Prasanna Jayasanakar - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Indian basketball has been blessed with several queens over its history, leaders who have broken the gender barrier in the game to excel, and help a generation of players after them excel, too. One of these leaders is Prasanna Jayasanakar, the legendary player and coach from Kerala and Southern Railways, who is today's addition into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

As the story goes, Prasanna was originally drafted to play badminton at the Sports School in Kannur, Kerala, but because there was a shortage of players in the basketball team, she switched sports. Soon, her career took off. She started playing for Kerala in 1982 with the sub-junior and junior nationals, and was in the state's senior team from 1983 onwards, while she was still a teenager. From 1985 to 1996, she played for the powerhouse Southern Railway team in Chennai, a relationship that sealed her post-playing future, too.

Prasanna played for India's senior women's team from 1984-1996, and one of the highlights of her international career was captaining Team India at the 1990 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship in Singapore.

Post-retirement, Prasanna has been one of the most influential coaches in India, primarily at her position with the influential Southern Railway team, which contributed to the Indian Railways unit that has dominated India's women's basketball for several decades. Among other stars, Prasanna helped nurture the talents of Indian basketball great (and Hoopistani Hall of Famer) Geethu Anna Rahul. As player and coach, she has won dozens of medals in National Championships, Inter-Railway tournaments, All India University championships, Federation Cups, and more. Prasanna was also one of the only female coaches in the short-term men's pro league in India, the UBA.

Prasanna's husband, Jayasankar Menon, is also a legendary basketballer and a Hall of Famer. Together they were behind the Professional Basketball Academy (PBA) in Chennai. Through the course of her career, Prasanna has been given several individual honours, such as the GV Raja Award. She has been involved for a handful of times as a selector and observer for India's women's national championship and has served in the coaching staff of India's national teams.

Click here for more of the Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Shiba Maggon - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

A player, a coach, a referee, a leader. Shiba Maggon, called 'The Queen of Basketball', has found a way to be involved in Indian basketball for decades in a variety of roles. She has already given a lifetime of service to the game - and has a lifetime more left to give. For all this and more, she is now an entrant into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Born in Karnal, Haryana in 1976, Maggon found basketball success early in her life coming through the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Chandigarh. The untimely death of her sister - an international netball and aspiring basketball player - thrust Maggon more passionately into the basketball realm from the early 90s. She later joined Western Railways, Ajmer in 1996 and was with them till 2002. In 2002 Shiba joined MTNL Delhi and played with them till Jan 2011. Her glittering domestic basketball career included seven gold medals and eight silvers for Railways and Delhi in the Senior Nationals, plus three gold medals and three bronzes in Federation Cups, between 1997-2011.

Maggon was selected for India's junior national team in 1992 and soon graduated to the seniors, for whom she became a staple for nearly 15 years of action. Maggon served often as India's captain and played in five FIBA Asia Championships for Women in the course of her career, and was ranked in the top 5 for Asian players in 2002. She was also part of Indian basketball team to take part at Commonwealth Games for the first time at Australia in 2006.

In 1998, Maggon got a scholarship to the Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1998, where she majored in Physical Education. She also completed a diploma course in Olympism and Humanism with the International Olympic Academy in Athens, Greece. Maggon is credited as being one of the first Indian woman to be an international FIBA certified referee. She has also served as a basketball voice-over commentator and a lead coordinator for NBA India.

Her post-retirement career has since seen her succeed in different avenues of basketball, most notably coaching India's national teams at the senior, junior, and youth levels, as well as coaching Delhi in several domestic nationals. She has been a part of India's national women's team coaching staff for several important international events, including the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, and more. She will continue the journey for India at the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup for Women. She is also in contention for the Dhyan Chand Award this year.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hanuman Singh Rathore - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Whether he suited up for Rajasthan, Railways, or India, Hanuman Singh Rathore was often the smallest guy on the basketball court. But the talented guard exceeded expectations and succeeded with heart over height over a glittering basketball career in the 1970s-80s, with highlights including the Arjuna Award and a spot in India's only Olympic team. Today, Rathore is added to the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rathore was born in Bhagwanpur, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan in February 1950. He attended the Military School in Ajmer and then the Rajasthan University in Jaipur. By the time he began to play for Rajasthan's state teams, the 5-foot-9 guard had developed into one of the best young talents in the country. Singh eventually joined Indian Railways, for whom he manned the point en-route to several titles in the domestic national championships.

Rathore played an important role for Team India and was part of the legendary squad that played in the Moscow 1980 Olympics, the only time India has participated in an Olympic basketball tournament. India finished the tournament 0-7, but Rathore gained some valuable experience. His high-point was the game against Czechoslovakia, when he dished out 10 assists in a losing effort.

Rathore was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1975. He remained in the periphery of Indian basketball in various roles after his retirement, including being a selector for India's national teams. He is currently employed with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL).

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Aparna Ghosh - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

She has dedicated a lifetime to the sport of basketball in India, and with the Dhyan Chand Award, been appropriately celebrated for her service. Today, I add the great Aparna Ghosh into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hailing from Bolpur in West Bengal, Ghosh has been one of the most accomplished players and coaches in Indian basketball, playing for the national team for 16 years and going on to become a highly-successful coach for Indian Railways. Since substituting herself to lead the charge from the coaches' bench, Ghosh has led Indian Railways women to a myriad of success for several years. She currently serves as the Sports Officer at RSPB of the Railway Board.

In 2002, Ghosh was honoured with the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement in sports and games, handed by the Indian government. She is one of only two basketball personalities in India to receive this honour.

Ghosh has also served as part of India's national coaching system, and was the national women's team assistant coach at the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship. She has served in the organising committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and in the same year was picked to be in a select group of Indian coaches to receive training at the George Mason University in the USA. In 2015, Ghosh was given a lifetime achievement award by the Calcutta Sports Journalist Club.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ram Kumar: Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy: Punjabbasketball.org

For some, basketball just flows in the genes, giving them a natural magnetism towards the game, a magnetism that could potentially become a reality with hard work and persistence. One of India's most-respected coaches and accomplished former players, Ram Kumar is one such individuals, carrying on his father's legacy with the game, winning the Dhyan Chand Award, and now, landing up in the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ram Kumar was born in Delhi in 1964, the son of basketball great and Arjuna Awardee Khushi Ram, who was added to the Hall of Fame last month. Kumar's own basketball career began in 1983, when he played his first Nationals in Calicut. He moved to Income Tax and then joined Indian Railways in the mid-80s, which became his professional home. Representing the Railways, Kumar - an extraordinary shooting-guard - won eight gold, three silver, and three bronze medals over the next decade and a half.

Ram represented India's national basketball team from 1991-1996, and served as the captain from 1991-1995. During his peak years, he stood out as India's top scorer at many international events, including the 1995 FIBA ABC in Seoul. He played in several international Railway Games, test matches in the USA, and more.

After his retirement from playing in 2003, Kumar was appointed the coach of Indian Railways basketball squad, whom he has since shepherded to many more honours. He has served as coach of India's junior basketball team and continues to be a part of India's national coaching system, contributing to the training and scouting of players hopeful of breaking into the senior teams. Kumar is currently working as a Senior Sports Officer at Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala.

A highlight of Kumar's career was winning the Dhyan Chand Award in 2003 for lifetime contribution to sports, becoming one of only two Indian basketball players to receive this prestigious honour. Kumar was also handed the Maharana Pratap Award in 1989 and the Rail Minister Award in 1994. His illustrious family also included another former India basketball captain and his brother, Asok Kumar.

Click here for more of the Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Geethu Anna Rahul - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

There has been a recent explosion of Indian basketball stars making a name for themselves abroad, playing in Japan, playing in Australia, in the US, even getting all the day to the NBA draft. But before there was all this, there was Geethu. Geethu Anna Rahul (formerly Jose) is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on a basketball court in India - in any gender. Through a scintillating career over the past decade, Rahul emerged as an indomitable force in the Indian domestic scene, played pro abroad, got a sniff of the WNBA, and ended up with the Arjuna Award. For her accomplishments, she's the newest addition to the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Born in Kottayam, Kerala, Rahul began her career with Kerala's team, and later, with Southern Railway in Tamil Nadu in the early 2000s. She shot up to 6-foot-2 by the time she became a senior player, and soon overshadowed every other player of her generation. She played in eleven national championships for Railways, winning 10 gold medals, and finishing second only once, to Chhattisgarh in 2014.

Internationally, she was the only Indian player to play at a level that left the highest-level of opponents scrambling for answers. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia, she finished as the basketball tournament’s MVP, leading scorer, leading rebounder, and leading shot-blocker. In 2009, Chennai hosted the FIBA ABC, and Rahul was named India’s captain. Making the most of the home court inspiration, she helped India return to Level 1 with a sixth-place finish and ended as the tournament’s top scorer. She also helped India win gold at the FIBA Asia 3×3 Basketball Championship in Qatar.

Rahul became the first Indian player to play professionally in Australia, representing the Ringwood Hawks, where she won MVP of the Big V division and was selected by the WNBL. In 2011, she made history by receiving invitations to tryout for three WNBA teams. She and her Railways’ teammate Pauldurai also played a season professionally in Thailand.

She played in her final FIBA ABC in 2013 and became only the second Indian women (up to that point) to be conferred the Arjuna Award in 2014.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ajmer Singh Chopra - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

The very first inductee into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame is Ajmer Singh Chopra, the 6’5” swingman who is one of the most-accomplished Indian hoopers in history. Chopra’s career highlights include starring as India’s best player in our only Olympic basketball appearance (Moscow 1980), winning the 1982 Arjuna Award, and dominating in many more international and domestic championships.

Chopra was born in Rukanpur village near Karnal (Haryana) in 1953, just three years after the establishment of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). He moved to Kota to hone his basketball skills, where he played for Rajasthan University. Chopra’s skills got him hired by Indian Railways, whom he represented domestically for several years of success, and continued to work for after retirement from the game. He played in 22 consecutive national championships for Haryana, Rajasthan, and Railways, and finished with 8 gold medals.

Internationally, Chopra represented India in multiple FIBA Asia Championships. His career peak, however, came in India’s unlikely qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the first and only time that India has played basketball on the Olympic stage. Although India lost all seven games they participated in, Chopra shone individually, averaging a team-high 21.3 points per game to go with 5.4 rpg as well. He ended up as one of the top scorers in thr tournament. Two years later, in the 1982 Asian Games, he was again the tournament’s top scorer. Through the 70s and 80s, Chopra also represented Indian Railways in many international tournaments abroad.

