Kerala's Jeena PS To Lead Women's Basketball Team At Asiad

Jeena PS from Kerala has been chosen to lead India's women's basketball team at the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia. With this honour, she becomes the second Keralite to achieve the feat of leading the country in an international competition. Smrithi Radhakrishnan, a player from Railways had led India in the 2014 Asian Games.

From Kerala, two more players, the experienced duo of Stephy Nixon and Anajana PG, have been included in the 12-member squad announced by the Basketball Federation of India on Thursday. The Indian team will be coached by former player Shiba Maggon.

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"I'm so grateful for this opportunity to lead the Indian team. We will be looking to do our best and qualify for the quarter-finals from the group stages," Jeena told Times of India from Bengaluru where she and the team are prepping for the final camp before leaving for Jakarta.

"If you look at the draw, Indonesia is supposed to be the easiest of opponents but then they are the hosts. If we can beat them first up, it will be a confidence boost and we expect to progress from the group," said Kerala's best player and go-to scorer Jeena.

Jeena works with Kerala State Electricity Board as a senior assistant. The Thiruvananthapuram-based player is gearing up for her second Asian Games after Incheon 2014. She plays an important role in the Kerala women's team and received her first international call-up in the U16 FIBA Asia Championship in 2009. She played an instrumental role in clinching the Federation Cup 2016 as the defending champions.

Feature Image Credit: CNMSports

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