Hoopdarshan Episode 88: Kobe Bryant + India's internationally-acclaimed FIBA official, Norman Isaac

We start off this episode with a lengthy discussion on life, legacy, and untimely death of the late, great Kobe Bryant.

In episode 88 of Hoopdarshan, we welcome Norman Isaac, India's own FIBA Technical Delegate and Commissioner who has officiated high-level international matches for decades, including the recent FIBA World Cup Final in Beijing. Isaac speaks to co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about working a big event like the World Cup, the evolution of international basketball officiating over the years, how to improve the status of Indian basketball, and his own playing days for Andhra Pradesh.

In 2017, Isaac became the first-ever Indian to be named a FIBA Technical Delegate. He has served as FIBA Commissioner in numerous international basketball events, including the World Cup, FIBA Qualifiers and the FIBA Asia Cup. Originally from Hyderabad, he has been a referee for nearly 20 years and was appointment as chairman of BFI’s Technical Commission in 2015.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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IOB (Men) and Kerala (Women) win 32nd Federation Cup in Chittoor

One of the most prestigious tournaments in Indian basketball concluded in Chittor, Andhra Pradesh yesterday with a story of redemption. In the final of the 32nd Federation Cup National Basketball Tournament on Sunday, IOB (Chennai) exorcised years of demons against the dominant ONGC squad to win a memorable title, ending ONGC's five-year run at the top. In the women's final, Kerala's young squad added another feather to their cap, defeating neighbours Tamil Nadu in the final.

Organised by the Andhra Pradesh Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the Federation Cup brought together the best club/state teams from the top 8 states in both the Men’s and Women’s categories from around the country to Chittoor from May 1-6, 2018.

In the Men's final, Chennai's Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) finally ended ONGC's (Dehradun) reign at the top, winning 62-43 to win the gold. IOB shifted to high gear on the defensive end after halftime and were able to run away to the comfortable victory. The IOB squad featured several top names in the national basketball circuit, including Prasanna Venkatesh, Gnanasekaran Sivabalan, and Rikin Pethani, who led all scorers with 17 in the final. ONGC can find silver lining in their loss thanks to positive performances by experienced forward Yadwinder Singh and a return to basketball by star player Vishesh Bhriguvanshi after a 9-month lay-off to his torn ACL.

Kerala's Women were led by Neenumol PS (22) and national team star Jeena Scaria (20) for their victory over TN, 66-50. Kerala's captain Anjana PG added 14 in the final.

India's top squads to play at Federation Cup basketball tournament in Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh)

If the Senior Nationals of Indian Basketball is a showcase of the quantity of Indian basketball, the Federation Cup is a highlight of the game's quality. This prestigious annual tournament brings together only the best state and unit teams from around the country, featuring India's top players in both the men and women's divisions.

This year, the 32nd Federation Cup National Basketball Tournament will be held at the District Sports Authority in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh from May 1-6, 2018. The best club/state teams from the top 8 states in both the Men’s and Women’s category will take part, along with hosts Andhra Pradesh. The championship is being organised by the Andhra Pradesh Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

The men's category of the Federation Cup has been dominated for ONGC for several years. The Dehradun-based squad has won the past five iterations of the Federation Cup, including last year's championship in Coimbatore. Chhattisgarh women won the 2017 women's category with a final's victory over Southern Railway.

The winner of the men’s championship will represent India in the 2018 FIBA Asia Champions Cup, which is tentatively slated to be held somewhere in China in late September.

Participating Teams

Men

• ONGC Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
• IOB Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
• Punjab Police
• BSF Jodhpur (Rajasthan)
• Custom and Central Excise, Kochi (Kerala)
• Hissar Club (Haryana)
• MEG Bangalore (Karnataka)
• Western Railways (Indian Railways)
• Andhra Pradesh

Women

• Eastern Railway (Indian Railways)
• Kerala
• Chattisgarh
• Tamil Nadu
• Karnataka
• Telangana
• Delhi
• Maharashtra
• Andhra Pradesh

Two Spanish clubs assist basketball camp with rural kids in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh)

For several years, the Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA) has been organising grassroots sports activities in the Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) region, with a mission to bring out the hidden talents of rural Indian children in different sporting disciplines. A part of the Rural Development Trust (RDT), ASA is considered to be one of the largest sport for development programs, providing participating youth with infrastructure, equipment and coaching support.

ASA currently runs an established three-tiered structure to develop sports in seven major sporting disciplines, Football, Hockey, Cricket, Judo, Tennis, Softball and Special Olympics. But over the past week, they got some international help to spread their wings and bring some Basketball joy to hundreds of rural kids in Anantapur, too.

From July 16-29, 2016, fourteen coaches from two Spanish basketball clubs from the town of Sant Cugat del Valles - Unió Esportiva Sant Cugat (UESC) and QBasket Sant Cugat (QBSC) - were in India, and they trained about 220 children from all over Andhra Pradesh at three different venues. The camp was held in collaboration with the RDT, Fundación Vicente Ferrer, and the Sant Cugat Esport FC Spanish football club who had been holding football camps in Anantpur since 2013.

Oriol Antras Marti, UESC's coordinator for the duration of this camp, said "We are very glad to associate ourselves with RDT to organise this camp. SCEFC is here for their fourth camp, they have established, a structure for football, and a strong bond with the children and associated personnel. This has helped them grow the game of football greatly over just four years. Which is why we are looking to follow their lead, establish a similar structure and emulate them to try and grow Basketball in Anantapur similar to how they have done with football."

Maxon Sequira, a member of the ASA Communications team, wrote that the prime objective behind organising the camp was to encourage the existing Basketball playing youngsters to continue playing the sport and introduce the sport to the younger non playing children who poured in from some of the most remote villages of Anantapur and nearby districts to learn and play Basketball.

Sequire added that apart from the daily coaching sessions, the coaches also met with local associations, coaches and PE teachers on their visits to the villages in Anantapur. They aimed to educate these people and equip them with necessary skills to carry on the work of promoting the sport till the next camp.

UESC and QBasket are both in the Spanish fourth division and Catalan first division.

Madhya Pradesh (Boys) and Chhattisgarh (Girls) win India's 2016 Sub-Junior Basketball Championship in Puducherry

The best of India's under-14 basketball talent got together on the same platform in Puducherry for a week of exciting hoops at the 2016 National Basketball Championship for Sub-Junior Boys and Girls from February 2-8. The 42nd edition of this long-running event came to an end with two closely-contest final games on Monday, February 8th. Madhya Pradesh's boys retained their title with a heart-thumping overtime victory while Chhattisgarh Girls bounced back from their final loss at the tournament's previous edition to claim top spot again.

Organized the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the 'Sub-Jr Nationals' were held at Puducherry's Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium. A total of 23 boys' teams and 27 girls' teams from around India participated.

Chhattisgarh returned to the girls' final with an aim to recapture their spot at the top of the podium after losing to Kerala in the final at Nashik 15 months ago. Facing a strong Tamil Nadu side, Chhattisgarh started the final contest on Monday in style, rolling to a 21-8 lead early in the first quarter. While their shots were falling off, TN played tough defense to close the gap after halftime and make it just a seven point game before the final period. Behind the efforts of Elizabeth Ekka (24 points), Chhattisgarh were able to hold on to a 54-48 win and celebrate as champions. Pavithra Sree led TN with 16 in the loss.

The boys finale pitted the tournament's two best teams - Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh - against each other, and the close finish showed that the two neighbouring states had little to separate them on court, too. The final was a repeat of the tournament's previous edition, where MP had defeated Chhattisgarh in a high-scoring game to win the gold. On Monday, it was Chhattisgarh who got started off on the right foot, with hopes to overturn their bitter loss last time and double up on the success of their girls' team. In a defensive contest, Chhattisgarh held on to a 31-20 lead at halftime. But the halftime break seemed their opponents the boost they needed, and MP turned the tables on Chhattisgarh by making a big comeback to take the lead. Chhattisgarh equalized the game in the last 10 seconds of regulation at 53-53, and when time expired, the game went into overtime. MP, fueled by their second-half momentum, separated themselves from their rivals in the five extra minutes to repeat as champions, 64-59. The duo of Jeet Kharwar (21) and Brijesh Tiwari (19) walked home as the most valuable performers in the final for the winning side.

Earlier in the day, the fight for the bronze medal took place in the girls’ and boys’ categories. In the girls' 3rd place match, Maharashtra comfortably defeated Madhya Pradesh 63-36 to capture the bronze medal. In the boys’ category, Rajasthan clinched 3rd place defeating Uttar Pradesh in a close game 71-66. Despite a few late mistakes, Rajasthan held on to their slim lead to close out the game and take home the bronze medal. Rajveer’s 21 points were crucial for Rajasthan. UP's Priyanshu put up a game-high 25 points in a losing effort, while Aniket added 16.

The winning teams were awarded a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 each, while the runners up were awarded Rs. 30,000 each. The third placed teams received a cash prize of Rs. 20,000 each.

A day earlier, Chhattisgarh girls were made to sweat till the very end in a tightly-contested semi-final contest against Maharashtra. Elizabeth Ekka exploded for 30 to give Chhattisgarh an early lead, but Maharashtra bounced back behind the efforts of Shruti Bhosale (16) to take the game into the fourth quarter. Chhattisgarh showed their late-game class and nerves to edge past for a 66-61 win in the end. In the other girls' semi-final, the trio of Pavithra Sree (20), Deepa D. (18) and Hari V. (16) led Tamil Nadu to a 70-57 win over Madhya Pradesh, blowing open a close game with a huge fourth-quarter run. Rajvi Desai scored 27 for MP in the loss.

MP found more favour in the boys' semi-final game, where they had defeated Rajasthan 59-46 behind a 25 point effort by Pankaj S. Rajveer SB scored 18 for the losing side. Chhattisgarh had little trouble getting past Uttar Pradesh despite a game-high 29 points by UP's star Priyanshu. Chhattisgarh started slow, but gained momentum as the game progressed and were in complete control of the second half en route to the 70-49 win. Rishab (18) and Sajjad (16) led Chhattisgarh's scoring surge.

Final Scores

• Girls: Chhattisgarh (Elizabeth Ekka 24, Shweta S. 13) bt Tamil Nadu (Pavithra Sree 16) 54-48 (21-8, 8-9, 9-14, 16-17).
  
• Boys: Madhya Pradesh (Jeet Kharwar 21, Brijesh Tiwari 19) bt Chhattisgarh (Sajjad Ali 13) 64-59 OT (12-15, 8-16, 15-8, 18-14, 11-6)
  

Third/Fourth Place Games

• Girls: Maharashtra (Suzanne 14) bt Madhya Pradesh 63-36 (21-13, 17-6, 12-11, 13-6).
• Boys: Rajasthan (Rajveer S. 21) bt Uttar Pradesh (Priyanshu 25, Aniket 16) 71-66 (22-18, 12-11, 19-16, 18-11).

Final Standings

Boys

• 1. Madhya Pradesh
• 2. Chhattisgarh
• 3. Rajasthan
• 4. Uttar Pradesh
• 5. Andhra Pradesh

Girls

• 1. Chhattisgarh
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Maharashtra
• 4. Madhya Pradesh
• 5. Karnataka

Hyderabad District Basketball Association (HDBA) panel has been dissolved

After charges that accused them of holding back the promotion of basketball and basketball players in the city, the incumbent panel of the Hyderabad District Basketball Association (HDBA) was dissolved at a Special General Body Meeting, reported The Hans India. Consequently, a five-member Ad-hoc Committee was formed to run the affairs of the HDBA and conduct fresh elections.

It was reported that a "growing fissures" within the committee led several members of the HDBA to question the panel's decisions, including non-participation Hyderabad players at the Youth National Championship in Bhavnagar and Junior National Championship in Ludhiana earlier this year. The Hans India reported that: "The decision to dissolve the body was unanimous on the charges that the incumbent panel was not promoting the game to the required levels and for preventing players from the district from attending selection trials called for by the Telangana Basketball Association."