Chopra was known to be an unstoppable scorer who was the country’s top option during their earlier “golden age” of basketball in the 70s/80s. In 1982, he was handed one of the nation’s top scoring honours, the Arjuna Award. He also received the highest sporting honours by both Haryana and Rajasthan states.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Punjab (Men) and Indian Railways (Women) are India's 2019 National Basketball Champions!

After eight days of the highest-level of basketball India had to offer, the last teams standings offered some familiar faces. Held in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, the 69th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women concluded on Saturday, January 12 with the finales. Indian Railways, the reigning women's champions, repeated their triumph again this year with a 88-71 victory over Tamil Nadu. The star-studded Punjab Men squad crept pass Services 74-65 to win the gold in their division.

The 'Senior Nationals', organised by the Gujarat State Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), featured 32 Men's and 27 Women's squads from state and units across India. The tournament was held at Bhavnagar's Sisdar Sports Complex and tipped off on January 5.

At the finals on Sunday, Railways started a little slow against the talented TN squad, but turned things around after the first quarter. Leading 42-40 at halftime, Railways kicked into top gear in the third with a 27-15 run that essentially pulled the game away for good. International stars Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi (23) and Navaneetha PU (16) led the way to a 88-71 Indian Railways triumph. Sathya scored 21 for TN in the loss.

The Men's finale was a closer affair most of the way, featuring two strong and gritty squads, Punjab and Services. Both teams remained neck to neck most of the way, with Punjab holding only a slim 53-51 lead after three quarters. Punjab, who had shocked holders TN in overtime on Friday, found their extra surge in the fourth quarter at the final. The duo of Arshpreet Singh Bhullar (24) and Jagdeep Singh Bains (19) helped see them through to the 74-65 win. India's international point guard Joginder Singh led Services with 26.

Punjab's Amritpal Singh, the international star who recovered from a serious injury to star in this tournament, was named the Men's MVP. The Women's MVP award went to Tamil Nadu's unstoppable post-threat Pushpa Senthil Kumar.

This was Indian Railways' incredible 29th title in the Nationals, while Punjab won theirs for the seventh time - and the first since Chennai 2011.

Tamil Nadu finished third in the Men's division with a 84-65 with over Karnataka, led by Muin Bek Hafeez (20), Justin Joseph (19), and Hariram Ragupathy (17). Jitender scored 17 for Karnataka while Rahul Sarathy added 16. The Women's third place was a high-octane matchup between Kerala and Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh's giant player Poonam Chaturvedi dropped 41 points, but Kerala survived to a 7--73 win led by their national team veterans Jeena Scaria (21) and Poojamol Kochuparambu (18).

Final Scores

• Women: Indian Railways (Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi 23, Navaneetha PU 16, Ramya 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (Sathya 21) 88-71 [18-23, 24-17, 27-15, 19-16].
• Men: Punjab (Arshpreet Singh Bhullar 24, Jagdeep Singh Bains 19, Amritpal Singh 15) bt. Services (Joginder Singh 26) 74-65 [22-19, 15-14, 17-18, 20-14].

Final Standings

Women

• 1. Indian Railways
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Kerala
• 4. Chhattisgarh
• 5. Telangana

Men

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Services
• 3. Tamil Nadu
• 4. Karnataka
• 5. Uttarakhand

Indian basketball's biggest domestic tournament - the Senior Nationals - begin in Bhavnagar, Gujarat

You would've seen the anticipation building over the past few days. Inter-state events around the country. Each state/unit team lining up for the long road trip. Blessings and wishes on social media. Nerves. Stress. Anticipation. Hope.

Today, the biggest festival of domestic hoops in India - the 69th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women - will tip off in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. The 'Senior Nationals', organised by the Gujarat State Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), will feature dozens of the top state and unit teams from January 5-12, 2019 at the city's Sisdar Sports Complex.

69th Senior Nationals Participating Teams

Men

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat.
• Level 1, Group B: Services, Indian Railways, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Kerala.
• Level 2, Group C: Telangana, Delhi, Goa, Meghalaya, Mizoram.
• Level 2, Group D: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland.
• Level 2, Group E: Haryana, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Puducherry, West Bengal.
• Level 2, Group F: Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh.

Women

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

Last year's Senior Nationals were held in Chennai, and the host Men's team - Tamil Nadu - took home the gold medal in a final win over Services. The women's tournament was won by Indian Railways in a blowout over Chhattisgarh. All four of these teams will again be among the favourites for the title at Bhavnagar, as well as Punjab and Indian Railways (Men) and Karnataka and Kerala (Women).

2018: The Year in Indian Basketball

India is complicated: that is not breaking news. There are goods and there are bads, there are opportunities and risks, there is optimism in the horizon and pessimism that lurks in the dark corners.

And basketball in India, of course, is a microcosm of the country itself: complicated, topsy-turvy, and often undefinable. Indian basketball in 2018 positive results, negative news, losses (lots of losses), and big wins that signalled bleak hope from the future from alternative sources. Here's a look back at the year's biggest highlights:

- University of Calicut completed an incredible three-peat at India's most prestigious national women's collegiate title - the 2018 All India Inter University Women's Basketball Championship for Women - in Chennai in the beginning of the year.

