Shahid Qureshi - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy: Man's World India

One of the first Indians to play pro basketball abroad, an Indian international star, and a hero of Mumbai's most iconic court, Shahid Qureshi is today's entrant into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hailing from Mumbai, Qureshi honed his game at the famed basketball courts in Nagpada and Mastan. A dominant power-forward, Qureshi was strong on both ends of the floor. He is widely recognised as the first Indian to play professionally abroad, after he was handed a contract to play in Sweden for the club Akropol in 1994. It was here that he picked up the nickname 'Djor', or the Bull, for his forceful style of play. Qureshi played two seasons in Sweden, including pro 3x3 basketball as well. He briefly played pro in Singapore, too.

Qureshi last represented India's national team in 1998, and was the last player from Nagpada to don the Indian colours. He worked for Tata Steel and has now permanently moved to the US.

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Abbas Moontasir: Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Even today, decades after he took his official final shot from the game, the legend of Abbas Moontasir rings loud around his neighbourhood in Nagpada, around Mumbai, and across the nation. The feisty guard who picked up the game in some of Mumbai's roughest bastis went on to become a legend for the game, captaining the Indian national team, starring at the international stage in the 1960s-70s, and winning the coveted Arjuna Award. He is the newest addition to the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Born in Mumbai in 1942, Moontasir picked up basketball from American missionaries in the Nagpada area, in what is now known as the iconic Late Bachookhan Municipal Playground. He played for Bombay University, Maharashtra state, and then reached his peak with Western Railways. His international debut also came in his hometown against an Australian side in 1960. Moontasir captained Team India in two FIBA Asia Championships, in 1969 and 1975, and was also the member of the Indian team that participated in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok. He took part in the 10th Anniversary confederation Tournament in Manila and was chosen for the Asian All-Star team in 1970.

The same year, Moontasir was given the rare distinction of the Arjuna Award in basketball. He went on to play for the country and for Railways (despite a few years lost in between to suspension) until 1986, when he retired at age 44.

Off the court, Moontasir authored a book called 'Principles of Basketball' and, like every well-known Mumbaikar, flirted with Bollywood in two films: Khoon Ki Takkar (1981) and Aashiana (1986). Now 77, he continues to be a guiding force in Nagpada and for basketball in Mumbai.

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Supreme Courts: No Sleep in Nagpada

This feature was first published in my column for Ekalavyas on November 6, 2015. Click here to read the original article.

The gates to the Late Bachookhan Municipal Playground in Nagpada remain closed – bolted and locked – when a sputter of half dozen children of all shapes and sizes show up outside. It’s still only 5:15 PM and the court isn’t destined to be opened till 5:30. While they wait, the children talk smack to each other in a mixture of Hindi, Marathi, and local Mumbai slang, goats and chicken excuse themselves and wade their way across the road, the sounds of bouncing basketball are only overshadowed by honking cars on the main road, and the smell of some of the best kebabs in the city floats across the thick air.

Minutes before the most storied basketball court in Mumbai – and perhaps, one of the most famous courts in all of India – opens up for another evening of hoops, the entire neighbourhood seems to descend around its four walls. They come from high-risers, they come from chawls, and they come from slums, but all together, they come for their united love for basketball.

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Apart from being the country’s financial capital, Mumbai is one of India’s most passionate basketball cities. In the Maximum City, basketball truly never stops all year round. Top national championships like the Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament (RMBT) and the Savio Cup hit the city every spring with a bang. Invitational tournaments in Andheri, Bandra, Ghatkopar, and more dot the city’s basketball landscape. Whenever there is a major grassroots basketball event in India – like the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, NBA Jam, the discontinued NBA Mahindra Challenge, BFI/Reliance School/College leagues, or visits from NBA superstars – Mumbai is always among the first city’s on the itinerary. Bollywood is nearby, and celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan, Neetu Chandra, and more get into the act around the city to promote the game, too. Strong pick-up games can be found in playgrounds around the city, from Mastan to Andheri and Bandra to Dadar, and more. When the NBA opened its official India office, it chose Mumbai as its host.

But Mumbai – like its ‘maximum’ nickname – is a city that goes further than you think it does, and then a little more. Dig a little deeper into the city, away from the posh South Mumbai neighbourhoods, the high-risers, the hustle and bustle of capitalism, the jam-packed local trains, the celebrity homes, and the scores of humans that live in the popular residential neighbourhoods in the North or the suburbs, and you’ll find Nagpada. And in this region – little known to many in the city – you’ll find more passion for basketball than almost anywhere else in the country.

