Indian women’s basketball is set for a significant step onto the continental club stage, with reigning national champions Indian Railways making their debut in the FIBA Women’s Basketball League Asia (WBLA) in Bengaluru.
The third edition of the competition will be held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium from October 20 to 25, marking the first appearance by an Indian team in Asia’s premier annual women’s club basketball competition.
Indian Railways will face some of the region’s established clubs in a six-team field featuring teams from Japan, South Korea, China, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei.
The Indian champions have been drawn in Group B alongside Japan’s Denso Iris and South Korea’s KB Stars. The group stage will be played from October 20 to 22, followed by the crossover semi-finals on October 24 and the final on October 25.
A step up from the domestic circuit
For Indian Railways, the tournament offers a level of competition beyond the domestic circuit and an opportunity to measure themselves against some of Asia’s leading professional clubs.
The exposure could also provide a useful benchmark for Indian women’s basketball, with the WBLA bringing domestic champions into a competition featuring established professional programmes from across the continent.
Preparations are already underway. Head coach P. Anitha said the team is planning a training camp in either Telangana or Bengaluru ahead of the tournament.
Indian Railways will begin its campaign on October 21 against Denso Iris.
For Bengaluru, hosting the WBLA adds another international sporting event to the city’s calendar and puts it at the centre of a significant moment for women’s basketball in India. The tournament will also give Indian players and domestic audiences an opportunity to experience the standards and intensity of elite Asian club basketball.
Indian Railways’ participation is therefore a landmark moment for the domestic game, giving an Indian club its first opportunity to compete directly on the continental stage and providing the country’s players with a chance to test themselves against some of Asia’s established basketball programmes.
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