FIBA Asia Cup 2025: India goes down 53-69 to Qatar in qualifiers

CHENNAI: It wasn’t an auspicious start for new coach Scott Flemming as Team India succumbed to a 53–69 defeat against Qatar in the second window qualifier of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

Flemming emphasised taking it one step at a time, focusing on the upcoming match against Kazakhstan. He reflected on missed opportunities that cost the host dearly on Friday evening. India produced a decent show, going toe-to-toe with the Asian powerhouse. Captain Muin Bek stood out for India, scoring the team’s first points in the early minutes and finishing as its highest scorer.

India dominated the first two quarters, heading into the break with the scores reading India: 31, Qatar: 36. However, after the break, India struggled to match Qatar’s pace and was pushed onto the back foot. For more than five minutes, the team failed to penetrate the circle as Qatar’s Hashim Abbasher and Tyler Harris controlled the game with quick moves and accurate throws.

The scoreline shifted significantly after the third quarter, with India trailing at 39 points to Qatar's 50.

“I’ve only been here since August. I can’t coach a team to improve significantly in just two months. We took shots, but they didn’t go in, so we’re not making excuses. Qatar has players with height and athleticism that we lack, and they outplayed us. As a team, we need to focus on our strengths. We have good shooters, but it just didn’t click tonight,” said Flemming at the post-match conference.

India attempted numerous three-pointers, unable to break into the Qatari inner circle, but most of these efforts failed, ultimately costing the team dearly. “We’ll continue working on our finishing and executing our plays. It wasn’t a terrible game in terms of assists and turnovers, so at least we took care of the basketball for the most part,” Flemming added.

In the final quarter, Muin Bek managed to score a few baskets, but it wasn’t enough. India ended the game winless and now sits at the bottom of Group E in the qualifier standings.