- A couple of rivalries - some old, some new - were reignited at the biggest stage in domestic Indian basketball during the finals of the 2018 Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The tournament, featuring the finest teams and players in the country, came to a conclusion with big victories for Indian Railways (Women) and hosts Tamil Nadu (Men), both of whom lifted championship trophies with victories over Chhattisgarh and Services respectively.

- The basketball tournament at the first-ever Khelo India School Games (KISG) in February was won by Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

- Three Indian players - Sejin Mathew, Princepal Singh, and Pushpa Senthil Kumar - were among 43 prospects, ranging in age from 16-18, from 36 countries around the world for the Basketball Without Borders camp at the 2018 NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles, USA in mid February.

- And at the 18th Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event in Jakarta in mid February, India's Senior Men's team lost in the gold medal game to hosts Indonesia.

- Indian basketball descended into turmoil in late February when an alleged "clerical error" by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) disqualified two of India's top players - Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh - from taking part in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Bengaluru, despite both players having returned to India from their pro leagues in the NBA G-League and NBL Australia respectively. Without those two and the injured guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India lost both games to Jordan and Lebanon at home and fell to 0-4 in the qualifiers.

- Indian basketball stars Amjyot Singh and Jeena Scaria were honoured at the Times of India Sports Awards 2018.

- First-timers in the Asian circuit, Australia, routed hosts China in the final to win gold at the delayed FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan in early April. India finished last among the 13 participating teams.

- Over the weekend on April 14-15, Australia's Women and Men both won their respective finals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Basketball tournament in impressive fashion at home. India returned from Australia losing all their games in both Men and Women's divisions.

- In early May, former Lakers center (now with the Bucks) Brook Lopez visited India to promote youth basketball development initiatives for the NBA.

- With Lopez in attendance, the youth teams from Bengaluru and Delhi won the girls and boys (respective) Jr. NBA National Finals in Greater Noida to qualify for the Jr. NBA World Championship later in the year.

- In a battle of 3x3 basketball rights, the Basketball Federation of India announced a controversial ban of 3x3 players hoping to participate in national 5x5 basketball events, and vice versa. This was done primarily to thwart the growing clout of the FIBA-approved 3BL basketball league announced earlier in the year.

- Out of a tryout of 50, eight players were chosen to join the existing contingent of the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida

- In the final of the 32nd Federation Cup National Basketball Tournament in Chittoor in early May, 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.

- Rajesh Patel, the most-decorated coach in Indian basketball, passed away in early May. I wrote an obituary on The Times of India Sports.

- In mid May, at the 69th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Ludhiana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (Women) and Kerala (Men) celebrated with the title, after impressive victories in their respective finales.

- NBA Academy India held a first-ever Women's camp in Greater Noida from May 27-29. Sanjana Ramesh of Bengaluru and Vaishnavi Yadav from Allahabad were named the camp's Co-MVPs.

- The 2018 Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp was held in India for just the second time from May 29-June 1. The fourth and final day of BWB Asia 2018 concluded in thrilling fashion as the 66 campers from 16 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific competed in championship games and a pair of All-Star games. India's Sanjana Ramesh shone among the continent's best and was named women's MVP.

- The BFI made controversy again by banning two of India's star players - Amjyot Singh and Palpreet Singh - from Indian basketball for a year citing "indisciplinary activities".

- Two more games. Two more losses. India's ill-fated road to the 2019 Basketball World Cup ended with road losses to Syria and Jordan. They finished 0-6 in the First Round.

- Khelo India announced in July that 40 young basketball players had been selected for talent development scholarship.

- New Zealand won 2018 William Jones Cup for Women in Chinese Taipei (July 25-29); India (0-5) finished last.

- The inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship was held in Florida, USA, from August 7-12. US Central won both boys and girls divisions. India's junior teams also took part.

- The most talented and dominant team of India's inaugural 3x3BL - Delhi Hoopers - took home the crown after six rounds of the league's first season, displaying their command over opponents and showcasing the exciting rise of 3x3 basketball in the country.

- The first Indian player to ever be drafted into the NBA, Satnam Singh made another first, joining the St. John's Edge of Canada's NBL this season.

- China swept across all categories of basketball at the 2018 Asian Games, winning gold in the Men's, Women's, 3x3 Men's, and 3x3 Women's events in Jakarta. India's women took part and returned winless.

- At the 35th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Udaipur, Rajasthan in the first week of October, Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) emerged as champions.

- Also in October, seven-time NBA champ Robert Horry made his second trip to India to celebrate start of new NBA season.

- India hosted the 2018 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Bengaluru from October 28 - November 3. 16 of the top teams in the Asia and Oceania took part, divided into higher (Division A) and lower (Division B) sections. China's U18 team raced to grab the the gold medals. And for the third time in various women's FIBA Asia events, India - starting in Division B - played a perfect tournament to win promotion to Division A.

- Uttar Pradesh (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) win 2018 Sub Junior Nationals in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) in mid November.

- Undisturbed by the drama back home, Indian star Amjyot Singh returned to OKC Blue of the NBA G-League for second season.

- Mr. UTEP 2-Step Tim Hardaway visited India to promote the growth of basketball and NBA India's recently announced McDonald’s NBA-themed promotion.

