2nd Khelo India Youth Games to tip off in Pune, Maharashtra

For the second-straight year, the Khelo India programme of the government's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will organise a massive, nationwide gathering of the best young athletes in dozens of sporting disciplines from across the country. The 2019 Khelo India Youth Games (formerly Khelo India School Games) will be held in Pune, Maharashtra this year, starting on Wednesday. The Games are scheduled from January 9-20, 2019.

Ranging from ages 10-21, this year's KIYG are expected to host over 6,000 athletes between the ages of 10-21 in 18 different sporting disciplines. Expanded divisions of sports will mean that young Youth Olympic champions, World Cadet Wrestling gold medallists, Olympian athletes and medal-winning shooters will be among the participating athletes this year.

The KIYG's basketball tournament is set to begin at the TT Hall Courts from January 15. The Basketball fray will be extended from last year and will be held in four different sub-categories: Under 21 boys, Under 21 girls, Under 17 boys, Under 17 girls. At the KISG in Delhi last year, Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) emerged as champions. With a overall tally of 38 gold medals, Haryana were crowned overall champions of the KISG 2018.

The Star Sports Network will broadcast KIYG 2019.

National Khelo India School Games (KISG) -- including Basketball -- to begin in New Delhi on Wednesday

Less than five months after he took office as India's new sports minister, former Olympian (shooting) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will oversee his pet project - Khelo India - come into light. The flagship Khelo India School Games (KISG), a nationwide gathering of school-going athletes participating in sixteen sporting disciplines, will be held in New Delhi from January 1 - February 8, 2018. The KISG will be launched on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in the country at the grassroots level. Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Games will assist in scouting youth (under 17) talent in various disciplines by a High-Powered Committee. The plan is to provide the identified talents with annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

At the first KISG, under-17 athletes have been invited to participate across in Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Shooting, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals are at stake at the Games.

The Basketball tournament of KISG will be held at the Stadium's KD Jadhav Indoor Hall from February 5-8. The tournament, and many other sporting events, will be broadcast live on Star Sports.

While there is imbalance in the scouting and grooming of young basketball players from around India, hopefully this tournament can bring some new faces into the spotlight and eventually help boost the national squads.

Sports Ministry grants recognition for Basketball among India's National Sports Federations

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has been having a busy week. While organising what has arguably been the biggest basketball event ever hosted in India - the FIBA Asia Women's Cup 2017 - the BFI received some good news. A year after the Indian government's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports removed BFI from the list of National Sports Federations (NSF) of the country, they have reinstated recognition to the basketball body, announced the BFI itself on Thursday.

If you recall, this whole ridiculous drama began when the BFI split into two separate executive committees, each competing to be the rightful BFI body in India. The committee led by president K. Govindraj were eventually able to gain recognition by FIBA (the international basketball association) and continue to hold domestic and international basketball events over the past two years. But because of political backing, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Ministry both backed away from this committee as a favour to the other.

Two weeks ago, the IOA finally granted affiliation to this "new" BFI, and this week, the Sports Ministry did the same, as the BFI has fulfilled all the conditions laid down by the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 for grant of recognition. This is a major step forward as the committee which has been working to develop basketball in India without official national support can now move forward with the government in hand, instead of being at odds with it.

Speaking about the ministry's decision, BFI's Secretary-General Chander Mukhi Sharma said, "This positive step is in recognition of the continued service to the game under the leadership and guidance of our President Shri K Govindaraj. I’m thankful to all the stakeholders who have stood by us and supported us in the last two and a half years. We will take the game to new heights."

Since the election of Govindraj, Sharma, and V. Raghothaman as President, Secretary General and Treasurer, respectively, of the BFI in March 2015, the committee has been federation has kept the ball bouncing in Indian basketball. The Indian national teams have participated in 16 prestigious international competitions across various age groups in both the men and women sections. In terms of competitive events, BFI has hosted two South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Championships and important FIBA gatherings such as the FIBA Asia Central Board Meeting and the FIBA New Competitions System Workshop. The BFI has also been conducting regular National Championships and various FIBA Coaching Certification courses. This year, the BFI has been entrusted to conduct two major FIBA Asia events: the ongoing FIBA Asia Women's Cup and the future FIBA Asia Championship for U16 Women.

Glad to see a chapter in this long, nasty soap opera finally come to a close. Basketball needs all federations and associations working together to grow in the country. Hopefully, the BFI can now move forward and secure funding to develop the game at all levels.

IOA finally grants affiliation to the "new" Basketball Federation of India

From a distance, it might seem like Indian Basketball has been bouncing around just fine. India has seen improvements in our national performances over the past few years and have hired a couple of respected international coaches for the senior men's and women's squads. Our stars are starting to make waves internationally and we are even hosting a couple of major FIBA events - the FIBA Asia Women's Cup and FIBA Asia U16 Women's Championship - on our home turf this year.

But true fans know that basketball's mere existence in India since 2015 has been an act of rebellion. Two years ago, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) broke apart into two opposing factions, each claiming to be the rightful committee to lead Indian basketball. The faction led by President K. Govindraj, formed in Bengaluru, was granted affiliated by the international basketball association FIBA because they held their annual general meeting legally as per the BFI constitution. But the faction led by President Poonam Mahajan, formed in Pune, contested this decision, and were supported by the the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India. Because of this division, the IOA and the Sports Ministry didn't recognise the Govindraj-faction BFI under the umbrella of Olympic sports and sports federations in India. All of the progress in the sport has since been propelled by the Govindraj-BFI without direct support or affiliations from these higher associations.

Anyways, it's now mid-2017, and the IOA - who had earlier appointed an "ad-hoc" committee to oversee Indian Basketball - have finally done the right thing and granted affiliation to the BFI, coming to terms with the federation that is recognised by BFI and who have been running the show for Indian basketball for the last few years.

