The FIBA Basketball World Cup gets bigger and better!

In a meeting of FIBA’s Central Board in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, on Sunday, FIBA has given the green light to some major changes in the format of its biggest international basketball competitions – including the Basketball World Cup – and the calendar of international basketball events. The new moves are designed to hopefully emulate the success of international football and give an exciting new identity to international hoops.

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United States win Women's World title

It has been a great summer for United States basketball, as the US Women’s team lifted the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women title after beating tournament hosts Czech Republic on Sunday, October 3 in Karlovy Vary. The Women’s squad successfully doubled up the country’s honours for this summer as the US Men’s team had earlier won the FIBA World Championship for Men gold medal in Turkey last month.

The Americans were led by Angel McCoughtry (18 points) and Diana Taurasi (16) in the Final as they beat Czech Republic 89-69. The US Women continued to exploit their size advantage and held a clear upper hand in rebounds against their rivals in the Final.

Hana Horakova, the Czechs’ best player, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

The tournament’s All-Star Five were:

Hana Horakova (Czech Republic)
Eva Viteckova (Czech Republic)
Diana Taurasi (USA)
Sancho Lyttle (Spain)
Yelena Leuchanka (Belarus)

Indian referee Snehal Bendke was present as one of the officials at this event.

FIBA World Championship for Women tips off in Czech Republic

Following the success of the FIBA World Championship for Men last month, attention turns to the Czech Republic, where the best women basketball players in the world have gathered for the FIBA World Championship for Women, set to be held from September 23 – October 3 in the cities of Karlovy Vary, Ostrava and Brno.

The tournament will feature current women’s World Champions Australia, Olympic basketball champions USA, and hosts Czech Republic. Other participating nations are: Senegal, Mali, China, Japan, Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Russia, Spain, Belarus, and Greece.

Indian referee Snehal Bendke has been nominated to participate as one of the officials at this event.

FIBA launches new ranking system

Following the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men which concluded last Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have launched a completely new ranking system. For the first time ever, the U19 and U17 FIBA World Championships for Boys and Girls as well as all U16 and U18 continental championships weigh in to determine the new FIBA categories for Boys and Girls.

Therefore the new FIBA ranking now includes five categories: Men, Women, Boys, Girls and a Combined Ranking that takes into account results from all genders and all age categories. The new system makes for a more accurate pecking order of the world's basketball nations.


India’s FIBA World rankings are:
Men: 50
Women: 43
Boys: 45
Girls: 34
Combined: 49

India’s FIBA Asia rankings are:
Men: 10
Women: 7
Boys: 11
Girls: 7
Combined: 8

"I am very happy to see these new and complete world rankings including the youth categories," said FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Patrick Baumann.

"This is a great initiative and one that has been a long time coming. We have to make sure we reward the countries that perform well in youth competitions because the young players coming through the junior ranks are the best investment in the future of basketball."


The United States of America (USA), whose Senior Men’s team won the World Championship recently, currently rank supreme in all categories, including the new youth rankings for Boys and Girls which have been added in the new system.

See full rankings here.

Team USA are World Basketball Champions

The americans are officially back on top of the basketball world.

After what seemed to be like an endless stream of upset losses, mediocre play, underwhelming performances, and bronze medals in the international game, Team USA completed their process of redemption by winning gold at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. USA beat the hosts 81-64 in the final on Sunday, providing the perfect ending to an impressive unbeaten tournament. Paired with the awe-inspiring exploits of the 'Redeem Team' which won the Beijing Olympic gold in 2008, the US have left no doubts on being the best international team in the business.

But, unlike the 'Redeem Team', the World Championship squad, labelled the 'B' team by their detractors, did not arrive with the same superstar hoopla. The team had no super-duper-star except for Kevin Durant. Gone were the Dwyane Wades, the Kobe Bryants, the LeBron James', and the Carmelo Anthonies. They were replaced by the likes of Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Andre Igoudala. The only other veteran presence except for Odom in this team was Chauncey Billups.

