CHENNAI: As India and Qatar enter the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, they face similar challenges. Both teams are coming off two losses in Group E and are looking at recently-appointed new head coaches to steer them in a new direction.
India, under Scott Flemming, will be looking to bounce back and improve their performance after a disappointing start. Similarly, Qatar, with a young squad, will be hoping to gain form and turn their fortunes around in the crucial qualifiers.
In the opening window in February, the Indian cagers lost to Kazakhstan and heavyweights Iran. In both the matches, India started well but lost plot after half time due to the lack of experience. The shooting accuracy is an area that the Indian hoopsters need to address to stay in hunt in the qualifiers.
Arvind Kumar, alongside forward Pranav Prince and captain Muin Bek, will be key to India’s success. Arvind (26) and Pranav (17) were India’s top-two scorers in the opening leg and the latter earned a word of praise from the then Iran coach Hakan Demir.
Having played only two international matches this year, India went on an exposure tour to Dubai. The team played six matches with club teams and the captain feels that the players have gelled well and are up for the challenge. “We have been training continuously for the past four months. Initially it was difficult to understand Flemming’s system, but we have started to adapt slowly. The Dubai tour helped us understand what Flemming was expecting from us,” Muin Bek told TOI.
Despite the Dubai trip, Muin feels that India are short on international exposure, which is crucial ahead of key fixtures. “Qatar is coming to India after playing in an international tournament. They have good international exposure, and this is an aspect which we lack.”
Meanwhile, Qatar are building a young team and have roped in an experienced coach in Demir, who guided Iran in the first window. As Qatar are set to host the 2027 World Cup, they are looking to strengthen their core. Although Qatar lack experience, they will be boosted by the inclusion of former NBA player Donte Grantham. Grantham has played in several leagues and carries a big reservoir of experience that can prove to be vital.