Via Hans India:

The observers for the meeting included Vijay Kumar Yadav, President of Hyderabad District Olympic Association and A Aleem Khan, DSDO of DSA, Hyderabad.

Office-bearers of the Ad-hoc Committee: Mohan Rao (Chairman), R. Sridhar Reddy (Convenor), Norman Isaac, S Nagabhushnam and Solomon Prem Kumar as members.

Hyderabad - one of the fastest-growing basketball cities in India - is the capital of Telangana and de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh.

32nd Youth National Basketball Championship tipped off in Bhavnagar yesterday

When rainfall hit the courts at Bhavnagar (Gujarat) on Monday afternoon, all the outdoor basketball action came to a halt. It took a couple of hours before the dark clouds cleared the skies and the Youth Nationals - India's best domestic exhibition of U16 basketball talent - continued.

But the metaphorical dark clouds have remained hovering over all basketball activities in India all year. It is to the credit of this resilient, disputed faction of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) that the show has continued to go on, and Indian basketball - domestic and international - hasn't yet come to a complete halt despite the speed-bumps on the way.

On Monday, September 14th, the 32nd Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls tipped off at the outdoor courts of Bhavnagar University. The week-long tournament is set to feature 22 boys' teams and 21 girls' teams in a showcase of the finest next-generation basketball players in India. The championship is being organized by the Gujarat State Basketball Association under the aegis of one of the two disputing factions of the BFI. The BFI split into two opposing committees earlier this year, with each questioning the legality of the other in an ongoing off-court battle. But Team Govindraj - the BFI faction behind the organization of the 32nd Youth Nationals - have held firm of their stand atop the federation and continued to hold events in India and abroad as normal.

On-court, the action promises to be much more palatable for fans of the game itself. Tamil Nadu have entered the tournament as reigning champions in both boys and girls divisions from last year's Youth Nationals in Chandigarh. Kerala - the runners-up in both divisions - will look to finish one better this time, while the squads from Karnataka and Maharashtra (Girls) and Haryana and Chhattisgarh (Boys) will have their eyes on the prize, too. The finals of the tournament will be held on September 20.

The first morning of the tournament saw Tamil Nadu Girls cruise to an easy victory over southern neighbours Andhra Pradesh 49-12. In the other Level 1 game in the girls’ category, Haryana pulled off an unlikely 61-49 victory against last year’s runners up Kerala, on the back of Meena’s 22 points. In the boys' division, Karnataka notched a win over Jammu and Kashmir Chandigarh scraped past West Bengal.

32nd Youth Nationals Participating Teams and Groupings

Boys

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
  
• Level 1, Group B: Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra.
  
• Level 2, Group C: Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry.
  
• Level 2, Group D: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana.
  
• Level 2, Group E: Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand.
  
• Level 2, Group F: Bihar, Chandigarh, West Bengal.
  

Girls

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab.
  
• Level 1, Group B: Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Delhi.
  
• Level 2, Group C: Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• Level 2, Group D: West Bengal, Gujarat, Puducherry.
  
• Level 2, Group E: Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Telangana.
  
• Level 2, Group F: Goa, Bihar.
  

At the tournament's opening ceremony on Monday, all the invited teams participated in a march-past led by a trained marching band. Chief Guest for the ceremony was Nanubhai Vanani, the Sports Minister of Gujarat. Other dignitaries present included Mansukhbhai Mandaviya (M.P., Rajya Sabha) and Jitubhai Vaghani (M.L.A., Bhavnagar West). From the BFI, Secretary General Chander Mukhi Sharma was present and addressed the crowd. He requested all coaches to ensure maximum output from their team players as the selection committee was watching all games and all teams. Dr. Shailesh Zala, Vice Chancellor, Bhavnagar University, declared the event open. Karp Impex Group, involved in the business of diamond polishing, crafting and sale and based out of Surat, Gujarat, is the main sponsor for the event.

And yes, although rainfall interrupted the day's basketball events a little bit, the skies cleared and games eventually went on as scheduled. Hopefully, the skies over the BFI infighting can clear soon, too, and Indian basketball can continue uninterrupted in the future.

Selected Opening Day Results

Girls

• Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 49-12 (19-3, 15-0, 13-4, 2-5).
  
• Haryana (Meena 22) bt Kerala 61-49 (18-14, 10-9, 19-10, 14-16).

India's top under-14 state teams head to Nashik (Maharashtra) for 41st Sub-Jr National Basketball Championship

Don't equate India's lack of international basketball success to a lack of potential talent: As some of the top late-bloomers in India have shown, it wasn't their talent which was lacking, it was only their timing. To create a revolution in Indian basketball and produce world-beaters from our country, we have to focus on identifying and training the players with the best upside as early as possible. For about a week in Nashik (Maharashtra), fans will get a chance to see the work put in to hone the craft of the youngest members of the Indian hoops fraternity. The Sub-Junior (Under-14) nationals is the youngest national-level basketball tournament in the country: From November 22-28, Nashik is hosting the 41st Sub-Jr National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. 27 boys' teams and 25 girls' teams gathered for tip off at the Meenathai Thakrey Stadium on Saturday.

The onus will be on Chhattisgarh - champions in both the boys' and girls' divisions at this tournament last year in Patna - to continue their dominating performances this year, too. Chhattisgarh's girls have won every Sub-Jr title since 2002 (12 in a row!), and last year, their boys' team joined in the celebrations, too. Madhya Pradesh will be another team to watch in both divisions while Tamil Nadu (Girls) and Rajasthan (Boys) have enjoyed stellar performances in this competition in the recent past. Hosts Maharashtra will be out to defend their home court, while this tournament will also mark the debut of Telengana - India's newest state born out of northern Andhra Pradesh - at the national basketball level as an independent team.

The tournament is being organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG Reliance in partnership with the Maharashtra Basketball Association.

Participating teams at the 41st Sub-Jr National Basketball Championship

• Boys: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Mizoram, Telengana, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh.
  
