The Indian males’s nationwide basketball workforce will look to revive its FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers marketing campaign when it faces Qatar within the Group E match on the Nehru Indoor Stadium right here on Friday.
India will come into the tie on the again of consecutive losses to Kazakhstan and Iran within the first two video games of the qualifiers held in February.
It will likely be head coach Scott Flemming’s first actual take a look at since taking cost of the workforce in Might for a second time, after teaching the facet from 2012-15. The American coach changed Serbian Veselin Matić on the helm.
“I wasn’t round for the previous video games on this match. So, for me, we’re beginning right here in opposition to Qatar after which we’ll transfer ahead from there,” Flemming mentioned throughout a press convention.
Positioned 76th within the FIBA World Rating, India will face a lower-ranked workforce for the primary time within the qualification rounds. Qatar, a facet it final confronted in 2015 within the FIBA Asian Championship, is ranked one hundred and first.
“I’ve been speaking to our gamers for a number of months now. On daily basis we apply, attempting to slender the hole with our rivals. Taking part in at house is nice and if we attain our full potential, I like what might occur on Friday evening,” he added.
Throughout Flemming’s earlier tenure, India recorded a well-known win in opposition to Asian big China within the FIBA Asia Cup 2014 and likewise led the workforce to a gold medal on the 2014 Lusofonia Video games.
He mentioned that since he took over in Might, the workforce has undergone a number of camps and even accomplished two publicity journeys to Dubai the place they performed in opposition to top-tier golf equipment.
“In 2013-14, I had a workforce that I believed might compete with anyone in Asia. So, it may be finished and it took a few 12 months to do this again then and this time I hope it’s even much less,” Flemming mentioned.
“Everyone talks in regards to the win in opposition to China years in the past, however what I feel most about it was that we have been aggressive with everybody. Now we have a whole lot of expertise within the workforce now. All we want is for them to return collectively and create a system of play,” he added.
Flemming additionally introduced that 28-year-old Muin Bek Hafeez will lead the facet. “It’s clearly an important honour for me to captain the nationwide workforce, particularly in my dwelling state,” Muin informed Sportstar.
Speaking in regards to the adjustments within the workforce since Flemming’s appointment, Muin mentioned, “He (Flemming) has emphasised on our relationship off the courtroom.”
“Many of the gamers are younger and there’s a form of friendship and unity happening within the camp and the match in opposition to Qatar is the right alternative for us to show ourselves and the way we’ve got improved over the previous couple of months,” he added.
India is presently final in its group with two video games performed, tied on two factors with Qatar, which is in third place. Regardless of the hole between them within the rankings, Qatar has loved a superior file over India, successful 4 of their final 5 conferences.
The highest two groups will get direct qualification for the match finals in Saudi Arabia subsequent 12 months, whereas the most effective third-placed groups from every of the six teams will participate in one other qualifying spherical for the ultimate 4 spots.
Flemming mentioned that he and his gamers know they’re the underdogs however added that he has a workforce that he believes can win.
“I solely ask my gamers to do three issues – play arduous, play collectively and put the workforce above your self,’ Flemming concluded.