BANGALORE (FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017) - When India head coach Paramdeep Singh takes his team into the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017, there will be more at stake than trying to gain promotion to the top flight.

The prestigious event in Bangalore will also serve as a showcase for the sport and specifically the women’s game in a country which is viewed as having huge potential for the future.

FIBA.com caught up with the highly-rated and ambitious play-caller to find out more.

How important is the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 for you as a coach, your team and India as a country?
The FIBA Women’s Asia Cup is very important not only for me as a coach, but for my team and my country. As a coach, I feel proud to perform at such a high level and it's the same for the team as well. For India as a country, it is a great opportunity to conduct such a championship and register its presence at the international level.

Do you believe that the mind sets will change in India now that the country will be hosting Asia's flagship event in terms of facilities, infrastructure and organization?
There will definitely be a change in the mind-set of the people in India and the awareness of basketball will increase when tournaments of this caliber are conducted in our country. This will make people realize that India does have the necessary infrastructure and facilities to organize these international basketball tournaments.

How important is it for a country to host a sports event? What are the benefits to the sport and the country?
For the promotion of sports in general, it is very necessary to host these kind of events. This event not only highlights the game of basketball in our country, but also attracts more people to the sport and puts India’s name on the global basketball map. Such events will give basketball the necessary boost it needs in India and will help the team perform better at a higher level.

Will home advantage help India produce better results than in 2015?
Yes! There will be home advantage for us and so there will be more public support and familiar playing conditions - although there will also be added pressure to perform well in front of our home crowd. We hope to use this home advantage to get better results compared to our previous championships.

When will preparations start? Any training camps abroad? Have you selected the pool of players?
Preparations for this championship have already begun and are in full swing. Regarding training camps abroad, the Federation is looking into this and it will be planned accordingly. The initial group of selected players are currently attending camp, but the final selections will be made once we move closer to the tournament.

The FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 will take place from July 23-29.

FIBA