• Girls: Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Telengana, Rajasthan, Goa, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Manipur, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Gujarat.
  

Chhattisgarh's Boys team opened up their title defense in style on Saturday, taking a 11-point lead at halftime up to a convincing 75-57 victory over the tough Andhra Pradesh squad. Salim Ali was impressive for Chhattisgarh with 27 points in the win. In a battle of the silver and bronze medalists from 2013, Madhya Pradesh used a scintillating fourth quarter to turn a close game into a blowout victory against Rajasthan. Harshwarohan Tomar had 21 for MP, who won 60-40 after a 16-4 run in the final period of the game.

In a girls' contest of two strong neighbouring southern states, Kerala used tough defense to see off Karnataka 49-27. Sreekala R led the way for Kerala with 23 points in the win, nearly single-handedly equaling the total of her opponents. In their first game as an independent state, Telengana Girls maintained a steady lead over Rajasthan en route to a 50-31 win.

Selected Scores

Boys

• Chhattisgarh (Salim Ali 27) bt Andhra Pradesh (S. Syed 14) 75-57 (23-16, 16-12, 25-20, 11-9).
  
• Madhya Pradesh (Harshwarohan Tomar 21) bt Rajasthan 60-40 (12-8, 14-14, 18-14, 16-4).
  
• Odisha (Suresh Das 36) bt Uttar Pradesh 66-58 OT (9-17, 17-6, 22-15, 5-15, 13-5).
  

Girls

• Odisha (Papli Patra 14) bt Uttarakhand 41-25 (14-10, 2-4, 15-6, 10-5).
  
• Telengana bt Rajasthan 50-31 (13-12, 15-9, 13-4, 9-6).
  
• Kerala (Sreekala R 23) bt Karnataka 49-27 (12-8, 10-10, 10-5, 17-4).
  

The finals of the tournament are scheduled to be held on Friday, November 28.

Defending champs start with wins as 64th National Basketball Championship tips off in Delhi

The race to fight for India's most prestigious basketball trophy - the National Basketball Championship - got underway in its 64th iteration at the Thyagaraj Stadium in the capital city of New Delhi from Wednesday, February 26th. The eight-day tournament is set to feature 51 total state/unit teams from across India. On the opening day, defending champions Uttarakhand (Men) and Indian Railways (Women) both started their campaigns with decisive wins.

The All India 64th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women is being organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in conjunction with the Delhi Basketball Association (DBA) and support from IMG-Reliance. At the opening ceremony on Friday, Ajit Mohan Saran, the Secretary of Sports for India's Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, was the chief guest. Neeraj Kansal (Secretary of the Sports Authority of India) and Del Harris (former NBA Coach of the Year) were also present as special guests.

Uttarakhand, the tournament's reigning champs from last year in Ludhiana and featuring some of the best men stars in Indian basketball, opened their title defense with a closely contested victory against Indian Railways. After falling behind by six points at the end of the third quarter, Uttarakhand came charging back with a 29-17 run in the final period to outlast their opponents 68-62. Rising Indian big man Amrit Pal Singh led the way with 25 points for Uttarakhand while experienced guard Riyazuddin added 16. Gagandeep Singh scored 20 to pace Railways.

Last year's Men's finalists Punjab also started off the tournament with championship intentions and put on a fantastic, balanced display to overwhelm Andhra Pradesh en route to a 92-44 win. Punjab started the game on a 27-4 run and never looked back.

Indian Railways women have won the last six National Championships. They continued their form in their first game, capitalizing on a relatively inexperienced West Bengal side early and cruising to a 68-40 win.

Meanwhile, last year's Women's finalists Tamil Nadu crushed Maharashtra, starting the game on a 22-2 first quarter advantage and keeping their opponents under seven points in every quarter there-after. The unstoppable Appoorva Muralinath had 26 points for TN, outscoring Maharashtra all by herself. TN defeated Maharashtra 63-20.

Selected Scores

Men

• Punjab (Ranbir Singh 15, Amripal Singh 14, Gurvinder Singh 14, Jagdeep Singh 14) bt Andhra Pradesh (GV Reddy 13) 92-44 (27-4, 27-22, 21-10, 17-8).
  
• Uttarakhand (Amrit Pal Singh 25, Riyazuddin 16) bt Indian Railways (Gagandeep Singh 20, Prakesh Mishra 10) 68-62 (15-15, 13-11, 11-19, 29-17).
  
• Services (Gopal Ram 17, SM Settu 16, Dalip Kumar 13) bt Rajasthan (Prashant Singh 22, Vinod Kumar 10) 101-57 (19-17, 31-9, 26-14, 25-17).
  

Women

• Delhi (Raspreet Sidhu 22, Prashanti Singh 18) bt Karnataka (Kruthika Lakshman 19, PU Navneetha 13) 77-58 (20-17, 17-16, 23-13, 17-12).
  
• Indian Railways (Anju Lakra 13) bt West Bengal 68-40 (25-16, 12-11, 13-9, 18-4).
  
• Tamil Nadu (Appoorva Muralinath 26, Soniya Joy 14, R. Ramya 14) bt Maharashtra 63-20 (22-2, 18-5, 11-7, 12-6).
  

You can find a daily updates of results from the tournament here.

As mentioned above, former NBA Coach of the Year Del Harris is a special guest at the tournament. Along with India's National Senior Men's team coach Scott Flemming, Harris hosted a training session for attending coaches and players at the Thyagaraj Stadium on Thursday, February 27th.

Chhattisgarh dominate Sub-Jr National Championship to win two gold medals in Patna

Rarely in Indian basketball history has a state been so dominant. The final result was almost scripted from the very beginning. Chhattisgarh's Girls' U-14 basketball squad - who have won every Sub-Jr National title since 2002 - added a 12th consecutive gold medal at the 40th National Championship for Sub-Junior Boys and Girls by rolling past Tamil Nadu in Patna (Bihar) in a rematch of the 2012 final. But this year, the boys' squad joined in the celebration, as they also reached the Sub-Jr Nationals summit matching the girls' undefeated performance for a gold medal win against neighbouring Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.

