Ranzi Sports

The Indian men’s basketball team achieved a significant milestone by defeating the higher-ranked Kazakhstan 88-69 in their fourth Group E match of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers 2025, held at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Monday.

This victory marks India’s first triumph over Kazakhstan in a major FIBA event in 27 years, keeping their hopes alive in the tournament.

As the third quarter commenced, local players Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi and Sahaij Pratap made crucial three-pointers, extending India’s lead to 12 points and energizing the home crowd.

Kazakhstan’s captain, Shaim Kuanov, attempted to rally his team back into contention, scoring seven points in under two minutes. Chsherbak also contributed by hitting consecutive three-pointers to reduce India’s advantage.

However, Indian coach Scott Flemming’s strategic substitutions proved effective, with Kushal Singh making his tournament debut off the bench, executing a driving layup and converting a free throw in the final moments of the quarter.

Currently, the Indian basketball team sits in second place in Group E, holding five points above Kazakhstan and a Qatari team that has a game in hand. The Islamic Republic of Iran leads the group with six points, also having a game in hand.

The top two teams from the group will qualify directly, while the third-placed team will enter a separate qualifying event for the remaining four spots at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia.

India’s basketball team is set to face Iran and Qatar in their final two matches of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers in February next year.

This landmark victory marks the end of a 27-year drought for India, breaking a 16-game losing streak.

The assembled fans and the families of the Indian team players celebrated the momentous victory.