Bangkok sows the seeds for success in Turkey and beyond

KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran's AsiaScope) - I am sticking my neck out on this with two days left in the Preliminary Round of competition at the 25th FIBA Asia Championship for Women.

The Final Four at the event is all set with the East Asian quartet of China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea looking far ahead in their supremacy. So far there is nothing either India or Kazakhstan have shown that will upset the hegemony of this quartet.

That said, are we also looking at the top three already? Indications are surely in that direction with China, Japan and Korea - not necessarily in that order - emerging as the frontrunners to claim the three qualifying places for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women unless Chinese Taipei find enough resources deep in their reserves to upset the applecart of the trio who between themselves have shared all but 10 of the medals - and all the gold medals - in the history of the FIBA Asia Championship for Women.

Two of these three have brought teams not only sufficient to qualify, but also with an eye on success in the long-run.

"This team is a work in progress," says China coach Tom Maher.

"We are not completely ready yet. We don't have even have a set starting five. We are in the process of finding who can fit into what role.

"But this is a team that has enormous potential. We'll start seeing results before 2016 (Rio Olympics)," he says of what, in recent memory, is the youngest Chinese team to feature at a FIBA Asia Championship for Women.

The approach and attitude of the Chinese players too is on similar lines.

There is a calculated calmness, belying their age, in everything they do - even when trailing against traditional rivals Korea in the lung-opener, which China eventually lost on the buzzer - there was nothing done in haste or hurry.

Nor is there any anxiety on the part of the coach.

"I'm more concerned about fixing their mistakes. Being should not become an excuse. It's just accepting that we don't know things yet," is Maher's approach to the results in Bangkok.

China surely look well set to go into the post-Lijie Miao era!

Japan too are on the prowl, for what their spearheads term as "overdue" international success.

"Japanese women's basketball hasn't got the due results that it deserves," says the talismanic Yuko Oga.

"But things have changed now. With the emergence of taller players like Ramu Tokashiki and Yuka Mamiya we are able to take our game to the next level," she says.

As a part of her own learning experience, Oga will travel to play in the WCBA season this year - a first for any Japanese - and counts on that experience to help when she returns to the hayabusa National Team.

"There are some missing links in my game yet. Playing against players of quality in the WCBA, I hope, will help me overcome these. Of course, the whole idea is to learn as much as possible and needed to help the Japanese National Team," she says.

The most striking thing in Japan's game in Bangkok is the breaking away from their traditional strength of speed alone. Of course, most of their plans are centered around the fast-breaks but the presence of Tokashiki and Mamiya is adding muscle to Japan's presence and play.

"This is a new Japanese team. In fact, we are lucky with this group of girls who are all hungry for success. It makes us a lot more confident on our target," Oga further added.

With the target being a top finish at the World Championship for Women and beyond that, the extra bit of confidence will surely go a long way!

So long…

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

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