Indian women cagers win title at Asian Beach Games

Haiyang (China): Indian women's basketball team Tuesday defeated hosts China to win the gold medal at the third Asian Beach Games here in east China's Shandong province.

The Indians prevailed over their Chinese counterparts 17-14 in the final.

China got off to a good start, leading by 11-10. But the Indians pounced and went on a scoring spree, which helped them secure the victory, reported Xinhua.

"The girls are very young and have no experience. They bungled at some key moments. But they tried really hard, and I'm proud of them," said China coach Xiong Ying.

According to Xiong, the four Chinese girls, aged 15 to 17, formed this team just 20 days ago, and this was the first time for them to play in a continental competition.

"We had the chance to win, but we missed it. That's a pity. But we are still young and will look to the future," the 17-year-old Zhang Xu said in tears after the game.

Meanwhile, the Philippines took home a bronze medal after beating Mongolia 16-15. (IANS)