India's youngsters get chance to prove themselves in push to be among ''Top 8 in Asia''

MANAMA (Bahrain) - The dust settled in the Manama bubble with India suffering another defeat at the hands of Lebanon, 99-71. At the end of the first ever FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, India ended up with a record of 2-4 in Group F which was good for third place in the standings.

Since only the top two teams of each group get direct qualification for Asia Cup 2021 however, India were unable to claim direct qualification to the main event in Indonesia later this year. Nonetheless, their Asia Cup hopes are still alive as they can still get their ticket to Indonesia by playing through the Qualification Tournament for third-ranked teams which will be held later.

The results of the Qualifiers are obviously important for the India national team, but there was more to be gained by the team through the Qualifiers and it's what they have emphasized from start to finish.

"Really it was an experience for us," said India's rising star Muin Bek Hafeez in a post-game press conference. "We are a team and we are getting better each and every day."

"We are willing [to get better] as a team each and every day. This game was like experiencing further next step to reach the higher level."

India basketball has had high moments over the past decade. However, ever since coach Veselin Matic took over the coaching spot for the national team, there has been an urgency to push forward the effort to groom the up-and-coming generation.

"We have to set a core team for long term, so that's why coach is more confident in the younger players. We'll be having a good team in the future! This is a step-by-step process so we'll be at a higher level."

Hafeez is one of those players that are starting to come into their own at a higher level. He's a product of the national team program pushing younger players into the spotlight, as seen from his much improved performance of 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game through the Qualifiers.

The 24-year-old is one of the reasons why India can be a team to watch out for should they eventually qualify for Asia Cup 2021, considering how quickly these young players are developing for India.

"I'm laughing because Muin [Bek Hafeez] said I trust more in the young players, but one year ago he was this young player himself," coach Matic said in response to his player's post-game comments.

Matic also lauded the progress of his most recent opponent, Lebanon, and their young stars from his experiencing coaching the national team and in the local league. For a seasoned head coach like Matic, he knows what it takes for these developments and improvements to be accelerated.

And that's what he's looking forward to help accomplish in India.

"It was good for us to play a lot of young players," he said. "This is experience, and to continue, we have to put pressure on them. They will know how to play under pressure and that is only way."

India were certainly under pressure in the first game of this recent Manama window. A win against Iraq would seal the team a sport in the Qualifying Tournament for third-ranked teams and by knocking down 7-10 free throws, they were able to do just that. Now what's left is to maintain consistency and getting used to play with that similar mindset.

"One moment [in the game against Lebanon], I turned to my players and said ;For free throws, in the game against Iraq when was really important we are shooting 7-10. Today, we are shooting 1-12'. We scored only 1 free throw and then in the first half we had 12 turnovers,"

"That is the way of this game when these players don't play to their speed. This is the same when you are driving in average car and somebody put you in a fast car and you say 'Wow! What is this speed?!'"

"We were coming in a very fast car and we said 'Wow, this is so fast, I've never been in a car like this."

Now that this young India national team has gotten the chance to take the wheel of 'this very fast car' for a couple of laps, maybe they'll be a little more familiar taking it for a spin next time they take the court.

That's something that they are expecting. It's what coach Veselin Matic is expecting. It's what the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is expecting. It's what India basketball is expecting.

Check that rear view mirror, these young guns might be closing in on you with blazing speed.

"Our main goal is to change the team," Matic boldly claimed. "In the future, it will be a team that, for sure, they can be in the top 8 of Asia. That is the goal of the federation and my personal goal."

With those goals set in place and from the progress that they have shown, India is certainly becoming a team that fewer opponents would want to face in the Asia Cup if or when the time comes.

FIBA