The 21-year-old Durant, the NBA's leading scorer last season (the youngest ever!) grabbed this opportunity with both hands to become the best player in the world. He ended up as the tournament's MVP, averaging 22.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during the course of the tournament. He showed up as the going got tougher, scoring 33 in the Quarter Final against Russia, 38 in the semis against Lithuania, and 28 in the final against Turkey. He was the USA's most consistent and trustworthy player, game after game, and has staked his claim to replace some of the other "stars" when USA prepare their squad for the 2012 Olympics.

Durant scored more points than any American in the World Championships ever (205) and scored more points in a single game than any American ever (38). If I had to bet today, I can see him easily becoming the NBA's MVP in the 2010-11 season.

Hosts Turkey put up a brave show, going undefeated until the final, led by Hedo Turkoglu and Ersan Ilyasova. Lithuania defeated Serbia to win the bronze medal, and both teams an excellent overall tournament. The play of the tournament would probably be Serbia's Milos Teodosic's game-winning three to shock Spain.

Speaking of: Spain were probably the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Playing without last World Championships' MVP Pau Gasol, Spain failed to really make a mark, finishing sixth, below Argentina, who were fifth. Argentina featured some amazing play by Luis Scola, who averaged 27.1 ppg (tournament leader), 7.9 rpg, and was an influence all over the court.

FIBA's team of the tournament was:

Kevin Durant (USA)
Luis Scola (Argentina)
Hedo Turkoglu (Turkey)
Linas Kleiza (Lithuania)
Milos Teodosic (Serbia)

Unfortunately, for us hoop fans in India, the World Championships were not shown on TV, because apparently fixed Pakistan-England cricket series' are more important.

The tournament was by far the most hyped World Championships ever, but it still lost a lot of credibility after many of the world's best players decided to skip it. Players such as Gasol, Manu Ginobili and Andres Nocioni (Argentina), Yao Ming (China), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Tony Parker (France), Nene (Brazil), and Andrew Bogut (Australia) did not play. Of course, USA played without and of their Redeem Team players, such as Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, and Chris Paul.

It is sad that so many great players (by choice, fatigue, or injury) did not show up for this competition, because a tournament like this deserves to have a stature in basketball equal to the FIFA World Cup. Fortunately, the teams that did show up put up an amazing show, and Durant's heroic contributions will be remembered for years to come.

Dwight Howard vs. Pau Gasol: Battle of the India visitors

You knew this was inevitable, didn't you? After being relatively starved of NBA star-power for years, the world's finest basketball league decided to spoil us this summer. I already feel that August 2010 will go down in NBA India lore as the summer/monsoon season where India took its biggest splurge towards becoming a large NBA market.

In the space of two weeks, All-Star Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard and All-Star Los Angeles Lakers Power Forward/Center Pau Gasol landed in India. Now apart from being recent fans of India, these two players have a lot more in common: they are both big players hovering around the 7 foot range, they are both in successful teams who have been going deep in the playoffs the last few years, and they are both devastatingly talented players.

But the question remains: which one of the NBA's All Star visitors to India is a better player: Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol? The two players faced each in the 2009 NBA Finals where Gasol, Kobe and the Lakers beat the Howard and the Magic 4-1. I'm going to lay down my stats and opinions, and finally my choice.

But first, I must answer the more important question of "What is better?" Is the better player the one with the better statistics? Is the better player the one who wins more? Is it someone who can carry a team better? Is it someone who performs better in tougher circumstances? Is it someone with a bigger worldwide influence?

Maybe it's a combination of all these things. And I'm going to use all of those factors, and then finally determine it through a final determining factor: "If I am starting a new team today, which player would I pick first?"

So here we go...

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic): 24 years old, 6"11, 120 kg, Center
Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers): 30 years old, 7"0, 113 kg, Power Forward/Center

Basic Individual Statistics: 2009-2010 season - PPG: points per game, RPG: rebounds per game, APG: assists per game, BPG: blocks per game, SPG: steals per game.

