Boxscores

INCHEON (FIBA Asia Championship for Women) - Hosts Korea launched their campaign for a berth in the Beijing Olympics in style beating Thailand on the opening day on Sunday. Along with the margin of victory, what must have pleased the handful crowd – but the largest of the opening day’s proceedings – was the manner in which the team combined and coped with the absence of regular point guard Choi Youn Ah. The spearhead injured her left elbow a couple of days ago, in practice, and will take another four weeks to recover, which effectively rules her out of the rest of the Championship.

“In a way, Choi’s absence proved a blessing in disguise,” said Korea coach Yoo Jong Soo. “We always knew Thailand was not going to pose any big challenge, but I was generally worried if my players would relax a little too much. That way Choi’s injury ensured all the players were focused on the putting up a good performance,” he added.

On Choi’s presence on the bench, Jong Soo said, “although she knew she wasn’t playing, she was keen on helping the team. She anyway is an integral part of her preparatory plans for the Beijing Olympics. We can always draft her once she is fit and ready,” he added.

Skipper Sun Min Jung led her side with élan, top scoring with 18 points complementing her basketting efforts with five sparkling assists. Sun Min Jung had been recalled into the National team after a gap of almost two years. Taking cue from their captain, the rest of the line-up combined rather impressively sending clear signals of their intentions.

Thailand, on the other hand, were rather gallant in their efforts. Nantana Charoenrat worked hard and deservingly top scored for her team. But the 30-year-old’s endeavor against the far better equipped and better coordinated East Asian rivals was rather lonesome, and therefore in a lost cause.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy against Korea,” said Thailand’s Korean coach Kim Jae Wong. “It was almost like amateurs vs. professionals.”

“We have come into this Championship with the SEA Games and the Universaid in mind,” he said of his team, most of which comprises players from universities. “So in that direction, I would only take these matches as a part of our learning process.”

Scores

Korea 108 (Sun Min Jung 18, Beon Yeon-Ha 14, Kim Ji-Hyun 12) vs Thailand 47 (Nantana Charoenrat 15). (Quarterwise: 32-7, 53-19, 81-29)

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia