A Sri Lankan player (in white) scores against Bangladesh.

A Sri Lankan player (in white) scores against Bangladesh.

The Sri Lankan team has made its aggressive intents very clear with a strong 126-36 win over Bangladesh in the opening match of the 2014 South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) qualifying championship for U-18 Men that is underway at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Multiple players scored in double digits for Sri Lanka and on the defensive end their constant pressing forced Bangladesh into numerous turnovers.

Sri Lanka’s Head Coach Panduka Ranasingha said after the win, “We beat Bangladesh today for the first time after six years. Our average height is only 5ft 9 inches, so we are the shortest team in the competition. But after this win, we are confident to take on India.”

Result (5/7/14)

Sri Lanka (Anthony P 35, Umair Md Naleer 19, Nadeeja Liyanage Nichula 19, Dimitri Sean Grebe 17, Anushka Chathuranga 17) bt Bangladesh (Hasan Mohd 16) 126-36 [HT: 68-15] View full statsheet

Tomorrow’s Schedule (6/7/14)

6:00 PM India vs Bangladesh at Koramangala Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru

About South Asian Basketball Association Championship (SABA) Qualifiers 2014 for U-18 Men

Just three teams, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have confirmed their participation in this regional championship. This is a round robin tournament and each team will play the other two teams once. The team with the most wins after its two matches will qualify to the 2014 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for u-18 men scheduled to be held from 19th to 28th August in Qatar.