Sri Lanka won the first Women’s SABA Championship

  Sri Lanka won the title of the first South Asian Women’s Basketball Championship with a 75- 49 victory over Nepal at the National Sports Council covered hall in Kathmandu on 02nd April 2016.

In the last league match of the tournament between the top two teams, Sri Lanka dominated the game from the beginning. Sri Lanka opened with a four- point lead in the first period which they won 15- 11 before taking the second quarter 20- 13 extending the advantage to 11 points going into the half time.

Both the teams played very well in the third quarter and Sri Lanka luckily taking it 17- 16. In the final quarter Sri Lanka comfortably got 23- 9 loss against the offensively superior team.

Erandi Gallage top scored for Sri Lanka with 15 points, while Alisha Malla, Sneha Shrestha and Bhawana Lama netted nine points each for Nepal. After the final day results, Sri Lanka finished the five team round- robin tournament with eight points from four matches, while Nepal placed second with seven. The Maldives was third with six points, while Bhutan earned five points and Bangladesh accumulated three.

In the day’s first match, Bhutan registered their first win of the tournament defeating Bangladesh 61- 29. Bhutan took an 18- 2 lead before winning the second quarter 19- 8. Bangladesh took the third quarter 12- 11 before Bhutan regained the tempo and won the final quarter 13- 7. 

Bhim Rawal, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Mr. Keshab Kumar Bista, member secretary of National Sports Council, Mr. Jeevan Ram Shrestha Nepal Olympic Committee president, Ahmed Hafiz, South Asian Basketball Association president and Ambassador, W.M. Senevirathna, Ambassador Sri Lanka Embassy in Kathmandu handed over the prizes to the winners of the tournament. Sri Lankan Nationals living in Kathmandu were also encourage the Sri Lankan team.