Singapore, April 2 -- The Indian women's basketball team fell short of qualifying for the main draw of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026 in Singapore after suffering a crucial defeat against Malaysia in the qualifying round on Thursday.

Ranked 88th in the world, India went down 16-13 to 44th-ranked Malaysia in their opening Pool B match, according to Olympics.com.

Despite taking an early 6-4 lead, the Indian side could not maintain momentum as Malaysia edged ahead to secure the decisive win.

Pushpa Senthil Kumar was the standout performer for India with six points, while Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu added valuable contributions, including two successful shots from beyond the arc.

India bounced back strongly in their second match, registering a...