The Times of India reported on Friday that, in a letter dated July 13, 2017, the IOA's General Secretary Rajeev Mehta wrote, "In accordance with the directives of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and honouring the rule 29 of Olympic Charter, the IOA grants affiliation to the BFI with K Govindraj as president and Chander Mukhi Sharma as secretary general." Mehta added that the affiliation is "subject to ratification by the executive council / general body of the IOA."

Apparently, it was the leader of the opposing faction - Poonam Mahajan - that finally urged the IOA to end the impasse. More reporting on this issue by Amit Sampat for The Times of India:

The reason to revise the decision and grant recognition to the other faction was the initiative of Poonam Mahajan informed Mehta. "On the initiative of Poonam Mahajan we took this decision. She wanted to end this impasse and was eager to see basketball as one of the top sport. She was always positive for basketball and informed me that she has no problem if IOA grants recognition to the other group. On her positive approach the IOA took this decision and the issue will soon be resolved," Mehta told TOI.
The sports ministry, however, has not granted recognition to either of the factions. Ever since June 12, 2015, the sports ministry has put on hold the conduct of any official basketball event in India until the office bearers of the BFI are recognized by the government.
Even the IMG-Reliance group, which signed a 30-year contract with the BFI in 2010, has stopped all activities including sponsorships until the office bearers are recognized. In that historic deal in 2010 the IMG-Reliance group was given the commercial rights of basketball in India.

Officials of both the factions and IMG-Reliance group have been fighting their respective battles in the court. Mediation is in progress to resolve the issue.

The IOA's affiliation is good news, as the rightful committee atop the BFI can now clear one obstruction on their way to full legitimacy. Hopefully, the government can now follow on this decision and extend their recognition towards the BFI, too. The ball is now in the court - literally, as it is a courtroom battle now - but fans will be hoping for a quick mediation so that the BFI can look for new sponsors beyond IMG Reliance and help move the game forward.

Government of India doesn't recognize basketball among National Sports Federations for 2016

Now, despite my love for the game, I'm not suggesting that basketball is the biggest sport in India. The most popular sport, which is also the richest, which gets the most fan-attention, and produces the most celebrities, and makes the biggest mark in Indian history, is Cricket. Left behind by the dominance of Cricket are the other sports scavenging for their place in the sun: Football, Hockey, Wrestling, Boxing, Tennis, Badminton, and of course, Basketball. It's niche for the mainstream, but within its niche audience, basketball has a fervent following and legions of serious players whose livelihood depends on the sport's success.

But in a list published by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport of the Government of India last month, basketball - or the official governing body of basketball in India - isn't recognized anymore by the country at all.

A government notification dated on March 14th, but brought to wider attention by the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA) only recently, names 46 National Sports Federations (NSFs) in India that have been renewed for their annual recognition by the Sports Ministry. The renewal of recognition for 2016 - valid till December 31 this year - states that the federations are "eligible to receive various assistance from the Government of India including railway concessions, etc."

Missing conspicuously from that list is the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

This is no accident. The last one year has perhaps been the most tumultuous in the BFI's 66-year history. The BFI broke apart in two different, competing executive committees last year, with each one fighting for leadership of the federation. Because of the constitutional manner of their elections, FIBA, the international basketball federation, recognized the group led by Karnataka's K. Govindraj (Team Govindraj), and this is the group that has since held national and international basketball events for the country. But the Indian government and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), because of their political ties, favoured the group led by Poonam Mahajan of Maharashtra (Team Mahajan). Last year, the Sports Ministry tried to retaliate to the working group of the BFI (Team Govindraj) by putting all basketball events in India on hold. Later, the IOA also created an ad-hoc committee to oversee new BFI elections separate from the federation that already existed.

So of course, when the Government got its chance to declare the NSFs it recognizes, basketball - the sport with the potential to become one of the fastest risers in the country - was left off. Here are some sports that did make the list: the Atya Patya Federation of India (I discovered 17 minutes ago that Atya Patya was a sport), two different Badminton associations (with and without a ball), a baseball federation (because I guess a lot of Indians play baseball now), a softball association (for those who want to play baseball with a softer ball), a Tenni Koit federation (I discovered less than a minute ago that Tennikoit was a sport), and federations for bowling and tug-of-war.

So what does de-recognition mean, anyway, and why is it so important? The answer lies in the "etc" part of the statement by the Sports Ministry written above: "eligible to receive various assistance from the Government of India including railway concessions, etc." "Etc", according to the IBPA's Secretary-General Jayasankar Menon, means that the certificates issued at various national basketball championships in India this year will have no official value. It means that BFI athletes will not get jobs under the sports quota. And of course, it also effects their railway concessions.

In his Facebook post, Menon added: "IBPA plans to bounce back and request all the well wishers to support our initiatives to bring back OUR game into the approved list of the Govt so that the youngsters will get all the benefits..."

But the IBPA cannot be alone in this. We need more people in the media and the Indian basketball fraternity to bring this issue to light. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport, and the Government of India, have an obligation to ensure the birth of more sporting opportunities in the country, not see those opportunities suppressed. There is too much basketball potential in India for us to see it wasted.

FIBA urges Indian sports ministry to grant immediate recognition of BFI to Team Govindraj

Last week, the Indian Men's basketball team made its fans proud, making it to the Quarter-Finals of the biggest tournament in Asia - the 2015 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship (ABC) - for the first time in 12 years, and taking an encouraging leap up to 8th place in the continent. However, despite the stellar performances by India's star players, something was amiss. India did well, but they could've done much better. The team that headed to Changsha for the 2015 FIBA ABC lacked severely in depth of talent. Several big names of Team India - players like Pratham Singh, Joginder Singh, Prasanna Venkatesh, Rikin Pethani, and Narender Grewal - didn't show up for the national team camp and final cut. India played well despite them, but their presence could've possibly pushed the national team a spot or two even higher.

