BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Women's Cup 2017) - A two-man delegation of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) led by its president K Govindaraj, visited FIBA's Regional Office in Asia on Tuesday to set the ball rolling for the South Asian nation to host the first-ever FIBA Women's Asia Cup this summer.

The FIBA Asia Women's Cup 2017 will be played from July 23-29 in Bengaluru, a cosmopolitan southern metropolis in India, featuring teams from Oceania region making their debut against their Asian rivals.

Australia and New Zealand match wits with six other Asian teams led by reigning Asian champions Japan along with China, Korea, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea and Philippines in Division A of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017. Six more teams, including hosts India, will go head to head in Division B in a bid to earn promotion to Division A of the next FIBA Asia Women's Cup.

"As the fray portends, the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 marks a milestone in the history of basketball in our region. And certainly India is just the country to host such an event," said Hagop Khajirian, FIBA Regional Director-Asia.

India are no strangers to hosting FIBA Asia events, the FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Chennai in the summer of 2009 and the FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women in Pune later that year being the most recent instances.

Bengaluru itself was the host of the 2004 edition of the FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

India will also host the FIBA U16 Asian Women's Championship from October 22-28 in a city yet to be named, with Chennai and Hyderabad being the leading contenders.

"It is certainly exciting to go back to India for a FIBA Asia event after eight years," Khajirian enthused. "The potential for basketball in India is enormous. So is the potential for Indian basketball especially in the women's section. Therefore I am convinced that hosting these two events will act as catalysts to the growth of basketball in India. We certainly count on all sections of the sporting family in their support for the cause of Indian basketball."

"It's a great opportunity for us to show case our abilities," said K Govindaraj.

The BFI delegation which included the BFI Secretary General Chander Mukhi Sharma were put through the paces of the various expectations and aspects of a successful execution of the events.

"Hosting the first-ever FIBA Women's Asia Cup in India is a fantastic challenge which we are ready to embrace," said Sharma. 

FIBA