JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia (21st FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women): India whipped out a 114-27 (Game Details) win against South Asian neighbors Sri Lanka to finish their Level II engagements winning all the four games and thus heading into the Level I Qualifying games with their confidence very high.
Jeena Skaria (pic above) led the Indian charge with 24 points and 16 rebounds with four of her teammates too scoring in the double digits.
“The most important game for us is coming up next,” said India’s assistant coach Shiba Maggon referring to the Level I play-off against hosts Malaysia on Thursday.
The winners of that game – as that of the game between Hong Kong and Thailand – will qualify to play in the Elite Level I at the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in 2014.
India were relegated from Level I in the 19th FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Medan (Indonesia) in 2008 and failed to make the grade at the 20th FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women at Surat Thani (Thailand) in 2010.
“We are determined to make amends for all that,” Maggon said.
“We do believe India deserve to play in Level I,” she added.
In another game in Level II, Kazakhstan defeated Singapore 71-59 (Game Details) to finish as the third best team in Level II behind India and Hong Kong.