BANGKOK (Thailand) - Thailand will look to make good use of homecourt advantage as they try to make some noise in their return to the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup-Division B competitions this year.
The Southeast Asian contender is set to see action in the second division for the second time ever, their first being in 2022 in Bengaluru, India in which they finished 5th in the tilt eventually ruled by Malaysia.
It was a disappointing run, needless to say, but now they have a chance to erase those bitter memories as the tourney will be held in the Thai capital - the first FIBA youth event to be played here since 2019.
But it won't just be the hosts that shall garner much of the attention.
Thailand are situated in Group A together with newcomers Oman plus India and Indonesia - two teams that are hoping to book a return trip to Division A after being relegated during the previous editions.
Of the two, Indonesia were the most recent to return to Division B as they placed dead last in the 2024 contest in Shenzhen, China after losing to a neighbor in Indonesia, 67-66, in the Classification 7-8 bout.
India, on the other hand, fell back to Div. B as they went winless (0-4) during the Division A meet in 2022 in their very own home soil, including a 49-45 defeat to, coincidentally, Indonesia in the relegation game.
Not to be forgotten are Oman, who are headed to just their first U18 Women's Asia Cup-Division B campaign but will surely be looking to pull off some major surprises in what appears to be a challenging pool.
Making up Group B, meanwhile, are old-timers Lebanon, Samoa, and Kazakhstan plus the Cook Islands, the latest squad from the Oceania region to take part in the division - and is hoping to prove its worth as well.
Lebanon and Samoa pulled off serious runs during the 2024 games but ultimately bowed as the Philippines eventually won the Division A ticket. Lebanon settled for a runner-up finish as Samoa took the bronze.
Kazakhstan are also hoping to advance as they have been in Division B for 8 years now - in fact, they had been in Level II way before the promotion-relegation system got implemented for the 2018 event onwards.
It would be their first Division B stint since 2018, where they took silver after bowing to India in the finale.
The FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2026-Division B will run from July 13-19 at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok. To see the complete schedule, from the Group Phase all the way to the Final, click here.
FIBA