The Sub-Jr Nationals - which are India's premier national basketball tournament for the federation's youngest members, the under-14s - was held this year at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna. Organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Bihar Basketball Association, the tournament tipped off on August 18th and featured competition between 24 boys' and 21 girls' squads from all across the country.

Led by a game-high 26 points by Gulabsha Ali in the Final, Chhattisgarh Girls snubbed any hopes that Tamil Nadu had of avenging last year's final in Goa. Chhattisgarh jumped to an energetic 19 point lead in the very first quarter and never looked back, eventually extending their advantage to a 79-42 victory. Manisha added 16 points for the winning side while TN were led by Srishti Suren (25).

In the boys' final, Madhya Pradesh, who has faced a surprising loss to West Bengal last year, had to settle for silver medal once again. In a lower-scoring battle, Binod scored more than half of his team's points for Chhattisgarh as he helped his squad keep a steady lead throughout and secure the gold with a 57-47 win. Binod ended up with 31 points, while MP were led by Himanshu's 21.

Earlier on the final day of the tournament, Rajasthan Boys had to come from behind to defeat Andhra Pradesh 87-66 to secure third place in the championship. Ashish Trivedi of Rajasthan was the best individual performer of the day, scoring 36 points, while Ashish Singh Bisht added 18 for the winners. AP, who held a first quarter lead before succumbing to Rajasthan's comeback, were led by Kunal (19).

In the Girls' third-place matchup, Divyani Gangewir scored 16 points to lead Madhya Pradesh to a 55-44 win over Maharashtra.

Indian film actor and Member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha was invited as the chief guest at the prize distribution and closing ceremony of the tournament on August 25th.

On Saturday, Chhattisgarh Girls faced little trouble in their semi-final clash against Maharashtra, running past them to a 89-57 victory. Gulabsha Ali (22), Manisha (20), and Laxmi (19) were all part of Chhattisgarh's multi-pronged assault. In the J. Ishwarya (25 points) helped Tamil Nadu blew open a close game at halftime against Madhya Pradesh to cruise to a 70-50 victory in the other semi-final. K. Priya added 16 for TN, while MP's Divyani Gangewir countered with 20 points in the loss.

For Chhattisgarh, the hero of the boys' semi-final win was Binod, who perhaps foreshadowed his form that would carry on to the finale with a 39-point outburst that helped his side pace past Rajasthan to a 72-51 triumph. Ashish Trivedi's 21 and Ashish Singh Bisth's 20 weren't enough to save the tie for the Rajasthanis. The other boys' semi-final was a defensive master-class by Madhya Pradesh, who defeated Andhra Pradesh 72-35, limiting them to just 15 points after half-time. Himanshu (22) of MP was the game's leading scorer.

The eight-day tournament was initially marred with power issues, as electrical outages turned off the lights and the air-conditioners over the first few days. The young players often had to play in the dark or suspend their game until power returned.

Final Scores

Girls: Chhattisgarh (Gulabsha Ali 26, Manisha 16) bt. Tamil Nadu (Srishti Suren 25) 79-42 (29-10, 47-18, 66-30, 79-42).

Boys: Chhattisgarh (Binod 31) bt. Madhya Pradesh (Himanshu 21) 57-47 (23-17, 35-21, 47-39, 57-47).

Third-Place Matchups

Girls: Madhya Pradesh (Divyani Gangewir 16, Varsha 14) bt. Maharashtra (Sakshi 13) 55-44 (7-9, 23-18, 40-33, 55-44).

Boys: Rajasthan (Ashish Trivedi 36, Ashish Singh Bisht 18) bt Andhra Pradesh (Kunal 19) 87-66 (24-27, 43-38, 62-48, 87-66).

Final Standings

Girls

1. Chhattisgarh
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Maharashtra
5. Karnataka

Boys

1. Chhattisgarh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Rajasthan
4. Andhra Pradesh
5. Uttar Pradesh

Indian-origin girls Sophia Bhasin & Shilpa Tummala become High-School Basketball stars in US

They live in different states and are two amongst thousands and thousands of high-school basketball stars in the USA, but Sophia Bhasin of Cajon High School (San Bernardino, California) and Shilpa Tummala of St. Mary's High School (Phoenix, Arizona) have a genealogical keeping them parallel: they are both of Indian-origin. The two young players have been making waves in the High-School girls basketball circuit in America and have both earned impressive Division I basketball scholarships for college.

Bhasin was born in Punjab, India, and moved to the US when she was 8 years old. She didn't start playing basketball until the 7th grade, but has since developed into a star at Cajun in California. The 5-foot-7 guard has been an important contributor to a side with a 32-3 record that finished fourth in the state of California. She has been a scoring and triple-double threat for her side, averaging 25.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 4.7 steals per game for her team.

Then there's 5-11 Tummala, who was born in Phoenix but her parents moved to America from Andhra Pradesh in India. Tummala is a great inside-outside threat who has worked hard for St. Mary's in Arizona to now find herself ranked at #68 by ESPN HoopGurlz in girls basketball across the US.

Both these young girls have broken traditional barriers set by the Indian cultural upbringing as well as expectations of basketball in the US, where Indian-origin players rarely make a mark. As a reward, both have committed to scholarships to Division-I basketball programmes at major colleges in the US: Sophia Bhasin will be attending Long Island University in New York while Shilpa Tummala has committed to attend the prestigious Harvard University in Massachusetts.

Glenn Nelson of ESPN wrote a special feature on the two Indian-origin girls. Here are some excerpts:

"Honestly, it wasn't very common for an Indian girl to be so actively involved in sports," Tummala said via email. "The fact that I played basketball competitively and devoted so much of my time to basketball shocked many people in my community."

"I do have family back in India," Tummala said. "And yes, most of them know that I am going to play basketball in college. They seem to enjoy the fact that I am going to Harvard next year to play basketball. But, I believe, the 'Harvard' part is what really excites them as they don't know much about my basketball career in America."
Both Tummala and Bhasin have fathers who became active supporters of their basketball pursuits. Bhasin's twin brother, Ranjit, was who dragged her into the sport. She became a quick study, mastering for example the advanced skill of creating jump shots off the dribble, an attribute that is the foundation of her 25.2-point scoring average this season.

