow's championship victory in their maiden appearance in the SABA Women's Championship.
India (Sathya Krishnamurthi 19 pts & 5 ast, Harshitha Kelttira Bopaiah 18 pts, Rani Sreekala 13 pts & 3 reb & 8 ast) bt Maldives (Aminath Israau Abdul Shukoor 6 pts & 5 reb, Fathmath E Hau Shameem 5 pts, Aishath Inasha 4 reb & 1 stl) 113-25 [26-8, 30-5, 24-7, 33-5]
***
If you've come this far...
Appeal to readers - ₹₹ Support Ekalavyas: Ekalavyas is India's first and only basketball media company. We are not foreign-funded, nor investor backed. Your support and encouragement have got us this far. We now need your financial assistance to ensure we can keep providing you timely, accurate and important information. Please contribute via https://razorpay.me/@ekalavyas 🙏🏾. We are accepting contributions as low as Rs. 1/- (including a small processing fee charged by the payment gateway provider). Thank you for playing a part in keeping media independent and objective!