BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Getting that elusive win will surely be the target of Tamil Nadu now that they are bound for another stint in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 that begins this weekend.
Their return to the pan-regional meet won't just be about moral victories anymore, especially after experiencing how it's like competing against some of the best ball clubs this part of the continent has to offer.
Qualifying path
For the uninitiated, the club from India joined the 2024 Final 8 in Qatar and that marked the first time that a team from SABA took part in the tournament. But once isn't enough for the team of Coach CV Sunny.
The 74th Senior National Basketball Championship made sure to get a ticket back to WASL's culminating event, and they did so following a mighty four-game sweep of the inaugural SABA Club Championship last April.
Tamil Nadu commenced their campaign with a 107-41 rout of Bhutanese side Thimpu Magics, and then followed it up with another masterful conquest - a 110-54 romping over Colombo BC of Sri Lanka.
They added Times Basketball Club of Nepal to their list of victims by way of a 118-44 crushing before tearing apart T-Rex BC of Maldives, 106-49, to complete their unbeaten run toward the crown - and the Final 8 trip.
Yes, they did run roughshod over the competition and it should go without saying that Tamil Nadu are hoping that their dominant run in the contest among South Asia's top ball clubs would translate to WASL success.
WASL history
That's because they've suffered one too many heartbreaks in their initial Final 8 campaign. It could be recalled that they went back home from Doha empty-handed, as the crew lost all of their three assignments.
First was a 100-75 beatdown at the hands of then defending two-time WASL-Gulf League champions Kuwait Club. Then a 101-94 defeat to eventual Third-Placers Shahrdary Gorgan. Then, a 102-96 decision to Kazma.
But those score lines would suggest how they've progressed in each game, so much so that star winger Pranav Prince - and the rest of Tamil Nadu, actually - refused to bow their heads and instead kept their chins up.
"We are not just carrying the name of our club. We are also carrying the name of the nation. We couldn't win games, but we gained a lot of experience. We gained a lot of knowledge," he was quoted as saying back then.
Players to watch
Prince himself was their top guy in the 2024 Final 8 with per-game averages of 13.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks and so, he'd be leaned on by his squad once more this time.
Also expected to step up are Muin Bek Hafeez and Arvind Muthu Krishnan - both of which have grown since last year's edition especially after they all joined 'The Prince' in embracing a bigger role for the India men's team.
But it's not just those familiar faces which fans should anticipate. There's Anantharaj Eswaran, who basically starred in the SABA Club Championships as he normed 19.25 points in their four games.
Tamil Nadu will play in Group A against WASL-Gulf League titlists Shabab Al Ahli, WASL-West Asia Second Place Tabiat, and WASL-Gulf League Third-Placer Al Qadsia SC. . To see their complete schedule, click here.
FIBA