India's Remarkable FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup Journey Ends in Quarterfinals

India's men's team ended its impressive FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup 2025 run with a quarterfinal loss to New Zealand, highlighted by victories over higher-ranked teams. Despite the setback, India's performance, led by top scorer Arvind Muthu, marked their first quarterfinals appearance in 12 years.

The Indian men's basketball team's FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup 2025 campaign ended with a quarterfinal loss against New Zealand in Singapore. India, ranked world number 67, was spearheaded by top scorer Arvind Muthu, alongside Harsh Dagar and Kushal Singh, both contributing three points each, according to Olympics.com reports.

Te Tuhi ki te Rangi David Lewis emerged as the standout player for the world number 22-ranked New Zealand, scoring eight crucial points. Initially, India appeared strong, establishing a 4-2 lead through Muthu and Dagar. However, New Zealand's resurgence saw them secure a commanding 10-4 lead, sealing India's fate despite a spirited effort that narrowed the gap to 10-8.

Despite their defeat, the Indian squad can take pride in their performance, achieving three consecutive wins to advance to the main draw and defeating higher-ranked teams like South Korea and the Philippines. Participating from Pool B, India triumphantly overcame Chinese Taipei 21-18 and challenged China, albeit narrowly losing 21-19. India's progress to the quarterfinals marked a significant milestone, having reached this stage for the first time since 2013. In contrast, the Indian women's team fell short in the qualifiers, overcoming Guam but succumbing to Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei, as reported by ANI.

(With inputs from agencies.)