Howard: 18.3 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.8 bpg, 0.9 spg
Gasol: 18.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.7 bpg, 0.6 spg

Howard and Gasol averaged the same points per game, despite Gasol being the second option in his team (behind Kobe) whereas Howard being his team's "main man". In his last full season in Memphis before going to the Lakers, Gasol averaged 20.8 ppg. Howard, who is the two-time reigning defensive player of the year, scores better in rebounds and blocks (where he has led the NBA), and other important defensive factors that don't appear on the scoresheet.

The "Real Season", as many believe, actually begins in the playoffs, where the games are much tougher and a player's talents are tested more. Here are the statistics from last season's playoffs for both these players: Gasol played 23 games and went on all the way to win the title, whereas Howard's Magic were knocked out in the Conference Finals after playing 14 games.

Basic Individual Statistics: 2009-2010 Playoffs

Howard: 18.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 3.5 bpg, 0.8 spg
Gasol: 19.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.1 bpg, 0.4 spg

Both players improved on their blocks average, but as you can see, there is a sharp rise in Gasol's scoring and a slight fall in Howard's in the playoffs. Howard also became a worse rebounder. Most of these struggles are due to the Celtics Conference Finals series.

Team Success

This is where the intangibles begin - I place a lot of importance on team success to determine a player's value. Dwight Howard, still only 24, joined the Magic as a rookie in 2004. After closely missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, Dwight has led the Magic for four straight years. For the last three years, Magic have been the best team in the Southeast division over the regular season. In 2009, Magic went all the way to the Finals only to lose to the Lakers. In 2010, they lost in the Conference Finals to the Celtics.

Gasol has had a lot more success with his teams. He has been in the NBA for nine years, six of which he spent with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team moved from Vancouver to Memphis in his first season there. In six full season's with the Grizzlies, Gasol saw Playoffs three times, each time to lose out in the first round. To be fair, the Grizzlies were a much inferior team who overachieved every year in a tough conference. But Gasol immediately showed his class after being traded to the Lakers half-way through the 2007-08 season. The Lakers became a world-class team again and made the NBA Finals for three straight years, winning the Championship twice. What is more astonishing is that he Lakers have only lost three straight games once in the Gasol era!

Both Howard and Gasol have had international success with USA and Spain respectively. Howard followed the "disappointment" of a Bronze medal in the 2006 World Championships with a Gold over Gasol's Spanish team at the 2008 Olympics. Gasol's Spain won the 2006 Championships Gold (with Gasol named the MVP of the tournament) and his team won Silver at the 2008 Olympics. In the FIBA European Championships, Gasol and Spain have won Gold (2009), Silver twice (2007, 2003), and Bronze (2001).

Howard never got the opportunity to star in a packed US squad filled with players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, etc, whereas Gasol has always been the first option for Spain.

More Valuable?

The last few categories may have made the questions of better statistics, better performance under pressure, and more team success, but the question remains: Given the same set of circumstances, which player would perform better? Would the Lakers win even more games if they traded Dwight Howard for Pau Gasol? Would the Magic continue to perform so well consistently if they had Gasol instead of Howard in the middle for them?

Gasol has had the luxury of having one of the NBA's best players in Kobe Bryant, the NBA's best coach in Phil Jackson, and an amazing supporting cast including Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and others backing him. Howard's Magic may not be as star-studded, but they are certainly one of the deepest teams in the League, with talent pouring out of even their 11th and 12th best players. Last season, Dwight was surrounded by players like Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass, Adonal Foyle, Jason Williams, Mikael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, and others. Stan Van Gundy isn't a bad coach, either.

My opinion is this: Gasol wouldn't be able to carry his team as far as Howard does every year. But conversely, I don't think Howard has the ability to carry a team with a different system (like Spain), or be able to play an ideal complementary player to someone like Kobe in LA. The biggest reason for the Lakers' consistent success since the Gasol trade has been the fact that Gasol eases can ease between being a main player to a complementary team player with ease. His shooting and passing make him stand-out in Phil Jackson's system, something that Howard would've struggled with.

