'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
While India’s Senior Men’s team disappointed with their performance at the FIBA Asia Championship last year, the slight improvement made by India’s Women’s and India’s Youth Boys’ teams have helped move India two spots up in the ‘Combined’ rankings of International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rankings to 47th place in 2011.
FIBA, the governing body of international basketball competition, has been ranking the world’s best Men’s and Women’s teams for several years, but has only recently begun to include Youth rankings in both the Boys’ and the Girls’ sections. While the Senior rankings are based on performances of national teams in top senior level competition, the youth rankings are based on U19, U18, U17, or U16 international basketball competitions around the world.
India is ranked at 8th place in the Combined rankings in FIBA Asia, behind China, Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Iran, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan, and ahead of Malaysia, Phillippines, and Jordan.
India’s Senior Men, who previously held 50th place in the rankings, fell to 58th in 2011 after finishing at 14th place at the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan (China), where they played under the tutelage of experienced former NBA coach Kenny Natt. Meanwhile, India’s Women’s team managed to improve its ranking by two spots under former NCAA coach Pete Gaudet to 39th place after a sixth-place finish at the FIBA Women’s ABC in Omura (Japan). Gaudet’s side also took part in the 33rd William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei last year.
The story of the year 2011 in Indian basketball was definitely our U16 Youth Team which played fantastically at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship in Vietnam, even though it only finished at 10th place. This team, led by high-scoring young Indian star Satnam Singh Bhamara, showed some great potential for India in the future. The Boys’ effort also helped to improve India’s ranking one spot to 44th in the Boys’ division. India’s U16 Girls side finished at 5th place at the U16 Girls ABC in Jinan (China). Although they colletected a lot of points, the Girls’ team only saw their ranking slip one spot to 35th.
USA is the untouchable leader in World Basketball in this point, leading the FIBA Rankings in all four divisions – Men, Women, Boys, Girls – and ranks at first place in the Combined World Rankings once again.
India’s FIBA Rankings for 2011
Combined: 47th (57.3 points; Change +2)Men: 58th (6.6 points; Change -8)Women: 39th (14.1 points; Change +2)Boys: 44th (14.4 points; Change +1)Girls: 35th (22.2 points; Change -1)
