India Secures 11th FIBA Asia Cup Qualification, Advances to World Cup 2027 Qualifiers

Manama, March 23 (NationPress) India showed remarkable composure in the closing stages to edge past a determined Bahrain 81-77 in Group H, thus earning their spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 from the final qualifying round, following Chinese Taipei and Guam who secured their places after finishing 1-2 in Group G.

"The Indian basketball team has dominated Group H with victories over both Bahrain and Iraq, ensuring their advancement to the FIBA Asia Cup 2025. Additionally, they have also secured their place in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers," stated the Basketball Federation of India on X.

Key performances from Arvind Krishnan and Pranav Prince on both ends of the court allowed India to clinch this crucial victory after nearly squandering a lead that reached 12 points, finding themselves down by two with just 1:54 remaining.

This marks India's second consecutive win in Group H of the final qualifying tournament for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, having previously triumphed over Iraq 97-77 in their earlier match.

Following India's triumph, the upcoming clash between Bahrain and Iraq on Sunday night has now turned into a virtual knockout match for the 16th and final spot at the prestigious tournament scheduled from August 5-17 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Harsh Dagar was a standout performer in the victory, scoring 28 points with an impressive 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range, setting the early momentum for India. He also contributed with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, achieving an efficiency rating of 30.

Kanwar Sandhu added 15 points to the tally, while the duo of Prince and Hafeez both recorded 11 points and 8 rebounds, collectively dishing out 8 assists.

India looked to be in control as they led 62-53 at the start of the fourth quarter, only to see the home side rally back to take a 77-75 lead, thanks to Subah Azzam. However, Krishnan responded by using a screen to sink a three-pointer from the left wing, reclaiming the lead at 78-77 with 1:39 on the clock, as per FIBA reports.

Despite committing a turnover shortly after, Krishnan redeemed himself with a vital steal against Wayne Chism, and Hafeez's subsequent foul shots extended the lead to a field goal.

After a timeout, Prince forced a turnover by deflecting an inbound pass from Mosti Rashed intended for Mohammed Ameer, who last touched the ball.

With Bahrain forced to foul in hopes of stopping the clock, Krishnan sealed the game with a perfect trip to the free-throw line with just 11 seconds remaining, finalizing the score.

"I am incredibly proud of our team for coming here and winning two games when the situation could easily have gone differently. This marks our third victory in the Asia Cup Qualifiers, and we are entering new territory that we haven't seen in a long time in India. It’s all about the players, and I'm just putting them in a position to succeed. We still have areas to improve, but I am proud of these guys. We're heading to the Asia Cup," remarked India head coach Scott Flemming.