Asia Cup qualification at stake as India takes on Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan forfeits FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers match against Iran, faces India next; India aims for first win.

Kazakhstan lost crucial points by forfeiting its away tie against Iran in Tehran in the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers recently.

Having won both its matches in the first window against Qatar and India, Kazakhstan would now be eager to make it up when it takes on India in the second window at the Nehru Indoor Stadium on Monday (November 25, 2024).

Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday (November 24), after the training session, Kazakhstan’s head coach Eveginy Ovsyannikov didn’t reveal the reasons for the team refusing to travel to Iran. All he said, through a translator, was,“ Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended us not to go there.”

Led by captain Shaim Kuanov, Kazakhstan doesn’t have much younger players. In fact, it has six players over 30 years of age.

India has a decent chance to script its first win, and keep its hopes of qualifying for the FIBA Asia Cup finals alive, provided it converts. As India’s head coach Scott Flemming pointed out, “And that (converting 3-pointers) will continue to be our target. It’s the only way this team can neutralise against these better teams,” he said.

On Kazakhstan not playing Iran on November 22, Flemming said: “In a way, will that be an advantage, not playing and not coming fresh for this match. Well, it helps them and hurts them, probably both. It helps them because they’re really fresh, physically good legs. It may hurt them because they haven’t played a game for a long time.”

Certainly, India has a mountain to climb. A steep one at that.