- Sanjana Ramesh (17), already enjoying a stellar year, made history by becoming only the second Indian to receive scholarship from NCAA Division 1 programme - Northern Arizona - which she will join in fall 2019.

- Zarkawt BCA won season 5 of Mizoram Super League in Aizawl, making it their second win in two editions of the tournament in the same year. Once again, Mizo basketball legend Lalrina Renthlei was named MVP.

- The year ended on a high: the NBA officially announced that India will host their first-ever preseason games, in Mumbai, in October 2019. The games will feature the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings and are bound to become a flagship moment in the history of basketball/NBA in the country.

The NBA India Games will surely be the most anticipated event for the game in 2019, but there will be FIBA Asia events and more individual achievements for India to look forward to. Hopefully, there is less drama and more focus on the growth of the game to meet India's potential!

Customs (Chennai) and KSEB (Thiruvanathapuram) win 2018 All India Basketball Tournaments in Coimbatore

The five-day invitational basketball tournaments in Coimbatore - Nachimuthu Gounder Cup for Men and 17th CRI Pumps Trophy for Women - came to a conclusion on Thursday, May 31, with victories for Customs (Chennai) and KSEB (Thiruvanathapuram) in the Men's and Women's tournaments respectively.

Top club teams from around India were invited for these prestigious tournaments, featuring eight Men's teams and and eight Women's teams. The tournaments were organised by the Coimbatore District Basketball Association (CBDA).

Customs beat Indian Railways 69-63 in the Men's final of this 53rd All-India Championship, led by Hari Ram (26).

In the women's section, KSEB beat Eastern Railway (Kolkata) 59-43 in the final.

Indian Railways (Women) and Tamil Nadu (Men) win 2018 Senior Nationals gold in Chennai

A couple of rivalries - some old, some new - were reignited at the biggest stage in domestic Indian basketball during the finals of the 2018 Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. The tournament, featuring the finest teams and players in the country, came to a conclusion with big victories for Indian Railways (Women) and hosts Tamil Nadu (Men), both of whom lifted championship trophies with victories over Chhattisgarh and Services respectively.

The 'Senior Nationals', organised by the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA) and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), are India's most prestigious basketball championship. This year the 68th edition of tournament featured the best basketball talent from 31 men's and 26 women's teams from Indian States and Union territories.

For a major stretch in the past decade, Indian Railways were nearly untouchable at the Senior Nationals, seemingly winning the tournament every year. Their reign at the top was finally stopped by Chhattisgarh who beat Railways in the 2014 finals and sowed the seeds of a new rivalry. The two teams squared off at the final once again on Wednesday, and Railways made their intention to rise back to the top clear from the beginning. Railways led 43-33 at halftime, and then raced off in the second half to a comfortable 100-71 victory on the back of captain Navaneetha PU (30) and Renjini (19). Poonjam Chaturvedi, India's tallest women's basketball player, scored 27 for Chhattisgarh in the loss, while Anju Lakra scored 17 against her former team.

The Men's final was a closer affair, pitting the well-prepared host team Tamil Nadu against the old heads from Services. Under the tutelage of Serbian coach Milan Opacic, expectations were high for TN to defend their home court. The teams went back and forth in the first half and TN held only a slim 41-40 lead at halftime. After the break, however, TN's finally began to create some separation against their gritty opponents and pulled away to win 94-86. International forward Rikin Pethani scored 25 for the winning side and Justin added 16. The veteran duo of Joginder Singh (23) and Narender Grewal (20) led Services in the loss.

Final Scores

• Women: Indian Railways (Navaneetha PU 30, Renjini 19) bt. Chhattisgarh (Poonam Chaturvedi 27, Anju Lakra 17) 100-71 [19-16, 24-17, 34-21, 24-17].
• Men: Tamil Nadu (Rikin Pethani 25, Justin 16, Prasanna Venkatesh 13) bt. Services (Joginder Singh 23, Narender Grewal 20, Jai Ram Jat 15) 94-86 [20-22, 21-18, 27-23, 26-23].

2016: The Year in Indian Basketball

This article was first published in my column for Ekalavyas.com on January 5, 2017. Click here to read the original feature. The internal links on this repost have been subsequently altered.

If life was a basketball game, it wouldn’t be a coast-to-coast fast-break towards the basket or a 360-degree dunk in every possession. It would be hesitant, back-and-forth, a battle against progress where there would be several lead changes and as many easy baskets as turnovers.

2016 for Indian Basketball was definitely one such year. For every open basket, there was an air-ball. For every flawless defensive possession, there was a flagrant foul. And yet, despite the missteps, basketball in India continues to crawl ahead towards progress, slowly increasing its lead despite a poor field-goal percentage.

Here is a roundup of the top moments of 2016 in Indian Basketball.

- As usual, the Basketball Federation of India’s (BFI) calendar year began with a splash, with India’s biggest domestic tournament – the Senior Nationals – held in Mysuru (Karnataka). Over 53 combined teams in the Men and Women divisions participated, and after two high-flying finals on January 16, Indian Railways (Women) and Services (Men) emerged as national champions. 

- Ranbir Chopra, an Indian basketball legend and the captain of independent India's first national team at the First Asian Games in 1951, passed away in his home-town of Kapurthala on January 25th.

- The 42nd edition of the Sub-Junior U14 nationals, India’s youngest national tournament, concluded with two closely-contested finals on February 8^th in Puducherry, won by Madhya Pradesh's boys and Chhattisgarh’s girls.

