MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - We will witness some of the future stars of Asian women's basketball starting this week at FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women, which will be in Bangkok, Thailand from 13-20 November 2016.

As can be expected from a youth tournament, many of these names will be unfamiliar, but they are still nonetheless very intriguing. They have all played in other Asian or world-level competitions, which means, by sheer virtue of their experience, they are expected to take leadership roles for their respective teams. Whether that translates into great production or a lot of wins, however, remains to be seen.

Han Xu (China)
At 2.05m, Han Xu is expected to tower over the opposition in Bangkok. She dwarfs even celebrated young center Park JiSu of Korea. To compound things, Han was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship earlier this year. To say that she is going to be a dominant force for China in this competition is a gross understatement.

Li Yueru (China)
The last time we saw Li in an Asian tournament was way back in the FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women 2015, where she led the Chinese in scoring and rebounding, averaging 22.1 points and 16.1 rebounds per game. She has grown from 1.92m last year to 2.00m already this year, and, combined with Han Xu, she will form an ultra potent twin tower combination for the defending champions.

Park JiSu (Korea)
As big and imposing as Han and Li are for China, however, perhaps the most polished player in this entire competition will be Korea's Park Jisu. The 1.95m 18-year-old has already played for Korea's senior women’s team in three tournaments, and that experience has made her an excellent frontliner. She was actually part of the Korean U18 team two years ago, and she already averaged a double-double back then. She will be a beast this year, for sure.

Mai Yamamoto (Japan)
Unlike some of the other players on this list, Yamamoto may not be an imposing figure, given that she stands just 1.62m, but she can certainly play with the best of them. She was Japan's finest player in the FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship 2016, putting up 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per outing, and she is expected to shine as perhaps the Akatsuki Five's best playmaker in this competition.

Kao Yu-Lin (Chinese Taipei)
Like Yamamoto, Kao is a diminutive guard, and like Yamamoto, Kao can run rings around her opponents with ease. Kao has seen action twice for Taipei’s youth teams, and her experience, coupled with her innate talent, will make her one of the most potent weapons for the East Asian side here in Bangkok. Her outside shooting and defense are expected to be her calling cards.

Sushantika Chakravortty (India)
The 1.80m Chakravortty is one of the most promising women players in Asia, what with the fact that she is just 16 years old. She led India in scoring in last year’s FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women, scoring 9.7 points per game, and she is expected to man the middle again for the South Asian squad this time around. She should prove to be a lot to handle as India aims for a podium finish.

Kanokwan Prajuapsook (Thailand)
Like Park JiSu, Kanokwan already played for Thailand in the previous FIBA Asia U18 tournament, where she averaged 5.5 points and 5.2 boards per contest. The 1.78m froncourt player will be among the main cogs for the home team this year as they hope to gain a win or two and remain in Group I.

Anastassiya Arzamastseva (Kazakhstan)
When Anastassiya first competed for Kazakhstan, she put up big double-double numbers in the FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women in 2013. She followed this up by playing respectably in the previous U18 competition, norming 9.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, and this means she is expected to be a beast in the paint as the Kazakhs hope to move up from Group II.

Lui Shuk Yi (Hong Kong)
Lui is expected to be Hong Kong’s ace in this tournament despite standing only 1.68m. She has played for the national side in two previous youth competitions, and this joust will be her swan song before she moves up to the senior women’s squad. She specializes in stealing the ball and going for easy lay-ups, which makes her one of the most entertaining players to watch out for in Group II.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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