India to host FIBA Women's Asia Cup in July in Bengaluru

India will host FIBA Women's Asia Cup basketball tournament in July here, Basketball Federation of India announced today.
The continental flagship tournament for women will be held here from July 23 to 29.
India has also been given another continental level tournament -- the FIBA U-16 Women's Asian Championship -- which will be held from October 22 to 28 in Hyderabad.
This will be the first time since 2009 that India will host a major FIBA (International Basketball Federation) event.
In 2009, the BFI was allotted the same two Championships -- the 1st FIBA Asia U-16 Championship for Girls in Pune and the 23rd FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Chennai.

Addressing a press conference here, BFI President K Govindaraj said, "It has been far too long for Indian fans to get to see their homegrown talent compete against the best in Asia.

"While I am very excited and proud to be bringing a FIBA Asia event back to India, our work has just begun. We will ensure that our national teams are optimally prepared to compete with the top teams of Asia," he added.
Fourteen teams will compete in both the FIBA Women's Asia Cup and the U-16 Women's Asian Championship, with eight teams in Division A (which include new Oceania teams Australia and New Zealand) and six in lower Division B.

India is in Division B in both the Senior and U-16 events.
Govindaraj also announced that a national league for men will be held later this year.
Further details will be made public next month, he said.