Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 5 (ANI): Basketball Federation of India Secretary General Kulvinder Singh Gill said hosting the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad is a proud moment for Indian basketball, with the tournament returning to India after 22 years.

He stressed that world-class infrastructure, recent success in regional competitions and talent development initiatives will help boost the sport, while a professional league planned for 2027 could provide players with stronger career opportunities.

The much-awaited FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 is set to be held in Ahmedabad, India, from August 13 to 23.

'It is certainly a very prestigious and proud moment for us, as we are hosting this championship after 22 years. The new stadiums built in Ahmedabad are truly world-class...this will certainly benefit Indian basketball immensely, as well as the state of Gujarat...a total of 16 teams are participating, including the defending champion, Australia, and the runner-up, New Zealand. The Indian team reached the quarter-finals (top 8) in the last Asian-Oceania Championship, and as hosts, we have been preparing for this for quite some time,' Gill told ANI.

'We also won the recent South Asian Championship, so we should certainly have a home-court advantage and are expecting a better performance than last time...we are currently witnessing Indian athletes winning significantly more medals at the Commonwealth Games compared to the past. The Prime Minister and the Union Sports Minister are paying close attention to every detail regarding how India can excel in future Commonwealth Games and the Olympics... The Basketball Federation of India has established several academic centres; through talent scouting, we are providing new players with free boarding and lodging at quality schools. Furthermore, we are set to launch a professional league very soon, early in 2027. Consequently, players, both current ones and those aspiring to join the sport, will certainly be inclined to pursue basketball as a viable career,' he added.

Sixteen teams divided into groups of 4 will compete in the biennial competition's 28th edition, beginning with the busy Group Phase that will run for a total of 6 days from August 13-18, featuring 4 games a day.

The top teams in each group by the end of the preliminary stage will book a direct ticket to the Quarter-Finals. Teams finishing 2nd and 3rd in their pools, meanwhile, will play in the Qualification to the Quarter-Finals.

The play-in to the Final Phase's opening round is scheduled on August 20. The Quarter-Finals will then be played the following day, the winners of which will advance to the Semi-Finals set on August 22.

Aside from moving on, the 4 teams reaching the penultimate stage will qualify for the prestigious FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027 that will be held in Pardubice, Czechia on June 26 to July 4, 2027.

Classification Rounds 5-8 will also be held for this year's U18 meet, beginning on August 22 as well - just before the Semi-Finals. Losing teams in the Quarter-Finals will make up the cast in a bid to salvage some pride.

The one-game Final is set on August 23, which will be preceded by the Classification 5-6, Classification 7-8, and the Third-Place Games as the tournament is set to be action-packed all the way to the end.

Australia are coming in as the defending FIBA U18 Asia Cup champions after ruling the 2024 games in Jordan. (ANI)