- In the continuing spat between the BFI and the Indian Olympics Association (IOA), the international basketball federation – FIBA – cancelled basketball at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, sending selected players, coaches, and fans into distress.

- In mid-February, Indian basketball legends of the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA) teamed up to launch the ‘Save Our Game’ campaign in New Delhi.

- Former NBA champion Brian Shaw came to India near the end of February and helped choose Punjab’s youngster Palpreet Singh Brar as the winner of the first-ever ACG-NBA Jump programme at the national finals in Delhi-NCR. Palpreet was chosen to be prepared for the NBA D-League draft later in the year.

- The Federation Cup – a top national tournament for state and club teams – was held in Goa. Kerala Women rose to the top, while ONGC Men made it a three-peat in mid-March.

- Season 2 of the UBA Basketball League concluded in Hyderabad in early April with Delhi Capitals winning the Finals series 2-1 over Chennai Slam. Delhi’s Vinay Kaushik was named season MVP.

- The IBPA brought to attention Government of India’s de-recognition of the BFI among the National Sports Federations of 2016, adding further instability to the federation’s new committee, run by K. Govindraj.

- NBA players Robin Lopez and Seth Curry travelled to Noida and Mumbai from April 28 - May 1 to support the continued growth of basketball by conducting youth clinics and interacting with local fans. They engaged with players at Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Elite National Camp and took part in Sony SIX's show "Around the Hoop."

- Tamil Nadu Boys and Karnataka Girls won the 2016 Junior (U18) National championship in Puducherry.

- 6-foot-7 Prince Pal Singh (15), the son of an electrician from Gurdaspur (Punjab), was chosen for a three-year scholarship worth $75,000 (Rs. 50 lakh) to train and go to school at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, USA. He was picked by FIBA agent Dermot Russell at open trials conducted at the Delhi Public School in Rajnandgaon (Chattisgarh).

- At the 2016 South Asian (SABA) U18 Basketball Championship for Men in Dhaka (Bangladesh) on June 1-2, India's junior team defeated South Asian opponents Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, won the SABA U18 Basketball title once again, and qualified for the FIBA Asia U18 Championship. 

- Three promising Indian players - Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Aashay Verma, and Sahil - were chosen for the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Asia 2016 Camp in Australia.

- Indian official Naresh Aneja was appointed in July to be one of eight jury members representing FIBA at the Rio Olympics 2016 in Brazil.

- India hosted South Asia Qualifiers for 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Bengaluru from July 6-8, looking to defend their title against Nepal, Bangladesh, and Maldives. Captained by big man Amrit Pal Singh, India’s Men’s team won all their games convincingly and qualified for the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge.

- At the 2016 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men in Tehran, the home team Iran emerged as champions. Team India, meanwhile, made the Quarter-Final stage of the tournament for the first time in twelve years and finished at 8th place.  

- India’s Senior Men’s team, meanwhile, returned to the William Jones Cup in Taiwan, where they finished 1-7 but managed to impress with significantly improved performances. Philippines’ club Mighty Sports won the invitational tournament.

- Just months after the second season, the UBA launched Season 3 of their basketball league, which concluded in late July with a second title for Season 1 champions Chennai Slam. Chennai defeated Punjab Steelers 2-1 in the Finals’ series. Narender Grewal of the Pune Peshwas, the highest-scoring player in the tournament, was named MVP for Season 3.

- In July, the BFI sent out a warning message that all participants in 'unauthorised competitions' won't be allowed to take part in official national or international basketball events. After the end of UBA’s Season 3, BFI came through with their warning, banning 122 players, coaches, referees and support staff of the UBA from official India basketball competitions and sending shockwaves in the sport throughout the nation.

- India’s Senior Men, meanwhile, continued their accelerated improvement: at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran (Iran) in September, India had their best performance in 27 years. India defeated China, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Kazakhstan, made it to the tournament’s quarter-finals, and finished at 7^th place with a 4-4 record. India’s “Big Three” of Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Singh, and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi established themselves as Asia’s elite. Hosts Iran beat Korea in the final on September 18 to win the tournament.

- Two prominent members of India’s Senior Men’s team – Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Rikin Pethani – played for team ‘T-Rex’ of the Maldives Basketball Association (MBA) from September 20 to October 3. T-Rex won the MBA title.

- It was a familiar conclusion at the end of the 43rd Sub-Junior (U14) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls on October 7 in Hyderabad, as the reigning champions in both the boys' and girls' divisions - Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively - won their final matches to retain their trophies.

- Three Indian players – ACG-NBA Jump winner Palpreet Singh, Amjyot Singh, and Amritpal Singh – were deemed eligible for the NBA D-League draft.

- Asia's premier international club basketball tournament - the 2016 FIBA Asia Champions Cup - concluded in Chenzhou, China, on October 16 with the host country's representative China Kashgar winning the finale. India were represented at this tournament by Dehradun's ONGC, who, despite featuring some top Indian talent, were ousted from the Preliminary Round stage without a win and finished tied for 9/10th place in the ten-team fray. 

- India’s superstar Amjyot Singh had himself a busy fall season, headlining Japan’s 3x3 squad ‘Team Hamamatsu’ which won itself accolades in FIBA 3x3 tournaments around the world, including the 3x3 World Tour Finals in UAE and FIBA 3x3 All Stars in Doha (Qatar).