Of course, India being India, missing an entire five-man lineup of experienced, quality players is more than a random coincidence; many in the Indian hoops fraternity believe that the players were held back through pressure from government and political connections conspiring against the team from within itself. Indian basketball has been suffering from political infighting for the past six and a half months. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has divided into two separate executive committees boasting of two separate presidents. The committee led by secretary of the Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBBA) K. Govindraj (Team Govindraj) conducted their Annual General Meeting in Bengaluru on March 27 under the rulings of the correct BFI constitution and have the backing of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Operating out of Bengaluru, they have been conducting domestic tournaments, national team camps, and organizing India's international activities (including FIBA Asia Championships for Men and Women) this year. The committee led by MP from the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha constituency Poonam Mahajan (Team Mahajan), formed in Pune on March 28, have the backing of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Sports Ministry). Last month, the IOA created an 'ad-hoc' committee to oversee the divide in Indian basketball with the hopes of holding fresh elections that involve Team Mahajan in BFI governance in an official manner.

Now, frustrated by the ripple effect the rift in India is having internationally, FIBA has interjected again. In a letter addressed to the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India), Sarbananda Sonowal, FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann urged him to immediately grant official recognition of the BFI to Team Govindraj. Copies of the letter, dated 6th October 2015, were also been sent to other departments within FIBA as well as IOA and BFI.

Excerpts of the letter from FIBA (Patrick Baumann) to the Sports Ministry (Sarbananda Sonowal) are below:

FIBA issued an official decision dated 23 May 2015 recognizing a group of newly elected BFI officials who shall act as the sole representatives of the BFI towards FIBA and all other official sports authorities, and as the only officials in charge of controlling and developing the sport of basketball in India.
In this decision, FIBA respectively requested the Indian Olympic Association and your honourably Ministry to join FIBA in supporting the officials duly and legally elected during the BFI General Meeting held in Bangaluru [sic] on 27 March 2015. More than 4 months later, we regret to note that the institutional situation of the BFI remains extremely fragile and subject to unacceptable pressures that hinder the proper development of basketball in your country.
To our utmost concern, we have indeed received evidence and copies of correspondence issued by persons who were directly or indirectly part of the parallel General Meeting held in Pune the day after the holding of the valid BFI Meeting, threatening and dissuading players and State Unit Associations to take part in competitions organized by BFI and/or FIBA.
While it is not unusual for officials involved within the sports political sphere to have disagreements, FIBA cannot accept that players who have absolutely nothing to do with these political matters and personal arguments be held hostages and prevented from representing their country in major international competitions. Not only are these threats disrespectful towards the hard work these players and their coaches went through in order to be at the required level but it is also a direct insult to the State of India whose national team has been missing out on key players due to this institutional turmoil.
Just a few days ago, your national team reached the quarter finals of FIBA's flagship basketball event in Asia after a 12-year gap. However, key players were not allowed to take part in this championship due to various threats allegedly motivated by the absence of BFI recognition by your Ministry. FIBA is therefore of the firm opinion that this matter cannot continue any longer and we would respectfully request your Ministry to act without delay in the interest of the athletes, coaches, clubs, parents, sponsors, and fans who invest considerable time and resourced in our sport, by granting, without delay, the necessary recognition to the BFI presided by Mr Govindraj and recognized by FIBA.
Also, and equally more importantly, any State Association or Public Service Companies which decides to join the BFI to pursue basketball activities shall not be prevented to do so and any player registered with such associaitons shall also be encouraged to participate in competitions organized by the BFI and endorsed by FIBA.

FIBA's newest letter has been chiefly in response to the IOA's refusal to recognize Team Govindraj's BFI and support Team Mahajan, who has considerable clout in the Indian government because of Poonam Mahajan and Secretary-General Roopam Sharma's BJP links. The IOA's creation of an ad-hoc committee claimed (falsely, it has been alleged by Team Govindraj) that they were requested by FIBA to solve the BFI dispute. The IOA's ad-hoc committee also intended to hold fresh elections for the Executive Board of the BFI within a period of two months of giving notice to all affiliated members (state federations/associations, etc). Team Govindraj claim that the IOA order is "illegal" since they do not have the provision to make an ad-hoc committee for any National Sports Federation in India that is recognized by an international federation.

While Team Mahajan attempts to coerce the IOA to create obstacles for Team Govindraj, Team Govindraj continues to hold basketball activities for India domestically and abroad, including the Junior National Basketball Championship that conclude in Ludhiana on Friday, October 9. They will be holding selection trials for India's U16 boys team on October 10-12 in Bengaluru for the U16 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship in Indonesia at the end of this month. India were drawn yesterday in Group D of the U16 FIBA ABC, along with China, Korea, and Iraq.

Unfortunately, it seems that India's biggest rival in basketball success isn't China, or Korea, or Iraq, or the Philippines, Iran, or Japan. It's India itself.

To paraphrase FIBA and Baumann: dear India, stop messing with the hard work and passions of Indian basketball players. It is their dream to wear the Indian jersey, to make India proud, and eventually, help India achieve greater things. Their efforts should be supported, not halted. We can't let politics kill Indian basketball.

IOA creates ad-hoc committee to oversee Indian Basketball; BFI's Team Govindraj calls it 'illegal'

Although India's Men and Women's basketball teams are spending the fall travelling to China to take part in separate FIBA Asia Championships, the bigger games in Indian basketball have been taking place off the court. 2015 has been the year of a division within the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the body in charge of all domestic and international basketball activities in the country. Earlier this year, two separate executive committees were formed in two different meetings giving the BFI two different, competing presidents: K Govindraj and Poonam Mahajan. Ever since then, the two committees have fought tooth and nail for the 'official' top seat in a bitter battle that has overshadowed the good of the game.