Bhasin is a dual citizen of both India and the USA. In a story published for San Bernandino's 'The Sun', Bhasin said that she would be open to representing either country. Let's just hope she chooses us!

Here are excerpts from 'The Sun' article on Sophia Bhasin, written by Pete Marshall:

"It wasn't that hard (moving to the U.S.) because I had been here before and everyone has to learn English in India," Bhasin said.

Bhasin, who now has dual citizenship in India and the U.S., knows she is part of two worlds that don't often cross paths. Not only is she from India but she is a Sikh and attends temple on Sundays in Riverside.
"I don't really consider myself a pioneer," she said. "But I'll always be part of the India community. All of my dad's friends come out and my friends from temple come out and watch me play."
Her father, V.P., who owns businesses in San Bernardino and Upland, was a cricket player as a youth before his career was cut short by a knee injury. He not only is at games but frequently shows up to watch Cajon practice.
"I really wanted to encourage her to play basketball, which she really liked," V.P. said in a phone interview.

"The women's basketball team from India is not very good," V.P. said. "They didn't even qualify for the Olympics (this year). I'd love to see Sophie play for India."
"I'd love to be able to play for India or America," she said. "I'd be proud of myself as a dual citizen."

Wishing both these girls the best of luck in hoops... Even if they don't contribute to basketball in India, I'll be proud to see them succeed as Indians abroad!

Maharashtra Boys; Chhattisgarh Girls win 2011 Sub Jr. National Basketball Championship

Basketball fans in Lucknow were given a visual treat on Friday evening as the best under-14 teams from around India clashed in the Finals of the 38th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in the city’s RDSO court. Eight days of exciting hoops action ended in fitting manner as the boys’ final saw Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra fight neck-no-neck in a classic final, which was finally won by Maharashtra. The Girls’ championship was a repeat of last year’s final between Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, and for the seventh consecutive year, it was Chhattisgarh who emerged as Sub Jr champions.

Basketball fans couldn’t have asked for a better final than the face-off between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh Boys, two teams with contrasting but effective styles. The teams stayed close throughout: Andhra Pradesh using taking advantage of their length and speed, while Maharashtra relied on their skill and passing. AP had a slim, one point lead at the end of the half, but couldn’t extend on the advantage: neither side was able to go over more than four point of their opponent for the majority of the game.

With the game reaching its last moments, Maharashtra had overturned the score and had a three point lead in the fourth quarter, thanks to their talented guards who penetrated and passed very well all night. AP made some crucial mistakes in the end, and Maharashtra’s Zaid Shaikh pulled out big, level-headed plays to give his side a 61-58 win and the National championship.

“We had practiced very hard for this championship, and came ready to dominate,” said Shaikh, “We had beaten AP in a blowout early in this championship, so we had to be wary of their backlash tonight. Luckily, we were able to play well in the end and win – our team’s strength was our great combination.”

M. Siva Durga of AP led all scorers in the final with 16 points.

The girls’ final was a repeat of last year’s final between Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. Chhattisgarh Girls have been an unstoppable force in the Sub-Junior level, and win another big victory on Friday, won their 10th championship in 11 years. Chhattisgarh, who have been the best team in the competition, were in no mood for a slip-up in the final, as they started strong and refused to slow down against their opponents. Saving their best defensive performance for the finale, Chhattisgarh outscored Karnataka 36-7 in a devastating first half.

Chhattisgarh’s defense focused around stopping Karnataka’s Lopamudra, who had been the best individual player in the girls’ section in the tournament. With Lopa on check, Chhattisgarh were able to cruise in the second half and celebrate their seventh consecutive Sub-Junior national title with a 64-21 victory. Riya Verma led Chhattisgarh in the final with 23 points.

“We are a strong team because we are very united,” said P. Divya, the captain of the Chhattisgarh side, “We were prepared for this team because we had defeated them in the final last year, and in this year’s tournament, we knew that our team was too strong for any opponent.”

Earlier on Friday, the 3rd/4th place games were held: In the boys’ game, Punjab overcame a slow start against Chhattisgarh to make a strong comeback and win 70-47. Punjab were led by Guksewala (21 points) and Abhi (16). For Chhattisgarh, Mithun, who had scored 46 points in a loss to AP in the semi-final only the previous night, led the scoring charge of his team with 18 points in the 3rd/4th place playoff.

In the girls’ game, Maharashtra played a strong second quarter to overturn the score against Kerala and then race to a 48-37 win to clinch third place. Maharashtra were led by Veera who had 16 points.

Mr. V Ramachandran, the Director-General of RDSO, was the chief guest at the final and handed out the prize-winners trophies. “I was very glad to see the talent on display here and wish to see many of these players representing India one day,” said Ramachandran, “My best wishes go out to all those who took part in this championship. I would also like to thank the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the Uttar Pradesh Basketball Association (UPBA), and RDSO for conducting this big event.

For the first time in the Sub-Junior nationals, individual prizes were given for the Most Promising Players of the tournament. With the award, the individual players were also given a cash prize of Rs. 5000 each. The awards were given to:

Boys: M. Shiva Durga (Andhra Pradesh)
Girls: Riya Verma (Chhattisgarh)

Final Scores

Boys: Maharashtra (Shaikh Zaid 13, Astekar Aditya 12, Shaikh Mearaj 11, Shaikh Hammd 11) bt. Andhra Pradesh (M.Siva Durga 16, B.Neeraj Kumar 11, P.Durga Prasad 10) 61-58 (18-15, 13-17, 14-10, 16-16)

Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 23, P.Divya 12) bt. Karnataka 64-21 (23-6, 13-1, 7-2, 21-12)

3rd/4th Place Matches

Boys: Punjab (Guksewala 21, Abhi 16, Sukhder 13) bt. Chhattisgarh (Mithun 18, Hitesh 12) 70-47 (10-15, 15-9, 19-9, 26-14)

Girls: Maharashtra (Veera 16) bt. Kerala (Aleena 14) 48-37 (10-12, 12-4, 12-10, 14-11)

Finals Standings

Boys
1. Maharashtra
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Punjab

Girls
1. Chhattisgarh
2. Karnataka
3. Maharashtra

Sub-Jr Nationals: Holders Chhattisgarh start strong in India’s premier U14 national basketball championship

India’s finest under-14 level basketball players, from all four corners of the country, gathered together as the 38th Sub-Jr. National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls got under way at the RDSO basketball courts in the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. Although the first day of the championship was disrupted by heavy showers, perennial powerhouses Chhattisgarh girls started off strong again with a convincing victory over Punjab.