The two also have a curious distinction: Howard is a stronger player physically whose biggest drawback may be his mental ability. Gasol is a relatively softer player but has shown championship caliber and toughness - especially against Garnett and the Celtics these last finals. I am actually of the opinion that Gasol should have been named the Finals MVP this time instead of Kobe.

The other major difference is in offence and defence: Gasol is one of the best offensive big men in the league (perhaps second only to Dirk Nowitzki), but has been exposed for his defensive problems in the past. Howard is a two-time defensive player of the year, a monster in the paint on defence, but hardly has any offensive post moves to stand amongst the greats.

There is one other clear advantage Howard has - he is about six years youngster than Gasol, and thus can be potentially a much greater player.

So, who do I pick?

So if it comes down to it today: I'm starting a new NBA franchise, I have no player on my team yet, and can make my first choice between Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. There is also no guarantee how good my supporting cast will be - it could be LeBron James and Dwyane Wade or it could be Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

And with my first pick I choose... (drumroll)... Pau Gasol!

He may be older and lacking in some of the raw atletism that Howard is gifted with, but Gasol will guarantee me a competitive team with any kind of roster.

Phew! Do you think I'm right? Or do you think I need to get some more sleep to think clearly? Both of them came to India, but who do you choose for your team - Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol?

Turkey FIBA World Championship experiences motivates Indian youngsters

"My ambition is to there, on that basketball court, representing India in the basketball world championships!"

14-year-old Poojamal from the town of Kottayam in Kerala got to realise an amazing dream last week - she was part of the lucky few basketball fans that attended several games of the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, make dozens of new friends, and be trained by some of the best coaches in the world.

Two Indian sub-junior players, Poojamal, and Yogesh Kanderiya from Rajasthan, had been selected by BFI to be India's official representatives in FIBA's "Children of the World" camp in Istanbul, set to be held around the World Championships. The two youngsters were accompanied by coach P. Deepa Sundari from Tamil Nadu for this experience from August 24-31.

A highlight of this trip was their chance to watch six World Championship games, including three games played by the exciting USA team - USA vs Croatia, USA vs. Slovenia, and USA vs. Brazil. "Just watching these games made me want to be there, playing for the Indian team, and playing against the world's best at this stage," said Kanderiya.

Kanderiya was given further encouragement for his own stellar play when he was chosen as the best Boy player at the Children of the World camp. Around 400 teen boys and girls from 200 different FIBA countries were invited for this camp to improve their basketball skills and participate in 3-on-3 basketball games under the watchful eyes of expert coaches from around the world.

Although only 24 of the best teams in the world participate, FIBA has designed the "Children of the World" project aiming to provide a possibility for official representation of all of the FIBA member countries through "young ambassadors" - young basketball players and coaches who will come together in a global basketball camp. One boy, one girl, (both between the ages of 13-14) and one young coach were sent to Istanbul from each of the FIBA-member countries and were hosted by the Turkish Basketball Federation.

"It was a very good experience," Kanderiya added, "We got the chance to meet other kids from all over the world - from countries like Gabon, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Lithuania, and Bhutan."

"We did a tour of Istanbul as well - it is a beautiful city - we visited several mosques and went shopping, too."

The youngsters did their share of cheerleading for India, too, taking part in the colourful opening ceremony of the Championships and waving the Indian flag high at every occasion!

"We were taught some great drills and basketball fundamentals by the coaches," added Poojamal, "We did passing, dribbling, lay-ups, and ball-handling exercises, and also played 3-on-3 half-court games."

Both the youngsters came out impressed by the Championship games, stating the USA-Brazil thriller, where USA won 70-68 on a last second miss, as the best game of the lot. Poojamal said that her favourite player was Kevin Durant, whereas Kanderiya was a fan of Russell Westbrook - both American players who play for the NBA team Oklahama City Thunder.

The "Children of the World" project was designed to educate, engage, and influence young ambassadors to be aware of and sensitive towards a range of global issues and develop towards playing an active role in their respective countries as "citizens of the world" - judging by the experiences and exposure that these two Indian youngsters received over the past week, it is fair to say that they are not only on the path to become accomplished basketball players but also took a few steps forward as globally aware citizens.