- Palpreet Singh made history by becoming the first Indian to be drafted directly into the NBA’s D-League when he was picked 11^th in the sixth round (80^th overall) in the D-League draft by the Long Island Nets on October 30^th. India’s other prospects – Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh – were not picked. Unfortunately, Palpreet was dropped from the Nets’ final roster a week later.

- India’s Youth (U18) Women’s team suffered a major setback at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Bangkok (Thailand). India lost all of their Level I games and then lost the promotion/relegation game to fall into Level II for the tournament's next iteration in 2018. China won the tournament for the third consecutive time.  

- On November 22, the NBA made the huge announcement to launch NBA Academy India, an elite basketball training centre for India’s top male and female prospects in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). The Academy, the first of its kind in the country, and the NBA’s fifth elite training centre globally, will be fully funded by the NBA. It will open in April 2017 and will provide academic education through a school partnership.

- The 2016 Youth National (U16) Championship concluded with the finals on November 26th, as Tamil Nadu (Girls) and Kerala (Boys) emerged as champions in Hassan (Karnataka).

- Former NBA champ Shawn Marion came to Mumbai and New Delhi for a five-day trip starting in the end of November, where he took part in the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, chatted with fans live on NBA India's Facebook page, conducted a junior NBA camp at the ITL School in Delhi, and more. He made the obligatory 'Around the Hoop' TV appearance, too.

- The second season of ACG-NBA Jump talent search programme was launched in Mumbai on December 3 with Marion. The programme that commenced this year – set to be held in six cities – will go on to provide the top 24 prospects with scholarships and training at the NBA Academy India.

- The story of India’s first NBA draft pick – Satnam Singh – was filmed into the documentary ‘One in a Billion’ by director Roman Gackowski. The documentary was released on Netflix Worldwide on December 6.

- Team India ended 2016 on a positive note at Hong Kong’s invitational Super Kung Sheung Cup. India sent a star-studded Senior Men’s team to the tournament and finished at third place with the bronze medal. USA’s Southern California Fukienese Association won the gold medal on December 18.

Basketball will continue to progress in India in 2017: fans should look forward to seeing the NBA Academy unearth new talents from the country, keep up with India’s blossoming domestic scene with grassroots and national tournaments around the country, and see our national women return to action at the 2017 FIBA Asia Championship. Like always, there will be three times on the top of my annual wish-list: for India to win more international games, to see progress towards a full Indian professional basketball league, and witness an Indian citizen finally getting to play in the NBA.  

Uttarakhand Men and Kerala Women become 2017 National Basketball champions in Puducherry

In the largest and finest annual collection of Indian basketball talent, only the most toughest survive to reach the pinnacle, to gain the prestigious honour of being called 'National Champions'. At the 67th Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women - the 'Senior Nationals' - in Puducherry, a couple of wounded predators got their retribution. Uttarakhand (Men) and Kerala (Women) - both runners-up from the tournament in 2016 - found their salvation in Puducherry by winning the Finals of the Senior Nationals on Saturday, January 14.

The 2017 Senior Nationals tipped off on Friday, January 7th at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry. The championship was being organised by the Puducherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and featured over 50 total men and women's teams from states and units across India.

The women's final pitted 2016 runners-up Kerala against the upstart team from Telangana, who had upset the mighty Indian Railways in the semi-finals and made it this far for the first time in their history as an independent state. Known for producing some of the best women's basketball talent in India, Kerala as a state had come short for over three decades at the Senior Nationals. When Telangana got off to a strong start on Saturday, leading 34-26 at halftime, it seemed that Kerala's misery would be stretched even longer. It took until the crucial fourth quarter for Kerala to bounce back, as they slowed the game down to a grind and began to dominate proceedings. Kerala outscored their opponents 22-8 in the final period On Saturday, and finally broke their 32-year curse to win the Senior Nationals gold with a 68-59 victory. Rising international star Jeena Scaria led Kerala with 20 while M. Gayatri scored 16 for Telangana in the loss.

The men's final pitted familiar foes and two heavyweights of Indian basketball - Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu - against each other. Both teams had faced off in one form or another, including as ONGC and IOB, several times in big finals in recent years. Last year, Uttarakhand had bounced back from a 20-point deficit to beat TN in the Semi-Final, only to lose to Services in the final game. This year, TN, backed by nearby home support in Puducherry, hoped for a different outcome. But the result was decided chiefly on the talents of one exceptional superstar: Uttarakhand's and India's talented big man Amritpal Singh. TN had no answers for Amritpal, who scored 34 and caused havoc in the post all night. The two teams traded big runs back and forth in the first two quarters, but it was Uttarakhand who had the final word, finishing 23-16 in the fourth period to secure a 68-60 victory and their third national title in five years.

Kiran Bedi, the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, was the chief guest for the women’s finals between Kerala and Telangana, and distributed the trophies, medals and cash prizes. V Narayanasamy, Chief Minister of Puducherry, was the chief guest for the men’s finals between Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu. In both men and women sections, the winning team received a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000/-, the first runners up Rs 1,00,000/- and the second runners up were awarded Rs 50,000/-.