24 boys’ teams and 23 girls’ teams are taking part in this championship, which features the youngest members of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) family. The nationals, organised by the BFI and the Uttar Pradesh Basketball Association (UPBA), was inaugaurated by the chief guest V. Ramchandran, the director-general of RDSO, on Thursday evening.

Mr. Alok Sharma, the president of the UPBA was also present at the opening ceremony and encouraged the young hoop stars at present at the tournament. “You have come here to enjoy the game. At this stage, you learn the basics of basketball, you learn to win, and you learn to lose. Learning to lose is as important as learning to win.”

The Chhattisgarh Girls side, winners of the 2010 championship in Kangra, started where they left off in Lucknow with a dominating win over Punjab. Chhattisgarh only allowed Punjab to score one point in the first three quarters, and were comfortable 43-8 winners.

In a close Boys’ game, Andhra Pradesh edged out Haryana 36-34. After taking a comfortable eight point lead at the end of three quarters, Haryana made a furious comeback in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to stop AP from a close victory.

Final Scores

Boys

Andhra Pradesh (MA Salman 11) bt. Haryana (Mohit 11) 36-34 (5-10, 10-6, 11-2, 10-16)

Girls

Chhattisgarh (Rhea Verma 13, P. Divya 12) bt. Punjab 43-8 (18-1, 7-0, 4-0, 14-7)

Delhi bt. Himachal Pradesh 25-10 (3-6, 7-0, 8-4, 7-0)

Haryana (Meena 16, Nikita 10) bt. Gujarat 38-14 (20-4, 4-0, 8-4, 6-0)

Despite QF exit, Haryana Boys basketball takes a big step forward

It seemed too good to be true. A side pooled into the lower level of the tournament demolishes every rival that comes its way and finds itself in a dream Quarter Final match-up against its big-name neighbour. Despite being underdogs, it dominates the proceedings, threatening to cause a historical upset.

But in the fourth quarter their dreams come crashing down. Despite leading by 8 points, their opponents make a fierce comeback in the fourth and take the lead. With the game on the line and a little over a second on the clock, the underdog side gets one last attempt at the basket. Their star player attempts a jump-shot from the left corner, one last shot that would win the game for his team and lead them into an unlikely Semi-Final spot.

Miss!

The ball touches on the far side of the rim and bounces off. The fairytale ends, and the losing team leaves the court dejected.

The Haryana Boys team, a side that haven’t made a mark in the tournament for nearly 20 years, went on a dream run at the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls at Nagpur and came within a jump-shot of defeating the capital side of Delhi and making it to the last four. But don’t tell them that the fairy-tale is over, because as coach Mahtab Dahiya and his group of hard-working young players will have you believe, this year is just the beginning: with a big step forward in this tournament, this team has ambitions for the gold next year.

“This is the best performance that we have had for many years, and after winning six straight games we lost just by one point,” said Coach Dahiya, clearly dejected after an early end to his team’s run, “But we have done well – and from being a lower level team this year, we have qualified to be amongst the higher level for the next Youth Nationals.”

Their best performance, Dahiya states, came against another stronger side, Andhra Pradesh. Before their Quarter-Final, Haryana played AP in an early morning game on the same day, and his players responded with a strong showing, defeating AP by 73 points en route to posting highest offensive score of the championship with 119 points.

So how did a team, who aren’t known to make a mark in Basketball tournaments in India, manage to do this well? Dahiya and his players claim that there was no magic formula, no superstar addition, and no major tactical change: just the good old cliché of ‘practice makes perfect’. “We just practiced harder for this tournament than ever before,” Dahiya said, “For the first time, we held a month-long camp before the tournament started in Kaithal in Haryana. We used to practice an hour a day first, and now, this team practice for two to two and a half hours daily.”

Haryana Boys won their first six games of the championship, beating Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Kerala, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh before their hurdle against Delhi. “We got unlucky,” Dahiya added, “We had ambitions to win the gold, but our luck didn’t favour our ambition.” Haryana were determined to make a mark in the championship this year, and even though they haven’t progressed beyond the last eight, their promotion from Lower to Higher Level is a result of the hard work that this team had put in.

On the way, players like Himanshu Sharma, Rakesh Sangwan, and Rahul Sharma left an indelible mark on the championship. Himanshu, the team’s leader from the front, has been the team’s best creator, dishing and driving at will throughout the tournament. He also epitomises the unselfish spirit of this team, deflecting any praise away from himself towards his teammates. “My individual play was fine, but our team as a whole showed good chemistry to come this far,” he said.

Rakesh Sangwan, at 6 foot 6, is the biggest player in the side, and was a handful in the post position in each game. After picking up the game just two years ago, he developed quickly to seal the starting role for Haryana.

And then there was Rahul Sharma, one of the youngsters in the side, a strong shooter who will be part of the Haryana U16 side next year, too. “We all had good performances,” Rahum said, “But next year, we plan to play even better. It will be the upper group, and we will play against better teams, but I promise we’ll be ready for it.”

And like his players, the coach also shares their confidence. “70% of this team can be back for next year’s Youth Nationals,” said Dahiya, “We will be back – and we will aim for the gold.”