The latest update in this struggle is that, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), after failing to bring Team Govindraj in the same meeting as Team Mahajan to settle the scores, has sent out an order announcing the creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee to oversee the workings of the BFI and hold fresh elections within a few months. Just a few days after the IOA order, Team Govindraj has responded with a message supporting their own claim to the BFI and deeming the order 'illegal'.

To cut the long tale of litigation and accusations to a short story, the two claims to the BFI 'throne' are thus: the elections held by Team Govindraj were overseen by BFI's former president, RS Gill, which is a mandatory requirement as per the BFI constitution. Because of this, they were given the support and official recognition from the world' governing body of basketball - FIBA - and have been able to oversee India's participation at the FIBA-affiliated events. But Team Mahajan claim their support from the IOA, who have attempted to reconcile the two competing parties over the last few months. Due to the political connections of president (Poonam Mahajan) and general-secretary (Roopam Sharma), Team Mahajan have been able to persuade favours from the IOA and the Government's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Sports Ministry). A few weeks ago, Team Govindraj had sent a previous letter to all units staking their claim over the BFI.

On September 9 2015, the IOA's Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and President N. Ramachandran signed an office order announcing the creation of an Ad-Hoc committee led by Volleyball Federation of India's CEO K. Murugan (Chairman), Anandeshwar Pandey, and Kuldip Vats to find "a permanent solution to the issue which has arisen in the Basketball Federation of India and also in order to avoid further litigation". The IOA claims that FIBA issued a letter to the Sports Ministry to "look into the dispute in the Basketball Federation of India". In the order, the IOA adds that both factions of the BFI were called for a meeting to put forth their stands and claims in regards to the management of the BFI a few months ago. Despite four opportunities given, only one faction showed up (Team Mahajan), leading thus to the creation of this Ad-Hoc committee. The committee also plans to hold fresh elections for the Executive Board of the BFI within a period of two months of giving notice to all affiliated members (state federations/associations, etc) "in accordance with the constitution of the Basketball Federation of India so that the disputes which has arisen in the Basketball of India may be put to rest".

"I welcome this decision," Mahajan told the Times of India, "Resolving the matter is very much required so that the game and young players won't suffer. I am thankful to the sports ministry that they hve taken this matter seriously. Thankfully, there will be some conclusion now and the sufferings of the players will come to an end. We all will abide by the Government of India's decision."

Two days later - on September 11 - Team Govindraj sent a response to IOA's office order, signed by their general-secretary Chander Mukhi Sharma. In the response titled "Illegal IOA order" and sent to the presidents and secretaries of all affiliated units of the BFI, Team Govindraj claims to put straight the facts, claiming, among other matters that the constitution of the IOA does not have provision form making an Ad-Hoc commitee for any National Sports Federation (NSF) that is recognized by an international federation. In this case, the NSF is the BFI, and the international federation is FIBA. Team Govindraj alleges that no such letter was sent by FIBA to look into the BFI dispute, and that they - Team Govindraj elected in Bengaluru on March 27 2015 - already have FIBA affiliation. The letter ends with the announcement that the 32nd Youth National Championship for Boys and Girls will be starting as scheduled on September 14 in Bhavnagar (Gujarat) and reminded affiliated units of the participation of their teams. The letter was CC'd to top secretaries of the Sports Ministry.

Govindraj, in an interview with the Times of India, reiterated his committee's claim. "First of all, we are recognized by the FIBA. Till date, FIBA has not written any letter to the sports minister. The office order issued by the IOA is a bogus letter. They can do anything and because of the political pressure, they have done this. To stop the youth national championship in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, they have issued such a letter. We will anyhow conduct the national championship."

For now, Team Govindraj is continuing to be in charge of official basketball events in India and abroad, events that Team Mahajan and their supporters consider illegal. Expect another response from the IOA or Team Mahajan soon.

The battle will continue to rage on, especially since the IOA's Ad-Hoc Committee is now planning re-elections of the executive committee in a few months. The likely scenario is that Team Govindraj and their supporters will continue to run the BFI as they see fit, while Team Mahajan and their supporters will elect another separate Executive Committee. And as things stand now, it is likely that each committee will refuse to recognize the legality of the other. With the states and units divided in India, the participation of the players and their opportunities will be divided, too.

And at the end of the day, it is the basketball players in India who - as usual - become the innocent pawns in this power struggle.

Govindraj Faction sends letter stating their claim to the Basketball Federation of India (BFI)

For a while, the game of basketball had silenced the fight over basketball itself. While two factions fought among each other for rightful claim over the executive committee of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), domestic and international hoops events turned attention back to the sport itself, rather than the politics. If you recall, the BFI split into two fighting committees in March, one selected in Pune led by Poonam Mahajan and the other in Bengaluru led by K. Govindraj. With support from FIBA and the Delhi High Court decision, the Govindraj committee wrested some control of BFI activities and have since been organizing events in India and abroad.

Now, as the Mahajan faction prepares to fight back, Team Govindraj's General-Secretary Chander Mukhi Sharma has sent a letter entitled 'Facts of the Matter' (dated August 28, 2015) to the presidents and secretaries of all affiliated units of the BFI around the country to state their rightful claim over the governing body of basketball in India. Details of the letter are below:

Subject: Facts of the Matter (sent from the desk of BFI Secretary-General Chander Mukhi Sharma) to Presidents/Hon. Secretaries of all Affiliated Units of the Basketball Federation of India)

It is to inform all units of the Basketball Federation of India that some unscrupulous and disgruntled elements with vested interests are trying to damage the Basketball Game in India.

