City to host inaugural FIBA Asia Under-16 basketball championship for women
Indian Express: China and Japan are among the 12 nations that have confirmed participation in the inaugural edition of the FIBA Asia under-16 championship for women to be held at Balewadi Sports Complex, here from November 30-December 6.
The tournament, which is part of the Asian Youth Development programme initiated for the first time, has got an overwhelming response from the basketball playing nations, according to Harish Sharma, secretary general of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
“Considering the event is being held for the first time to give thrust at youth level, the response is excellent,” said the BFI secretary general.
Six months back when the BFI was entrusted with the job of conducting the event, only six to seven teams had shown interest. “But as the competition drew closer, request from almost all the other leading basketball playing countries poured in for the continental meet,” added Sharma.
According to Sharma, having more teams for the inaugural tournament means great competition among the participating nations.
On the efficacy of conducting a youth tournament, Sharma said that it would help strengthen the base in basketball. “Generally all the countries have grassroots programme but preparing a team for the continental is always different and difficult from the one that are already playing in leagues. But it is a great opportunity to grow and pick up the nuances from the Chinese and Japanese,” he said.
He also felt the competition would mean some good exposure. The BFI has been preparing its team for the upcoming meet on the home soil.
Based on performance during the last Youth National tournament, BFI has picked up 26 girls for the preparatory camp. The final 12-member team will be selected soon.
The final preparatory camp was held at Bholpur, West Bengal, and the players have now shifted to Pune to get acclimatized to the weather and court conditions.
The teams have been divided into two groups with India pitted in a tough Pool A where teams likes China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong are placed while Pool B consists of Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Kazakhstan.
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