Basketball’s Federation Cup to tip off in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) from Feb 10th

In a competition where the finest basketball teams in the country are set to be pitted against each other, the 25th IMG-Reliance Federation Cup Basketball Championship for Men and Women will be held Raipur (Chhattisgarh) from 10th-15th February, 2011. The championship will be conducted by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Basketball Association.

The Federation Cup is a tournament that features the top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions from the previous year’s Sr. National Basketball Championship. Thus, the top ranked teams from the 60th National Basketball Championship (in Ludhiana) will take part in the Federation Cup this year.

The participating squads are:

Men

1. Indian Railways
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Uttarakhand
4. Services
5. Andhra Pradesh
6. Chhattisgarh
7. Karnataka
8. Kerala

Women

1. Indian Railways
2. Delhi
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Karnataka
5. Kerala
6. Tamil Nadu
7. Maharashtra
8. Andhra Pradesh

The host team qualifies automatically – this year, hosts Chhattisgarh already fell in the top-eight of both divisions. The Men and Women’s teams from Punjab will not be participating, and have been replaced by Kerala (Men) and Andhra Pradesh (Women).

The 24th edition of the Federation Cup was held at Alwar (Rajasthan) from October 22nd-26th, 2009. ONGC (Uttrakhand) were champion amongst the Men while SEC (Indian Railways) won the Women’s division.

Delhi sets the biggest stage for the biggest games

National Basketball Championships have been held in India before – 60 times before to be exact – but there is something special about the 61st. Something different. The cheers are louder. The lights are brighter. The passes are so crisp that you can hear them zoom by.

The best Indian players in the business are displaying their talents at the 61st IMG-Reliance National Basketball Championship in New Delhi with the biggest prize in Indian basketball at stake. There is no bigger stage for the biggest games in the country, and the national capital has stepped up to host this fierce competition. But what will make this championship truly memorable that it is the first year that the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is receiving full sponsorship for its events by the IMG-Reliance partnership.

As BFI’s secretary-general Harish Sharma said to reporters to Monday, basketball is indeed ready to take the next step and conquer India.

An electric atmosphere is greeting players and fans every day at the Talkatora Stadium and the Modern School at Barakhamba, where the games are being held. On Friday afternoon, Andhra Pradesh face a challenge from Chandigarh in a relatively quieter affair, but not lacking in drama and intensity. A trumpeting sound from the crowd screamed over the applause – it was no vuvuzela, but a cheaper and equally effective knock-off! At the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, the players rushed and hustled their sneakers over the squeaky bright wooden floor, looking like one of the best basketball-playing surfaces in the country. An LED screen atop the stands show the live action as it unfolds, and then show highlights from basketball around the world during the breaks, including from the international games and the NBA. Hip-Hop and Punjabi music blares during time-outs and quarter-ends. The AP-Chandigarh game enters crunch time, and the small crowd gets on their feet for the last few minutes. AP hold on to their nerves in their end, stretch out their lead, and pull off an impressive 15 point victory.

The crowd gets larger and louder as the sun goes down. atmosphere reaches fever pitch by the evenings, when the marquee teams like Indian Railways, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Services, and of course, the hosts Delhi take centre-stage. Railways, who are the two time champions in both the men’s and women’s divisions, are once again the favourites to find their way to the Indian Basketball’s Promised Land!

But the best thing about this kind of competition in India is the showcase of India as a cultural phenomenon itself. No matter where in India the players hailed from, they shared a common enthusiasm for basketball. On Friday alone, the Talkatora stadium bore witnesses to players communicating in Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and English. It’s a snapshot of the complete picture of Indian on one basketball court, communicated through dribbles, jumpshots, and hustle plays.

The Talkatora stadium itself has become a temporary temple of sorts to Indian basketball’s finest. Fans walk cardboard cut-outs of their basketball idols, getting am impression of the ones who are making a name for themselves in the sport across the country: players like Shiba Maggon, Sambajhi Kadam, Riyazzudin, Akanskha Singh, Anitha P., and many others.

On the court itself the action hasn’t disappointed. With quick, on-point passing, awesome athletic ability, and some dead-eye sharp-shooting, the Nationals are serving as the perfect platform for Indian basketball fans to catch a glimpse of their country’s elite.

The tournament moves on to the Quarter-Final stage from the 2nd of January, and the Finals are scheduled to be held on the 4th. The stage for the biggest teams has been set; now all eyes will be on the biggest teams to step up and claim it!

American visionaries hoping to strengthen basketball community in India

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Phase 1. Junior basketball training at a school in Secunderabad
Phase 2. ???
Phase 3. Profit

Ok, so it's not exactly Underpants Gnomes Logic, but basketball visionaries Robert Selby and Tanya Parker from the US, have joined hands with the St. Patrick's Academy, a school in Secunderabad, to "broad base what they call the greatest game in the world." According to Parker, the duo has set up a five-year pilot project through which they "hope to build a 100,000-strong basketball community in India."

The duo worked with Bana 'Baba' Ravinder and the children of the St. Patrick's Academy. A. Joseph Antony from The Hindu reports:

Their first day with Ravinder's trainees was an exhilarating experience. “The children were sponges, soaking up whatever we had for them,” said Selby, a product of the Five Star Academy at Honesdale in the mountains of Pennsylvania.
The said institution nurtured the game's greats such as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Vince Carter among 400 who made it to the fiercely competitive National Basketball Association (NBA) league.
“The body language of the children here bristled with enthusiasm, matched by their willingness to learn, making it obvious that size didn't matter,” Selby noted.
“The girls seemed more thoughtful though,” said Tanya, a teacher turned business woman, who does the marketing, communication and fund-raising for World Class Athletic Development, the firm the duo has set up.

“We want to build a farm system of talent up to the state level and then let it take wing through exchange and training scholarships in line with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) model,” [Selby] added.
“We see our venture as sacred commerce, which benefits people and feeds more energy into the existing structure,” says Tanya.

The duo also hope to hold a residential camp for junior national players from Andhra Pradesh, collaborate with India's very own hoop culture promoters Hoops India, and later attend the junior national championships in Chennai.

Big plans for the duo - hopefully they continue to enjoy the charm of teaching basketball in India.

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