India’s men’s basketball team knows the road ahead won’t be easy at the FIBA Asia Cup, set to begin on August 5 in Jeddah. Placed in a challenging Group C alongside stronger teams like China (ranked 6th in Asia), Jordan (8), and host Saudi Arabia (10), the Indian side, ranked 15th, will need to punch above its weight to make it to the knockouts.
Coach optimistic despite rankings
“It’s a huge challenge, no doubt,” said head coach Scott Fleming in a phone interview with The Hindu on Friday. “All three teams in our group are ranked above us. But we’ll aim for upsets—we’re here to compete.”
The team has been training at the National Sports Centre in Panaiyur, with particular focus on defence and long-range shooting. “We’re good on the perimeter, and that remains a key area for us. Our defence, however, has lacked consistency, so we’ve worked a lot on tightening that,” Fleming added.
Tougher path to qualification
Fleming also pointed out how the qualification process has become more competitive. “Earlier, we’d get through by beating teams like Bangladesh. But this time we had to overcome much stronger sides like Kazakhstan and Bahrain just to qualify. It’s no longer easy.”
Skipper targets Jordan and Saudi Arabia
Captain Muin Bek Hafeez said the team is preparing with a clear goal. “Jordan will miss their top player Ahmad Al Dwairi, and Saudi Arabia doesn’t have any big-name imports. Those games are where we will push hardest,” he said.
He also credited the team’s recent confidence boost to the two away matches against Qatar earlier in July. “Those games helped us settle into rhythm and understand what needs improvement,” Bek noted.
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