Indian Women's Basketball Team Misses Out on FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 Qualification

The Indian women's basketball team faced disappointment as they failed to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 after a crucial loss to Malaysia. Despite a strong comeback against Turkmenistan, they were unable to secure a spot in the main draw. In contrast, the men's team advanced successfully, showcasing their strength in the qualifiers. Read on to find out more about both teams' performances and future matches.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 2, 2026, 21:22 IST

Indian Women's Team Exits Qualifiers

The Indian women's basketball squad was unable to secure a spot in the main draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 held in Singapore, following a significant loss to Malaysia during the qualifying rounds on Thursday.

Ranked 88th globally, India faced a 16-13 defeat against the 44th-ranked Malaysian team in their first match of Pool B, as reported by Olympics.com. Although India initially led 6-4, they could not sustain their advantage, allowing Malaysia to take control and clinch the victory. Pushpa Senthil Kumar emerged as India's top scorer with six points, while Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu contributed notably with two three-pointers.

In their subsequent match, India rebounded impressively, overpowering Turkmenistan with a score of 21-4. Sreekala Rani and Pushpa each scored six points, with Dharshini adding five and Sanjana Ramesh contributing four, highlighting a well-rounded team effort.

Despite India's strong performance against Turkmenistan, Malaysia secured the only spot in the main draw from the group after defeating Turkmenistan 21-9 later that day, eliminating India from contention. Only the leading team from each qualifying pool progresses to the main draw. This marks the second consecutive time the Indian women's team has not advanced past the qualifiers. In the previous edition, they managed a win against Guam but were eliminated after losses to Hong Kong China and Chinese Taipei.

Men's Team Progresses to Main Draw

In a contrasting outcome, the Indian men's basketball team successfully advanced to the main draw after securing victories against Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong China in Pool D of the qualifiers. They are scheduled to compete against Qatar and New Zealand in their main draw matches on Friday.

The top two teams from each group in the main draw will qualify for the quarter-finals. The men's team had previously reached the quarter-finals in the last edition, marking their best performance in over ten years.