IND - Garcia in race against time to prepare Indian women

NEW DELHI (FIBA Asia Championship for Women/FIBA World Championship for Women) - Having recently been installed as the new head coach of India's national women's team, time is ticking down for Francisco Garcia, as the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for Women jumps from the horizon into sharper focus.

The Spaniard has only a few months to work with his team ahead of the event, which takes place in Thailand between 27 October and 3 November.

Garcia was appointment after the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) opted to change direction and not renew the contract of former Duke assistant coach Pete Gaudet.

It was felt that Garcia might bring fresh focus and could draw on his varied experience of being involved with professional programmes in his native Spain as well as Denmark, and Finland.

The play-caller has coached various Spanish Federation Youth National Development Camps, in addition to acting as a private development coach for the likes of the legendary Amaya Valdemoro.

Now there is an expectation that Garcia will deliver the goods, with BFI Chief Executive Officer Roopam Harish Sharma expressing how perfect Garcia is to take things forward.

"Coach Garcia's years of experience working with various women's professional programmes, coupled with this direct development of some of the world's top female basketball players, makes him ideal for this role of leading the senior women's team," he said.

One of the first tasks for Garcia, who has been handed an initial one-year contract, will be to ensure India's marquee star, forward Geethu Anna Jose, is a central part of his strategy to attain success.

Garcia is noted for his emphasis on aggressive defense and a strong transition game, an ethos which he is likely to try and instill into the younger Indian players too, since he will also be given responsibility of overseeing the youth teams.

This will mean opening a clear pathway for young talent and gradually incorporating the best available emerging players into the senior team.

But the immediate priority is the FIBA Asia Championship for Women and trying to improve on the performances of two years ago in Omura, Japan when India lost their opening five games via a succession of blowouts.

FIBA