World Cup of Hoops tips off in Turkey

It has been a great summer for top global competitions in my two favourite sports. The excitement and stinging noise of vuvuzelas from the FIFA World Cup have barely stopped ringing in my ears, but now here's more to celebrate for hoop fans: the 2010 FIBA World Championships, featuring the best basketball teams in the world, tipped off in Istanbul, Turkey on August 28th.

The championships features 24 powerhouses of world basketball such as defending champions Spain (who won the tournament in Japan in 2006), 2006 silver medal winners Greece, a USA team full of young NBA stars, and Argentina. Other countries such as Serbia, Russia, Australia, Lithuania, and Brazil are also participating. Asia is featuring four teams too: China, Iran, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Spain and USA are probably joint favourites for this tournament, even though Spain is playing without the 2006 MVP and recent visitor to India Pau Gasol. Spain will be led by Juan Carlos Navarro, teenage phenom Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, and Marc Gasol.

The Americans have kept home their Beijing Olympics gold medal winning squad: So now Wade, Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, etc, etc, etc... They have instead fielded a young, small team of quick guards, so small that Lamar Odom starts at Center. USA's best player is probably NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant. He will be supported by the likes of Derrick Rose, Andre Iguodala, and perhaps the team's only "elder" statesmen, Chauncey Billups.

The home squad of Turkey will also field an interesting lineup featuring NBA player Hedo Turkoglu and Ersan Ilyasova.

Other players to watch out for in this tournament will be Luis Scola (Argentina), Tiago Splitter and Leandro Barbosa (Brazil), Nicolas Batum (France), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Dimitris Diamantidis (Greece), and Viktor Khryapa (Russia).

Unfortunately, this tournament has been marred by the injuries or omission of players who will not be able to show their skills at the world stage. After the aforementioned plethora of talented American stars and Spaniard Pau Gasol who will be skipping out, other well known names such as Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni (Argentina), Yao Ming (China), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Tony Parker (France), Nene (Brazil), and Andrew Bogut (Australia) won't be playing.

Still, the tournament has been able to gather a lot of hype and interest around the world, and could really be a propellent to help launch basketball even more as a global sport.

The competition tipped off last night with a shock, as an unfavoured French side took down defending champions Spain in their first game 72-66. USA took care of business against Croatia, defeating them easily 106-78. China's Yi Jianlian had an impressive start to the tournament with 26 points and 14 rebounds but couldn't stop his team from being put away by Greece 89-81.

On a side note, the Championships will be featuring three official ambassadors from India as part of the "Children of the World" programme. Two Indian sub-juniors Poojamal and Yogesh Kanderia, along with coach P. Deepa Sundari will be amongst hundreds of other youngsters from all FIBA nations to enjoy a short flavour of the championships and attend training camps.

Stay tuned for more info as basketball continues to take over the globe!

Spanish NBA superstar Pau Gasol brings basketball to India

From World Basketball Champion to two-time reigning NBA champion, 30-year-old Spanish hoop legend Pau Gasol has a long list of achievements. Spain may be a basketball superpower today, but this wasn't always the case – Gasol was only the second ever Spanish player to make it to the world's top basketball league, the NBA, back in 2001. Ever since, more than half a dozen Spanish players have followed his footsteps. Spain's domestic league has also been improving over the past few decades, and this has reflected into international success.

Following their model, Gasol believes that it is possible for other countries to also become stronger in the game. "In Spain, it began with a competitive league in the country, and people started to have fun watching the game." He said, "Kids went out to watch their idols and watch a good national team. There is complete satisfaction in watching great players defend your country."

"India needs to involve the youngsters to experience the excitement of basketball," he continues, "Basketball is an attractive game. To promote the game here, they have to start with the youngest children, and give them the infrastructure, resources, and opportunities to play. Furthermore, India should continue working with school kids, create competitive school and grassroots leagues around the country."

