China to take on arch-rivals Korea in quarters clash

Hosts India, who topped Group A of the Division B competition earned a bye to the semi-finals.

Bengaluru, October 25: The FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship is underway at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru and the tournament has already seen history being created.

For starters, this is the first occasion that the young women basketball players from two FIBA zones -- Oceania and Asia -- are matching wits together in the same competition, following in the footsteps of their senior counterparts at the FIBA Women's Asian Cup last July.

South Asian teams Maldives and Nepal fielded their teams for the first time in an international competition. Iran returned to the fold after more than four decades. These are some of the more historic moments in the competition that has been the nursery of talent in Asian women's basketball in recent times.

India, who topped Group A of the Division B competition earned a bye to the semi-finals. India had beaten their West Asian rivals 97-53.

Sri Lanka, after losing to Iran 84-76 wound up at No 3 in Group A, take on Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

The other half of the draw would feature Group B toppers Malaysia taking on Nepal and the winners playing against the team that wins the all-SABA clash between Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Thursday will also see the quarterfinals played in Division A.

Three-time champions China will take on arch rivals and fellow East Asian team Korea in the most conspicuous encounters. The winners of this clash will meet the winners of the Australia-Hong Kong game.

Japan, the only other team to win this competition apart from China, line up against fellow East Asian team Chinese Taipei. Should Japan get past this hurdle, the girls from the Land of the Rising Sun will play against the winners of the quarterfinals clash between New Zealand and Thailand.