In order to remove the ambiguity the following points be noted by all concerned with the Basketball in India:

1. The Basketball Federation of India has been lawfully elected as per the Constitution of the Basketball Federation of India and the Model Election Guidelines of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 issued by Government of India at Bengaluru on 27th March 2015 under the observers appointed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, Government of Karnataka and International Basketball Federation (FIBA). 

2. Our elections have been upheld by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, as Justice Manmohan pointed out that it is only the President of the Basketball Federation of India who is to decide the time and venue of the elections as per the Constitution of the Basketball Federation of India.

3. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has duly recognized our executive vide letter dared 23rd May 2015 and we are fully authorized to carry out all activities in connection with the Basketball Game in India.

4. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India letter dated 12th June 2015 has been stayed by the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court in our favor.

5. After getting the stay from the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court, the Basketball Federation of India have successfully carried out the following activities till date:

• a. International Teams National Coaching Camps and Competitions:
• i. National Coaching Camp for Senior Men in Preparation for 4th SABA Championship / Qualifying for the 28th FIBA Asia Championship for Men from 15th June to 2nd July 2015 and then again from 6th to 18th July in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• ii. 4th SABA Championship / Qualifying for the 28th FIBA Asia Championship for Men in Bengaluru, Karnataka from 3rd to 5th July 2015, where the Senior Men’s Team Won the Gold Medal, qualifying for the 28th FIBA Asia Championship for Men.
• iii. National Coaching Camp for Senior Men will re-start from 31st August and will continue through the event, 28th FIBA Asia Championship for Men, which will begin on 23rd September to 3rd October 2015 in Changsha, China.
• iv. National Team of Senior Men’s 3x3 recently participated and Won the Gold Medal at the SABA 3x3 World Tour Qualifier, qualifying for and participating in the 3x3 World Tour Event in Beijing, China on the 15th and 16th August 2015.
• v. Selection Trial and National Coaching Camps for U-16 Girls were conducted from 26th June to 30th July 2015 in Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida (UP) in preparation for the 4th FIBA Asia U-16 Championship for Girls.
• vi. The U-16 National Team participated in the 4th FIBA Asia U-16 Championship for Girls from 2nd to 9th August 2015 in Medan, Indonesia.
• vii. The Foreign Coach for Women and Girls, Francisco Garcia, whose services were arbitrarily terminated by the previous CEO of BFI, has been reappointed.
• viii. National Coaching Camp for Senior Women from 20th July to 18th August 2015 in preparation for 26th FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Wuhan, China from 29th August to 5th September.
• ix. National Team of Senior Women is currently in China for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship for women.
• b. The following National Championships shall be held as per the following schedule:
• i. 32nd Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls from 14th to 20th September 2015 at Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
• ii. 66th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women from 2nd to 9th October 2015 at Ludhiana, Punjab.

6. Till now 21 States has confirmed their participation for 32nd Junior National Basketball Championship to be held at Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

 7. As per the past practice, the Players for the upcoming International events will be shortlisted on the basis of their performances in the National Championships only. It is pertinent to mention that no separate trials will be held for selecting the international teams. The BFI is planning on sending U-14, U-16 and U-18 National Teams on Exposure Trips abroad based on the selections from this National Championship.

The unscrupulous and disgruntled elements who are having vested interests are misleading everyone in the hope that the confusion created will stop the honest basketball activities in India that are being organized by the Basketball Federation of India. In fact, they have been quick to attempt to stop others from participating in various National and International Events, whereas we have not victimized any player/official/referee of the Country. Even the talented and deserving players from Maharashtra, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Kerala and West Bengal, have been able to represent Team India during the 4th FIBA Asia U-16 Championship for Girls at Medan, Indonesia; 26th FIBA Asia Championship for Women at Wuhan, China; 4th SABA Championship and the Senior Men FIBA 3x3 events at Colombo, Sri Lanka and Beijing, China.

However, the truth remains – the Basketball Federation of India will continue with all its events for the betterment of the game and the participants, ensuring that the players, coaches and referees will continue to obtain exposure domestically and abroad. We are committed to all the deserving and talented players/officials/referees/managers to provide all a chance to represent India.

We look forward for your continued support to develop the Basketball sport across India.

Your move, Team Mahajan.

Competing sides of Basketball Federation of India set for a showdown with Indian Olympic Association in New Delhi

If you're a fan of Indian Basketball, you probably know the details of this drama already. After two competing factions for the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) split the federation in two, India's Ministry of Youth and Sports affairs intervened and banned all official basketball activities in India until they could come to a decision regarding this mess. The BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. With a ruthless, political fight for power, those who are supposed to govern Indian basketball have actually ended up hurting it. A few months ago, I had even satirically suggested that the two teams fighting for BFI control should decide things on the court with an actual basketball game.

Well, it finally seems that this week, the BFI's two contenders are set for a real showdown.The contingent led by President K Govindraj and Secretary-General Chander Mukhi Sharma (Team Govindraj) and the contingent led by President Poonam Mahajan and Secretary-General Roopam Sharma (Team Mahajan) will face-off in a meeting convened by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at their head office in New Delhi on Wednesday, July 15.

The IOA has been deputized by the Government's Ministry of Sports to sort out the bickering between the two sides and help get Indian basketball back on track. They sent a letter to the two presidents of Team Govindraj and Team Mahajan, asking them to appear for this meeting at noon on Wednesday.

Via Firstpost:

"The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India vide its letter No F.No. 16-14/2009-SP (Vol.II) dated 29th June, 2015 has requested Indian Olympic Association to sort out the dispute of Basketball Federation of India."
"The International Basketball Federation is also of the view that there is a clear division in Basketball Federation of India and both the factions are claiming to be the genuine President and Secretary General of Indian Basketball Federation."
"It is, therefore, requested that you may kindly make yourself available in the office of the Indian Olympic Association, B-29, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016 on 15th July, 2015 at 12.00 noon so that a meaningful discussion may take place between both the factions in order to bring an end to the dispute to ensure smooth functioning in Basketball Federation of India and protect the interest of sports persons."

