Shenzhen [China], July 18 (ANI): The Indian basketball team's hopes of winning the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2025 Division B and securing promotion to the top tier ended on a bitter note following a defeat against Thailand in the semi-final qualifiers in Shenzhen, China, on Friday. The Indian team ended with a 93-76 defeat against Thailand. Sreekala Rani and Pushpa Senthil Kumar played a starring role as both scored 23 points each for India, while Rattiyakorn Udomsuk was the top hoopster for Thailand with 25 points, according to Olympics.com. Also Read | PSG Signs 19-Year-Old Italian Goalkeeper Renato Marin on Five-Season Deal. The loss dealt a significant blow to the Indian team, as only the winners of Division B will gain promotion to Division A for the following year. In the next match, the Indian team will face the side that loses the other semi-final qualifier between Mongolia and Kazakhstan in the fifth-place classification match on Saturday. Earlier, India ended up in the second spot in Group A and earned the right to compete in the semi-final qualifiers. Chinese Taipei topped the group to qualify for the semi-finals directly. Also Read | On Which Channel WNBA All-Star 2025 Match Live Telecast in India Will Be Available? How To Watch Team Clark vs Team Collier Live Streaming Online? Check Viewing Options. India, ranked 15th in the FIBA basketball standings, struggled in the initial phase and fell behind by 7 points in the opening quarter. However, India bounced back with their resilience and chopped down the deficit to 20-18 before the first quarter ended. But Thailand, ranked 12th, upped the ante and took control of the proceedings. They raced to a six-point lead (39-33) going into the half-time to push India back against the wall. In the third quarter, Thailand further extended its lead and enjoyed a 17-point advantage (68-51) before the end. India had to overturn the 17-point deficit in the last 10 minutes. They fought hard, trying to take Thailand off guard, but failed to claim the lead and settled for a 93-76 defeat. Throughout the contest, India was unable to take a lead at any point. India returned to the FIBA Women's Asia Cup fold after a four-year absence. India remained absent from the 2023 edition following their relegation from Division A in 2021. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)