Basketball in India?? by Vineet Uthaiah

Basketball in India??

 

Basketball’s popularity is increasing in India, but is the government helping by providing the right equipment for playing the sport. No, not much. The government needs to provide more education for basketball.

“Everything from infrastructure to lack of facilities and good coaches. We have talent, but it goes to waste without all these things. If talent is honed properly then India can also boast of good players,” says Dallas Mavericks player Satnam Singh. The National Sports Federation which recognizes sports which are in India and those sports will receive various assistance from the government. The government of India doesn’t recognize basketball in this list. In fact it is missing from the list.

Ch. 2

The India national basketball team has made one appearance in the Olympics in 1980. They joined FIBA in 1936. Basketball was first played in 1930 in India. The Sri Lanka national basketball team has not made any appearance in the Olympics. They joined FIBA in 1959. Basketball was introduced to Sri Lanka in year 1917 by Mr. Walter Cammak. In both countries, basketball is popular in high schools, colleges, and universities. Sri Lanka is 48 on a basketball chart and India is 66 on the same chart. Sri Lanka doesn’t have any players in the NBA but India has one player in the NBA who is Satnam Singh Bhamara.

Ch.3

Asia Championship

1991	13	1991 ABC Championship	Kobe, Japan
1995	13	1995 ABC Championship	Seoul, South Korea
1997	11	1997 ABC Championship	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2001	8	2001 ABC Championship	Shanghai, China
2003	8	2003 ABC Championship	Harbin, China
2005	12	2005 FIBA Asia Championship	Doha, Qatar
2007	15	2007 FIBA Asia Championship	Tokushima, Japan

 

Asian Games

·         1982 : 8th

·         1986-2002 : Did not qualify

·         2006 : 17th

·         2010 : 11th

 

South Asian Games

·         1995 : 1st

·         1999 : 1st

·         2004 : 1st

·         2010 : 2nd

Ch. 4

There are many great Indian basketball players like Dallas Mavericks player Satnam Singh and also Divya Singh, former captain of Indian National Women’s Basketball Team. Here are some of these players:

·         Amjyot Singh: Amjyot Singh originally intended to be a cricketer, until a back injury led him to basketball. Cricket’s loss was Indian basketball’s biggest gain. Last year, Amjyot Singh played a stellar role in India’s shock win over China in the finals of FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan. As a junior, he scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds to complete a 65-58 win over the Asian giants.

·         Akanksha Singh: Akanksha Singh is the current captain of India Women's National Basketball Team. She is the member of national women team since 2004 to till date. Her sisters Divya, Prashanti, and Pratima, have represented Indian National Women's Basketball Team. Together they are also known as. Currently she is associated with Shiv Nadar University as a sports officer.

·         Satnam Singh: Satnam Singh Bhamara is an Indian professional basketball player for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He became the first player from India to be drafted into the NBA when the Dallas Mavericks chose him with the 52nd overall pick in the 2015 draft.

·         Vishesh Bhriguvanshi: The captain and floor general of the Indian team proved himself at a tender age, as evidenced by his accolades. Bhriguvanshi started playing on a court near his house in Varanasi, UP and never imagined where that first step would lead.

·         Amritpal Singh: India’s best option after the departure of Satnam Singh, Amritpal is a consistent player at both end of the court. Originally a kabaddi player, Amritpal tended to his family’s agriculture business before his uncle saw potential in his fantastic height.