About four months ago, Team Govindraj and Team Mahajan held two separate Annual General Meetings (AGM) in two different cities (Bengaluru and Pune) on consecutive days, which each side claiming to be the rightful executive body of the federation. Because they had lawfully conducted their meeting with the previous president (KS Gill) present, Team Govindraj were able to win the Delhi High Court order to gain control of the BFI office in New Delhi and also receive recognition from FIBA, the international basketball association. Despite all this, the Ministry of Sports continued to consider the BFI a broken house, and halted Team Govindraj from executing any further basketball programmes until the dispute had been sorted out. The BFI were able to gain temporary relief to host the South Asian Basketball Championship in Bengaluru earlier this month, but for a more permanent fix, the government and the IOA will now have to pass the final judgement in this struggle.

Many believe that, despite Team Govindraj gaining recognition from the Delhi High Court and FIBA, the Ministry of Sports deflated Indian basketball because of the political connections that Team Mahajan has with the Indian government. The legal and rightful recourse should be to led the K Govindraj-led BFI get things back to track and focus on basketball instead of politics. But, if the Government, the Ministry of Sports, and the IOA are biased towards Poonam Mahajan and Roopam Sharma's faction, then we can expect this drama to carry on for as long as it takes to make Team Govindraj uncomfortable and budge aside to share the space with Team Mahajan.

Wednesday's meeting is sure to be a fascinating face-off of two determined sides, and the the results will shape the future direction of Indian basketball. I wish it could be televised.

UPDATE: The meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 19, according to The Times of India.

#CantStopIndiaBasketball

The Sports Ministry has banned all official basketball events in India in lieu of the infighting between the two factions fighting for the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). This is horrible news, meaning that until the government can come to a decision on the 'legal' ruling party of the BFI, there will be no camps, clinics, training sessions, national tournaments, or international participation of basketball for India.

Basketball isn't played by India's politicians and administrators, it's played by India's basketball players. The average basketball fan or player in the country can feel completely helpless as the opportunity for Indian basketball to rise is squandered away by the power-hungry people on top, many of whom have little regard for the future aspirations of the players themselves. It's time we - players, fans, supporters - take a stand against the Sports Ministry and the BFI and show that the game will go on, no matter what. Through our voices, hopefully we can instill a sense of urgency to the decision-makers and raise more awareness around the nation about this issue.

Post your best photos of playing basketball in India outside of the organized national levels. Let it be know that, even if they stop the Basketball Federation of India, they can't stop India basketball. Tag your photos with #CantStopIndiaBasketball, have your voices heard and your photos seen. More importantly, don't stop ballin'!

The Great Deflate: Sports Ministry puts all official basketball events in India on hold after BFI fiasco

Sometimes, basketball in India can feel like a literal bouncing ball. Just when you think that you've gotten a good bounce up, the force of gravity - or the suppressing push of a dribble - can throw it back down to earth again.

That basketball has been rising and falling - well, mostly falling - at alarming pace for the last few months, and now, it has sunk to a new depth. After continued infighting between different factions of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) over the control of the federation's executive committee, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs in India (hereon referred to as the 'Sports Ministry') has put on hold the conduct of any official basketball event in India until the office bearers of the BFI are recognized by the government. The BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. This ban means that, until the government can come to a decision on the 'legal' ruling party of the BFI, there will be no camps, clinics, training sessions, national tournaments, or international participation of basketball for India.

In a letter by the Sports Ministry addressed to the elected presidents of both the bodies (dated June 12), AK Patro, under-secretary to the Government of India, has written, "The ministry is not in a position to give recognition to either faction at this stage. Both factions are advised not to hold any official event in India and not to use the logo of this ministry or Sports Authority of India (SAI) until office bearers of BFI are recognized by the government."

Do you hear that fizz? That's the sound of a deflated basketball which has now stopped bouncing back up.

The story so far? Over the last two months, a dramatic turn of events has plunged the BFI into an abyss of uncertainty. Political infighting led the association to be split in two: two factions called two separate meetings/elections (March 27 and March 28 respectively) in two different cities (Bengaluru and Pune respectively) and selected two separate executive committees (presided by K Govindraj and Poonam Mahajan respectively) to head the BFI. All of India’s three foreign coaches – Men’s National Team Head Coach Scott Flemming, Women’s National Team Head Coach Francisco Garcia, and Strength and Conditioning Head Coach Tommy Heffelfinger – ended their contracts with Indian basketball last month. Meanwhile, FIBA – the world’s governing body of basketball and organizers of all upcoming FIBA Asia basketball tournaments – declared the situation in India a ‘freeze’, and thus, disallowing India to play in FIBA-sanctioned international basketball tournaments. With the FIBA Asia Championships - India's biggest opportunity for top-level basketball - on the horizon, the nation was headed headless and coach-less into the eye of the storm.

There seemed to be some respite from the mess in recent weeks, a hopeful bounce back up. 'Team Govindraj' won a Delhi High Court order to take charge of the BFI's office in New Delhi and their official website. Then, FIBA finally passed their stamp of recognition to Team Govindraj, too, recognizing them as the official office-bearers of the Federation. Things seemed to be finally getting back on track when FIBA gave India the responsibility of hosting the 4th South Asian Basketball Championship (from July 3-5 in Bengaluru) and the BFI planned a month-long camp in Bengaluru in preparation.

Alas, with the latest development, the ray of hope has quickly been blanketed by a dark cloud of politics again. Already, the warring of the two factions led Team Mahajan to post-pone India's Youth National Basketball Championships originally scheduled to be held in Assam. With the Sports Ministry's ruling to hold all official basketball events in the country, the upcoming national camp and the South Asian Championship in Bengaluru both seem likely to be affected, too.

