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India performed a turnaround against Bahrain after clinching 81-77 triumph at Khalifa Sports City in the Group H game, played on March 22. This win, along with their previous victory against Iraq, punched India’s ticket to the FIBA Asia Cup, as confirmed by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The sub-continent side clinched a 97-77 win against Iraq on March 21. India’s courageous display in the competition also helped them make it to the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
In India’s scintillating success, Arvind Krishnan and Pranav Prince made valuable contributions on both offence and defence. Both helped India to defeat the challenging time when the team gave away 12 points and found themselves trailing before the conclusion of the contest. Harsh Dagar also looked extraordinary as he racked up 28 points, which also included a 6 off 8 from the three-point line. He also chipped in with assists, rebounds, and steals. Following India’s success, the stage is set for the decisive game between Bahrain and Iraq.
India head coach Scott Fleming "proud" of his team’s performance
India head coach Scott Fleming looked cheerful at his team’s performance and was also proud of the entire unit for notable success. However, despite the amazing victories, he feels there are still some areas to work on to take the excellent work further.
"Really proud of our guys, you know, to come in here and win two games when it easily could've gone the other way. This is now our third win in the Asia Cup Qualifiers and these are uncharted areas that we haven't had for a long time in India. It's all about them. I'm just trying to put them in a position to win and they take over from here. We still have things to work on... really proud of these guys. We're going to the Asia Cup,” said Fleming.