The NBA has been investing a lot of effort into developing the game in India – just two weeks ago, NBA all-star Dwight Howard was also in India encouraging youngsters to take up the game. Gasol believes that the NBA should continue these efforts. "NBA should continue creating attention for the game, so that younger players can have a chance to see us and start to think of basketball as a real career option. This will encourage their parents to allow their children to participate, too. As the game grows, the NBA can show our other companies and partners that they should continue being involved with basketball here."

Gasol's trip to India, from August 23-28th, has primarily been a journey to promote the social service and community involvement aspect of NBA in India through the ‘NBA Cares' programme. He visited several schools and held workshops in Mumbai and Delhi with young children to promote healthy living through basketball. "The community in India should see that the NBA is involved in a positive way," he says, "It is not just about the sport but also about social work."

While in Mumbai, Gasol was present on August 25th with Ruzbeh Irani, Executive VP, Corporate Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra, & Mahindra, Akash Jain, NBA Director of International Development in India, and Harish Sharma, Basketball Federation of India (BFI) Secretary General, as they announced the expansion of the Mahindra NBA Challenge to a total of five Indian cities next year, adding Chennai and New Delhi to the yearly roster and retaining the programmes at Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ludhiana.

Gasol also took a tour of Mumbai and conducted two clinics during his stay there. He conducted a clinic at the Mastan YMCA in hoop-crazed Nagpada on August 25th and at the St. Dominic Savio High School in Andheri East on the 26th.

In New Delhi, Gasol continued the NBA Cares events, teaching basketball drills and entertaining children at the Father Agnel's School and at the Delhi Public School (DPS) at Mathura Road on August 27th. The NBA's Director of Basketball Operations (India) Troy Justice and Indian basketball's legendary player and coach Shiba Maggon also assisted Gasol in his clinics

Another special feature of Gasol's visit to India was that he brought along the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy, one which he won with the Los Angeles Lakers for the second year running in June. This was the first time that this trophy was brought to Indian soil, and it garnered as much attention as the superstar player himself! Gasol unveiled it during his clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi much to the delight of the young NBA fans in the crowds.

Gasol will be skipping the FIBA World Basketball Championships set to tip off in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 28th. He was the Most Valuable Player of the championships when he led Spain to a victory in 2006. Although he won't play this time, he will be heading to Turkey to watch his team perform during the latter stages of the tournament. "I have been playing a lot of basketball over the last few years and I believe that my body needs a rest, physically as well as mentally. I will be able to return to the court for the beginning of the NBA season with more energy."

With his international achievements, Gasol is not only an ambassador to India for the NBA but also for global basketball. "I have seen the game grow so much already. So many countries play the game well now, and so many more countries are getting harder and harder to beat. I find it amazing to see countries that I strong basketball teams out of countries I would have otherwise never expected to be competitive at the highest level. It is rewarding to see the game improve like this."

"The more international basketball gets, the better! It's a sport that teaches good values and a healthy lifestyle!"

India youngsters to attend FIBA "Children of the World" camp in Istanbul

Two Indian sub-junior level players, Poojamal from Kerala and Yogesh Kanderiya from Rajasthan, have been selected by BFI to be India's official representatives in FIBA's "Children of the World" camp in Istanbul, Turkey, set to be held around the FIBA Basketball World Championships. The two youngsters will be accompanied by coach P. Deepa Sundari from Tamil Nadu for this experience from August 24-31.

The FIBA Basketball World Championships, slated to be held in Istanbul (Turkey) from August 28-Sep12, is set to become the biggest event in the world basketball calendar. Although only 24 of the best teams in the world participate, FIBA has designed the "Children of the World" project aiming to provide a possibility for official representation of all of the FIBA member countries through "young ambassadors" - young basketball players and coaches who will come together in a global basketball camp.

One boy, one girl, (both between the ages of 13-14) and one young coach are being sent to Istanbul from each of the FIBA-member countries and being hosted by the Turkish Basketball Federation. Together, almost 400 teenagers from around the world and 200 coaches will get a chance to improve their basketball skills and teamwork through the camps, experience the FIBA Basketball Championships, meet some of the best basketball players in the world, and experience the culture of Turkey.