To elect the 26-member executive committee in the BFI, 41 out of 62 voting members were present for the elections in Pune, reported Amit Sampat on his article for The Times of India. Only 24 voters were present in Bengaluru and failed to fill all the 26 executive posts, so only a 19-member committee was formed.

The biggest victims of this new setback will be India's basketball players, who will continue to miss the opportunity to showcase their talents or improve their game until the administrators on top figure out their power struggle. India can have no more official basketball until Team Govindraj and Team Mahajan bring their differences to an amicable solution, after which the government will have to give their go-ahead, and only then will the ministry reverse its decision. Since this is India, all that process could take anything from a week to six months.

Divya Singh, India's former basketball captain and a talented young coach, took out her frustrations on Twitter yesterday. "It's so sad basketball is in its darkest time in India," she wrote, "Politics can do so much harm. Stop politics let players play."

The ball has been deflated right now, but anything that goes down must come up. We will remain cautiously optimistic and hope for a solution to this on-going drama as soon as possible. Hopefully, the the basketball can bounce back up again.

Indian basketball leagues, financial challenges, and the NBA dream: A comprehensive Q&A with BFI CEO Roopam Sharma

After drudging slowly along and failing to beat the shot clock, basketball in India in on a fast-break and now taking rapid strides forward. A few years ago, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) agreed to a 30-year partnership with IMG-Reliance, a partnership that eventually spawned the birth of school and college inner-city leagues around the country. This year, the leagues have received an unprecedented boost, re-branded officially as the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and the Indian College Basketball League (ICBL) in 24 Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities in India. While the leagues serve as a grassroots programme, India continues to make steady improvement at the top - the Men and Women's national teams - both of whom have enjoyed historically successful moments over the past year.

But where do we go from here? A constant battle remains for the BFI and others invested in helping basketball - or any 'alternative' sport - in India against disadvantageous treatment by India's Sports Ministry and the nation's mainstream media. Social, academic, and family pressures discourage young talents from reaching their potential. Stagnancy at the government units and states lead our top talents to plateau after a certain point. Basketball infrastructure in India is still years behind accepted world-class standards. Fans are largely unaware or uninterested in the local game. And the lack of a professional league limits the growth of the game while forcing India's top players to remain semi-pros with other day jobs.

The launch of the re-branded ICBL and ISBL won't change things overnight, but it's a positive and ambitious step forward to connect with over 1100 institutions and 13,000 young players across India. A step like this will not only help to create a feeder system for the higher national/international level, but also create more basketball fans and lovers in the country than ever before.

About two and a half years ago, Roopam Sharma took over the CEO of the BFI, and has been building on the groundwork set by her Late husband and former CEO Harish Sharma. On the eve of the launch of the ISBL and ICBL, I got a chance to interview Sharma at the BFI's headquarters in New Delhi about the leagues and eventually, the challenges of basketball in India, and the future of the game.

Hoopistani: Apart from the expanded size of the re-branded leagues, how will the ISBL and ICBL be different from the IMG-Reliance School/College leagues that have been held in India over the past few years?

Sharma: This is the fourth session the School/College leagues. We have increased the number of host cities every year step by step, and this year, our aim is to expand horizons in the grassroots areas as much as possible. We are taking a more professinal approach than ever before.

Basketball is the third-most followed game in India now. IMG Reliance are looking to prepare and collate date and information about our players and teams to give the league a more comprehensive and professional look this year. We are aiming at higher visibility through the media so people can learn more about basketball. It's important eventually to attract more and more school boys and girls to play basketball, from more cities.

We are holding 3,568 total basketball matches around India for the entire league. We invite as many buyers and corporates to support us to join hands and promote the game. Eventually, we hope that this league will help us scout more talent both at grassroots and college level to create a better final structure for basketball.

I'm confident that all the help and support from IMG Reliance will help us in the BFI make good headway this year. We hope to expand this format to be even bigger and better in the coming years.

For the national champions of the different sections in both leagues, we have decided to support them by offering complete refurbishment of their basketball courts.

We have requested the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to officially recognize the ICBL and ISBL. If young players take part in the league in school, this recognition will help them with their college admissions. In India, where there is a lot of family pressure to focus on academics, it will be a big step forward if basketball can help with academic placement.

Hoopistani: What will be the other eventual incentives or rewards for the winning teams?

Sharma: We have trophies and cash awards for all the winners, but more than that, I'm looking forward to the long-term growth of the game to each of the participating institutions, which will be a product of continuous four or five months of play. This is a big gain for players, coaches, and referees. I think this will eventually help the grassroots growth of the game.

Hoopistani Is the eventual plan to use these leagues to create a backbone for India's first professional basketball league?

Sharma: Well, I think that the manifestation of any sport aims to see a professional league in its final stage. Most sports in India - like us - are now looking to eventually launch a pro league.

Hoopistani When will the professional basketball league be launched?

Sharma: There is no confirmed dates on the timeline of the launch, but it is definitely on the plate for the future. BFI and IMG Reliance want to prepared so that, when the league is launched, it's launched in the best-possible way.

Hoopistani On the launch of football's Indian Super League (ISL) - also done in partnership with IMG Reliance - IMG's chairman Mike Dolan mentioned that the ISL could be used as a model to launch India's first basketball league over the next year. Are you looking at the ISL as a blueprint for the Indian basketball league?

Sharma: I haven't seen the blueprint for the ISL, but we can consider it. If it flatters our expectations, then we can emulate it. The most important thing for our league is that it should be relevant for the Indian environment.

Hoopistani Basketball in India does have a competitive advantage over football as it can be a more urban game because of it's small space advantage...

