SINGAPORE — China (women’s) and Mongolia (women’s) ended the pool play in style on Day 4 as the knockout stage excitingly looms at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2022, with the champions to be crowned tomorrow (10 July).
China were the headline act in the women’s and were joined in the quarters by Australia, Mongolia and surprise packet Thailand. In the men’s draw, No.1 seed Mongolia made it through along with Korea, impressive China and the Philippines.
It means China (women) plays Thailand in the quarters, while Mongolia and Australia meet in a blockbuster. In the men’s, Mongolia face the Philippines, while China take on Korea.
The fifth edition of the Asia Cup, the first since 2019, is being played in the surrounds of the world famous Marina Bay Sands.
The Teams
The Singapore men’s team were in action on Day 4, falling 21-17 to the Philippines and 22-13 to powerhouses China.
Singapore captain Lim Jun Yuan said after his team’s loss to China: “We didn’t let them have an easy win, we fought throughout till the last minute and even though we lost, we’ve learnt a lot from playing against such a versatile team. We never gave up even though we were down 7-1, we got a few points back and gave them a tough time. It’s really nice to be playing in front of the Singapore crowd, and I wish there were more events like this in Singapore. Having the crowd cheer us on definitely gave us more energy, and it was a great experience.”
Crelan FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2022 bronze medallist China (women) showcased why they love the big stage so much on Day 4. They were far too strong against an in-form New Zealand before facing a major test against defending champs Australia in what could be a preview of the final.
An energetic China, however, shut down new-look Australia’s firepower to record a big victory and issue a warning to the competition as the 3×3 power seek a first Asia Cup title.
Mongolia are the No.1 seed in the men’s competition, but top billing doesn’t seem to have affected them after comfortable wins over Korea and three-man India, who were shorthanded after an earlier leg injury to star Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.
Their in-form players have had plenty of action on this season’s pro circuit so far and showcased plenty of swagger ahead of the knockout stage.
The Players
China dynamo Lili Wang was unusually quiet first up against New Zealand but you just knew she would bounce back quickly.
The 29-year-old scoring machine did exactly that against Australia to be the best player on the half court filled with stars.
The No.23 cut through the Aussie defense to finish with a game-high 9 points but her energy was also evident defensively as she caused nightmares for her opponents highlighted by a couple of huge blocks.
Delgernyam Davaasambuu remains the heart and soul of Mongolia as he produced a heroic display against India, where he scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
He was too strong for an undermanned India and there isn’t much anyone can do when he’s feeling it from deep with Davaasambuu nailing four 2s, including the punctuation point in a performance worth a flex.
The Thriller
Day 4 started with a bang in the opener as Mongolia’s women were pushed to the limit by Thailand, who impressed during qualification with a win over the Philippines.
Underdog Thailand’s confidence rattled the No.1 seed, who made Singapore unusually cold with their wayward shooting. But the Mongolians hit back through star Khulan Onolbaatar who dominated the boards.
The teams couldn’t be separated after regulation but Mongolia scored two points in OT to break the hearts of Thailand, who rebounded quickly to upset Uzbekistan in another thriller and book their spot in the quarters.
Day 5
The Asia Cup heats up on the fifth and final day with the knockout stages.
Men’s Quarter-Finals
1.35pm: Australia v Chinese Taipei
2pm: China v Korea
3.25pm: Mongolia v Philippines
3.50pm: Japan v New Zealand
Women’s Quarter-Finals
12.45pm: Japan v Sri Lanka
1.10pm: China v Thailand
2.35pm: Mongolia v Australia
3pm: Chinese Taipei v Indonesia
Women’s Semi-Finals: 5.25pm, 5.50pm
Men’s Semi-Finals: 6.15pm, 6.40pm
Women’s Final: 8.10pm
Men’s Final: 8.35pm
FIBA Media Release
Photo credit: FIBA