The children will play 3-on-3 games , take part in workshops and the FIBA CARES project, go sightseeing, and enjoy three World Cup games: USA vs. Croatia on August 28th, USA vs. Slovenia on August 29th, and USA vs. Brazil on August 30th.

The "Children of the World" project is designed to educate, engage, and influence young ambassadors to be aware of and sensitive towards a range of global issues and develop towards playing an active role in their respective countries as "citizens of the world".

Poojamal, Yogesh, and Deepa will fly off from New Delhi to Istanbul on August 24th.

It's time for Pau in India!

For all those in India STILL craving for an NBA fix, even after the Dwight Howard visit, here is something to excite your senses a little more. The news has been in the air for a while, but now it's official: Following last week's visit by NBA All Star Dwight Howard, basketball excitement is set to continue in India. For the first time, India will be visited by a reigning NBA Champion. Los Angeles Lakers forward/centre Pau Gasol will be visiting Mumbai and New Delhi from August 23-28, and he will be bringning the the Larry O' Brien Championship trophy to India for the first time. Gasol, who is a two-time NBA champion and also the reigning FIBA World Champion with his nation Spain, will conduct clinics at the Mahindra NBA Challenge and host a first-ever Live Fan Chat on NBA.com/india.

“I have always wanted to visit India and I am very excited to represent the Lakers and the NBA in a country where basketball is on the rise,” said Gasol. “As an international player in the NBA, I know how important it is to do my part to grow the game globally and would love to compete against a player from India in the NBA one day.”

Gasol will make appearances with the Larry O’Brien Trophy to take photos with fans in Mumbai and Delhi. This will be the first time that the trophy will be in India. He will also conduct clinics in Mumbai on Aug. 26 for participants of the Mahindra NBA Challenge, the league’s first community-based basketball league in India, which tipped off in Mumbai,Bangalore, and Ludhiana this summer and attracted thousands of participants, including top players from each city.

This past season, the NBA enjoyed its broadest reach ever in India through television and digital technology. To continue this momentum, Gasol will become the first NBA player to host a live fan chat on NBA.com/india during his trip.

Gasol will also conduct an NBA Cares clinic on Aug. 28 in Delhi at Father Angel School in Gautam Nagar, a missionary school that serves underprivileged communities. NBA Cares is the league’s social responsibility platform and these clinics will continue the NBA’s commitment to using the sport of basketball to engage communities and promote healthy, active lifestyles.

“Giving youth in India the unique chance to step onto a court and learn from a reigning two-time NBA champion will inspire more athletes to play the game of basketball,” said NBA President of International Heidi Ueberroth. “Pau is a great ambassador for the NBA and his visit is part of our continued efforts to work with our partners to increase participation in communities throughout India."

“Our goal is to increase basketball participation and improve the level of play in India and we are thrilled that the NBA shares our long term commitment to accomplish these goals,” said BFI Secretary General Harish Sharma.”

“Our collaboration with the NBA has generated a tremendous amount of interest for the sport in India, including the recent visit of All-Star Dwight Howard, and the arrival of NBA world champion Pau Gasol will help popularize the game even further.”

Thank you, NBA, the best way to follow the visit of an All-Star big man is to bring another All-Star big man. It also helps that he's a two time champion and a FIBA world champion. The Lakers are also a far more popular team in India (and everywhere else in world) than the Magic.

I'm not much of a Laker fan myself, but I love Gasol. Yes, yes, Kobe Bryant is one of the best players of our generation, but ever since Gasol was traded to LA from the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers have been to THREE STRAIGHT NBA Finals and won twice. Oh, and thad I mention that he's a world champion? With the Turkey Basketball World Championships right around the corner, there is no better time than now to welcome the last championship's brightest star. Too bad he won't be representing Spain this time around.

Also, I know everyone and their mother here will be trying to ask him how it feels to be playing alongside Kobe. I, for one, want to know how it's like partying with Ron Artest.

POW!