Sharma: Basketball is an urban game, but it also isn't. In India, a lot of the top talent is coming the villages, and our best players are not really city kids. But yes, space limitations in the cities make the game more adaptable for an urban set-up. We hope to have infrastructure in our participating cities at par with national and international standards.

Hoopistani Apart from the ICBL and ISBL, what other projects is BFI working on to raise the level of basketball in India?

Sharma: There are various parameters by which we are evaluating our performance right now.

We have improved the consistency and standards of our coaching staff at the top level, with three international coaches. [Scott Flemming - Men's National Team, Francisco Garcia - Women's National Team, Tommy Heffelfinger - Strength and Conditioning Coach].

We have improved our coaching camp conditions, shifting from SAI centers to the best courts at Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida to improve the competitive level of our top national teams.

We have done well in providing better physical conditions and improved diets for our players.

When I took over the BFI over two years ago, the Men's team was ranked 14th in Asia, and now we have jumped up to number seven. We beat China and even our losses to other strong teams were by a narrow margin. At the Lusofonia Games, the Men's team won a gold and Women won silver. The Women's team is now fifth in Asia behind China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Korea. We are trying to bridge that gap and the girls have undertaken aggressive training to improve their level of play. We were also happy to see Geethu Anna Jose receive an Arjuna Award this year. Outside of basketball, our players continue to get excellent career opportunities.

We have shown great degree of improvement in 3x3 basketball too: our Senior team won gold at the FIBA Asia 3x3 championship and the junior boys and girls won U18 FIBA Asia 3x3 championship silver medals.

There is now good potential for the senior teams and additionally, a great lineup of future players waiting at both the senior and under-18 levels. Our goal for the national teams is to feature a mix of experienced and young players.

BFI and IMG Reliance have been tracking significant improvement of several state teams at the national championships. We are also giving exposure to the game by taking the game to more cities as possible through the nationals. It's important to bring basketball closer to fans in more cities, and not just the metros in India. We have now ensured that all our cities hosting national championships have indoor courts to reduce injuries.

The nationals are now not just a championship, but a basketball festival.

BFI has been lucky in getting FIBA international instructors like Nelson Isley to come to India the last two years and train our young coaches in at least 12 Indian cities. These young coaches have been passing with great distinction. India's referees are now much sought-after for international tournaments like the Basketball World Cup and even the Olympics.

All our under-14, under-16, under-18, and senior levels, in both boys and girls, are improving. But I feel that exposure trips for our teams is essential as a final challenge before international tournaments. If we want to win, we need more and more games under our belts. I was disappointed with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) when they didn't approve our recent exposure trips. That is a regret for me, the players, and the coaches. SAI has budget for the national team which wasn't used for its purpose.

Hoopistani: You mentioned that you are looking to engage fans in more cities in India. Has this been a challenge to get fans to come watch basketball at the nationals or the school/college leagues?

Sharma: The good schools in India will usually have 2000-odd kids, and during school hours, it's ensured that many of these kids will come to see the basketball games. The same in colleges, too. For the ICBL/ISBL national finals in New Delhi, we will have several top teams who are city winners. We are looking to take professional help from event managers here to invite people to come and witness the competition.

For the nationals, I think that it is media which has the potential to make or break a lot of our activities. We are hoping that the media will support our sports endeavour. We want to communicate more with our fans to popularize the sport. We have sponsors at the nationals and we hope that they will help us attract a local fan following. There is a need for more visibility of the game in all the cities.

I want to make our games more entertaining, we are planning to have radio partners soon and hopefully tie up with TV-Media partners in the future.

We want to reach out to the maximum number of Indian basketball fans directly through our website, social media, and tools such as WhatsApp etc.

Hoopistani: What would you say are some challenges that BFI faces in their endeavours to grow the game?

Sharma: The biggest challenges are financial and the commercial viability of the sport. Infrastructure costs are huge. Readily-made infrastructure that meets our conditions isn't easily available or costs a lot of money. I think that the Government of India should give sports federations like us more help. I can requests the corporate partners but without indoor courts, which the government can help with, I'll always be limited.

Secondly, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports need to support us and not only think of potential medal winners [The Ministry nearly cancelled Indian basketball participation at the Asian Games because of this]. A budget should be created by SAI not just for the individual performers but also for teams who have larger size. India needs to evaluate its budget for team sports.

SAI needs to promote the sport and not wait till the last minute to give us approval. The government needs a strong policy regarding this. Also, they want us to use our own funding for exposure trips. I told them in a letter that the national federation didn't have such deep pockets. Fortunately, they replied positively and have said that they will grant our requests for future exposure trips. The people in the government should be aware of the sports federations' restrictions and problems, and find ways in which they can help us. They shouldn't be a controller, they should be a facilitator.

If we want to view India as a medal prospect at any level of basketball, we need to seriously train our players better. It's crucial to set up academies for training of future stars.

Hoopistani: And looking ahead at the future, what does the BFI hope to achieve for basketball in the next few years?

Sharma: We'll be taking small steps to align ourselves with the ultimate objective of developing the game in India. We have to increase and improve when we participate in international tournaments and create basketball icons in India which the young fans be inspired by. If we can create our own Yao Ming, it will act as a catalyst to the game of basketball in India.

Hoopistani: Do we have a potential India 'Yao Ming' in the pipeline?

Sharma: We currently have players who are tall, athletic, and young, but without continuous support, they cannot compete at the NBA level, except for Satnam Singh Bhamara, who is currently training at the IMG Academy in the USA and getting the needed basketball exposure. We need to work hard at improving the skill level of other players by getting specialized trainers.

The NBA has shown intent in India, and this gives me a flicker of hope that they must have done their homework. Out of 125 million young Indians, maybe one or two can fit the bill!