A felicitation ceremony was also held for the Indian national men’s squad which finished a historic 7th at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge (in Iran in September) and won a bronze medal at the 21st Super Kung Sheung Cup 2016 (in Hong Kong in December). The FIBA Asia Challenge squad won a total cash prize of Rs 5,00,000/-, while the Hong Kong contingent received Rs 1,45,000/-.

Earlier on Saturday, the third/fourth place matches were held to determine the bronze medalists in each division. The Women's bronze medal was won by Indian Railways, who survived despite a semi-final injury to their veteran Anitha Pauldurai to defeat Chhattisgarh 84-77. Navaneetha PU (21) and Sruthi Menon (16) led the way for Railways, overcoming another big game by Chhattisgarh's giant center Poonam Chaturvedi (31). The Men's game was a fun matchup between Punjab and the surprising semi-finalists from Rajasthan. Punjab relied on the explosiveness of point guard Talwinderjit Singh 'TJ' Sahi (21) plus contributions by Rajveer Singh (18) and Gurvinder Singh Gill (16) to win 88-70. Vinod Kumar (22) and Sharad Dadhich (18) led the way for Rajasthan in the loss.

The BFI's President K. Govindraj also made several important announcements to the press on the day of the Finals in Puducherry. The big news was that India is setting up to host two major FIBA Asia tournaments this year: the Women's FIBA Asia Championship in Bengaluru, tentatively scheduled for September, and the FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women, for which a city hadn't been decided yet.

The tournament concluded on Saturday with one major omission: Services. After some troubles between the federation and the units, it seemed that Services and Indian Railways had found a solution with the BFI to attend the Senior Nationals. Railways eventually attended, but Services - who won the 2016 Men's gold at the Senior Nationals - were last-minute absentees.

Final Results

• Women: Kerala (Jeena Scaria 20) bt. Telangana (M. Gayatri 16, Ramya R. 15) 68-59 [14-19, 12-15, 20-17, 22-8].
• Men: Uttarakhand (Amritpal Singh 34) bt. Tamil Nadu 68-60 (23-9, 5-24, 15-13, 25-16).

Third/Fourth Place

• Women: Indian Railways (Navaneetha PU 21, Sruthi Menon 16, Madhu Kumar 15) bt. Chhattisgarh (Poonam Chaturvedi 31, Sangeeta Kaur 13) 84-77 (25-18, 17-15, 25-14, 17-30).
• Men: Punjab (Talwinderjit Singh Sahi 21, Rajveer Singh 18, Gurvinder Singh Gill 16, Arshpreet Singh Bhullar 14) bt. Rajasthan (Vinod Kumar 22, Sharad Dadhich 18, Mohamad 13) 88-70 (22-22, 23-9, 18-17, 25-22).

Final Standings

Women

• 1. Kerala
• 2. Telangana
• 3. Indian Railways
• 4. Chhattisgarh
• 5. Tamil Nadu

Men

• 1. Uttarakhand
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Punjab
• 4. Rajasthan
• 5. Kerala

2017 National Basketball Championship tips off in Puducherry with 52 top Indian teams

It's Indian basketball's greatest tradition, the beginning of every 'Happy New Year' with the happiest of news, the largest and most prestigious basketball competition in the country.

The 67th Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women - known as the 'Senior Nationals' - tipped off on Friday, January 7th at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry. The championship is being organised by the Puducherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Featuring 52 total men and women's teams from states and units across India, the championship will conclude with the finals on January 14.

Last year, the 66th Senior Nationals were held in Mysuru (Karnataka), and won by Services (Men) and Indian Railways (Women).

29 international players in both Men and Women's divisions are expected to take part in the tournament this year, making it a major star-studded event, including Rikin Pethani, Pratham Singh, Aravind Annadurai, Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi (Tamil Nadu), Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Yadwinder Singh, Amritpal Singh (Uttarakhand), TJ Sahi (Punjab), Smruthi Radhakrishnan, Anitha Pauldurai (Railways), Jeena Skaria, Poojamol Subhashmon (Kerala), Shireen Limaye (Maharashtra), and Bhandavya Mahesha (Karnataka). India's senior men's team star Amritpal Singh lighted the inaugural flame to officially tip-off the tournament.

After a brief scare where it seemed that Railways and Services may pull out from the Nationals this year, the BFI was able to reach an amicable resolution with both top units in the last minute and invite them to Puducherry for the championship. Apart from these teams, other top contenders at this year's nationals will include Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu in the Men's division and the Women's teams from Kerala and Delhi.

Participating Teams

Men

• Group A: Services, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana.
• Group B: Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Indian Railways, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh.
• Group C: Delhi, Chandigarh, Goa, Rajasthan, Sikkim.
• Group D: Telangana, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Tripura.
• Group E: Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh.
• Group F: West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh.

Women

• Group A: Indian Railways, Telengana, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Maharashtra.
• Group B: Kerala, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan.
• Group C: Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand.
• Group D: Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh.
• Group E: Bihar, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura.
• Group F: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Puducherry.

In an early opening-day game, Gujarat's Men's team were led by Harpal Singh 23 to post a 57-51 win over Chhattisgarh. In Women's competition, Kerala flaunted their depth and star-power to beat West Bengal 66-21. Hosts Puducherry Women had a weak start to their campaign, losing to Odisha 61-24, with J Bakshy (23) and S Panda (18) leading the way for the winning side.