India up 1 spot to 46th in 2012 Combined FIBA World Rankings

At the end of the 2012 Calendar year, India’s combined FIBA ranking (Men, Women, Boys, Girls) has improved one spot to 46th place. The big difference-making competitions for India in 2012 were the U18 FIBA Asia Championships for Boys and Girls, held in Mongolia and Malaysia respectively.

FIBA – the world’s governing body of basketball – bases their world rankings on the major FIBA World Championships, the continental championships, and the Olympic Games. Rankings are made based on the performance of each country’s Men’s, Women’s, and Youth rankings where applicable. Youth rankings are based on the performances of the U19, U18, U17, or U16 teams in international competitions.

In 2012, India took part in various international tournaments. In February, India’s U18 boys team hosted the Mid Zone FIBA Asia U18 Championship Qualifiers in New Delhi, which they won with ease. This victory gave India entry into the U18 FIBA Asia Championship in August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where India won two of their eight games towards a 10th place finish.

India’s U18 Girls’ team took part in the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Relegated to Level II at the beginning of the tournament, India won all of their games, including the promotion qualifier against Malaysia to finish the tournament 5-0 and win back their Level I spot.

Despite their good play, the Indian Girls’ slipped four spots in their FIBA ranking, while the Boys went up a spot. How, you ask? That was because most of the girls’ dominant victories came in the lower level of the competition which counts for fewer points, while the boys team played (and survived) against tougher opposition.

The major Senior basketball tournament this year was the Olympics, for which India did not qualify. India’s Senior Men took part in the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan, but despite strong performances, lost all of their games for a joint 9th place finish. There was no change in the Men’s standing.

India’s Senior Women played in the William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei, where they finished 4th. Indian Women fell one spot in their rankings. Neither of the Senior tournaments were counted in the FIBA Rankings.

USA are once again the kingpin of World Basketball. They continue to win every tournament that they take part in and are top in the Men, Women, Boys, Girls, and of course, the Combined Rankings. The top five countries in the world (combined) are USA, Spain, Russia, Australia, and France. China are the top team in Asia while India (Combined) are at 8th place.

2013 will be a big year for Indian basketball, and they will get a chance to either get a major boost in their standings or see them drop drastically. India’s Senior Men – who currently stand at a shockingly low 58th place – have the chance to atone for 2011’s disappointing finish at the FIBA Asia Championship in August this year in Lebanon. The Senior Women will also participate in the Women’s FIBA Asia Championship in the summer. There will be action in the youth section too: Both the U16 boys’ and girls’ teams will get a chance to get some international exposure and raise India’s ranks as they too will play in U16 FIBA Asia Championships for Boys and Girls respectively this year. The Asian Youth Games will also be held this year and host basketball tournaments, and India’s youth teams can be penciled in to take part in those.

Other major international basketball tournaments happening this year include the FIBA Asia Cup of Men’s Clubs, FIBA U19 World Championship for Men and for Women, and the Stankovic Cup.

India’s FIBA Rankings at the end of 2012:

Combined: 46 (63.6 points; Change +1)Men: 58 (6.4 points; Change 0)Women: 40 (14.1 points; Change -1)Boys: 43 (17.1 points; Change +1)Girls: 39 (25.8 points; Change -4)