Finally a win as India keep Level 1 spot

An over-zealous fan gate-crashed the little party the Indians had started after their 90-74 win against Malaysia,handing the...

An over-zealous fan gate-crashed the little party the Indians had started after their 90-74 win against Malaysia,handing the coaches and the players a piece each from his bouquet of plastic flowers. The celebrations were exaggerated for a team winning its first game in six outings and one that had only just managed to cling onto its spot in the Level 1 six-team elite division of Asian basketball after a week of listlessness.

The sorry tale of Indias campaign five losses,with only three solitary quarters where the team looked like belonging may be rehashed two years on if the next couple of seasons pass the way the last two did. The smallest of mercies India could have been out in the cold for four years,fighting for promotion at the next edition and then competing with the likes of China and Korea only four years hence,had they lost to Malaysia.

Respite came in the form of a lanky,awkward six-footer called Harjeet Kaur,who provided captain Geethu Anna Jose the support the latter has desperately sought throughout the tournament. Taking on the mantle of the centre,drawing the fouls,converting nine of her 13 free-throws and 11 from 13 after breaking free of the defence,the girl from Patiala tallied 31 points.

Further down the court,experienced guard Anju Lakra played her part of a ball-handler to perfection,letting P Anitha work at a more comfortable position upfront. The combination of the two seemed to be on a roll in the second half after Indias outside shooters Prashanti Singh,Anitha and Raspreet Sidhu had won the hosts an early 24-16 lead in the first quarter. Lakras entry was necessitated by Prashantis four fouls,but worked to Indias advantage as they pulled away in the third quarter.

It was a do-or-die battle,so we were motivated, said national coach JP Singh,adding that an attitude change was responsible for the turnaround. I told them you must fight like soldiers, he said.

We certainly are better than the Level 2 sides,and Id like to get down to work straight away to prepare for two years from now, said assistant coach Dinesh Mitchell.

Geethus chance to be best

Indian captain and centre Geethu stands a good chance of finishing as the top scorer in the tournament after notching up 132 points from six matches at 22 points per game a good 37 ahead of Korean Yeon Ha Beon who will play the final against China. The 24-year-old shot a field-goal percentage of 53.4 and was steady in her free-throws at 73. Playing centre in a team with no stars and suffering from serious shooting lapses,she did the bulk of the scoring.

Lebanon make the grade

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Importing tall centre Chantelle Anderson from the US did them good as Lebanon made the Level 1 grade for the first time since their debut in 2001 with a 83-58 win over Thailand. The 66 player from Atlanta,who has turned out for Sacramento and San Antonio,was aided by Lebanons steady forwards. We bonded very quickly. This promotion was our goal,and we are eyeing the world meet next, Anderson said.