FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2024: Indian basketball teams unbeaten on day 1 in qualifying round games

Singapore: The Indian men’s and women’s basketball teams started off their FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2024 qualifying rounds campaign with wins on Wednesday.

As per Olympics.com, India’s men’s team defeated the Maldives and Macau in their Qualifying Draw D games, while the women’s team put aside a challenge from the Northern Mariana Islands in their Qualifying Draw C match.

India’s men’s side registered an easy 21-10 win over the Maldives, with Pranav Prince (eight points) and Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon (seven points) doing the majority of the scoring. Later, they beat Macau by 21-13, with Princepal Singh scoring eight points and leading India from the front.

On Thursday, India will play their final qualifying round game against Malaysia, with a chance to join New Zealand and Qatar in the main draw, Pool D.

The India women’s 3×3 basketball side, which secured the title back in 2014, produced an incredible result against the Northern Mariana Islands in their match, winning by 21-1 in a largely one-sided affair. Aneesha Cleetus secured 11 points for India.

On Thursday, India will compete against Hong Kong and Indonesia for a place in Pool C of the main draw.

A total of 23 men’s and 20 women’s sides are taking part in the Asia Cup.

Mongolia enters the men’s event as the defending champions, while Australia are the current women’s champions. Australia, with three titles each in the men’s and women’s categories, is the most successful nation in the tournament’s history.

The qualifying draw will be concluding on Thursday. The main draw will start on Friday, with the knockouts, including the finals, slated for Sunday.