Wading through the thin streets of this neighbourhood, you are faced with a zoo of animals, an apothecary of different scents both delightful and disgusting, mounds of trash, mouth-watering restaurants, hordes of passing crowds, and a myriad of colours and culture. But the last thing you expect to find here is a basketball court. And yet, there stands the Bachookhan Municipal Playground, hope to the Nagpada Basketball Association (with the swagger-rific acronym of NBA), the birthing place of some of India’s finest basketball players, host to many of Mumbai’s top basketball tournaments, and a safe haven from the chaos outside.

Nagpada today primarily is home to the city’s Muslim population in its various chawls around the court. It was in the 50s that American missionaries introduced basketball to the city and to the locals in this neighbourhood, and the foundation stone for this court were laid a decade later. Soon, the court became the heartbeat of the mohalla, and while the rest of the country swayed towards other sports, Nagpada’s biggest icons were its basketball players.

Over the years, Nagpada’s storied court produced many great players, such as former India captain and Arjuna Award winner Abbas Moontasir, Afzal Khan, and eight Chhatrapati Award winners. Noor Khan, the Secretary of the NBA, further told me that there have been a total of 22 India internationals and more than a hundred players who have played at the national level to have honed their game at this court.

The court received several major facelifts in the 70s and then in the ensuing decades, most recently by its namesake NBA (America’s National Basketball Association) in 2007, who revamped the ground with a fresh rubber turf.

Khan said that many All India tournaments have been hosted in Nagpada over the years, and in the current day, the court hosts the Nagpada Invitational Tournament. Celebrities of the big and small screen are known to make regular visits, too. On big nights – when there are major tournaments, national-level players, or rivalry games against the Mastan players nearby – thousands of fans rush in to provide the most electric and unique atmosphere you’ll find at any basketball event in India.

In the past, the court and the neighbourhood also gained notoriety for being a home to some of India’s underworld criminals, such as Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel, Aalam Zeb, Ahmed Kashmiri, Asif Baatla, and more. For decades, the little neighbourhood played host to mafia activities, street fights, shootouts, and police encounters. In an interview with Mid Day, basketball legend Moontasir mentioned that even the gangsters were united into neighbourhood activities through basketball and didn’t act to harm the mohalla or its favourite sport.

In recent years, however, a different type of problem has afflicted the basketball activities at the court: many individuals have moved into jhoparpattis, or slums, around the court, and NBA secretary Khan claimed that the court’s attendance and attraction has taken a hit due to them. This is a two-fold problem: the local government authorities haven’t done enough to provide social security or alternative living options to the poorest members of our society, and now, they aren’t acting to assist the community who are complaining against it, either.

*

Sharp at 5:30, the gate is opened by a woman who lives – ironically – in a jhoparpatti, and children storm inside eager to get their first shots up for the day. The children are from high-risers in Nagpada, from the chawls, and from the slums, too, and they all know the language and rules of basketball. Social structures are broken and basketball fundamentals temporarily provide a refreshing even ground.

Earlier in the evening, the ‘mini’ level talent – kids under 14 – play games among each other and then are coached by seniors who play in the same court. They play with extreme enthusiasm and a sharp sense of the game, instilled early in their lives through regular clashes on court. The ‘minis’ are followed by the youth players, many of whom have dreams that the game will be a way out to find financial stability through a government job one day. The senior team rolls in last with their eye-catching basketball gifts and athleticism. The court has made them into great players, and they keep slogging here every day to continue to get better.

Across the road from Nagpada, less than a two minute walk away from the Bachookhan Ground, is the Mastan neighbourhood, and their own famous Mastan YMCA court. This is a larger, better maintained space, and because of the close vicinity of the two basketball communities, a heated rivalry has grown between teams of the two courts over several decades. In interviews with many old and young players, I was told that the rivalry started in the 60s and 70s and still continues – though not as feverishly as before – into present day. Once the game finishes however, the off-court friendships of the two neighbourhoods thaw out the icy relations of the game.

Until recently, the Bachookhan Ground was known to encourage participation of several excellent girls’ teams, too, who competed well against the best in the city. In recent years, however, female basketball participation in Nagpada has unfortunately dwindled away. I wasn’t given any clear answers to why this happened: the girls claimed that they wanted to play but the community elders frowned upon them, NBA officials said that many parents didn’t feel it was appropriate for their daughters to be playing the game, and parents simply pointed the fingers back at the community at large. Whatever the reason, the unfortunate loser has been the growth of girls’ basketball, which could be brimming with potential in Nagpada.

*

The night grows deeper. It is past dinner time for many and past bedtime for some. Outside the court, the darkness hides hints of menace in its shadows, but none of it seems to effect the basketball community-at-large. The game goes on, unabated. Players sweat, run, shoot, hustle, and sweat some more.

At 11 PM, the Bachhookhan Ground is finally cleared out. Balls stop bouncing and the floodlights are turned off. Despite the fervent requests of the game’s biggest addicts, the gates are locked and bolted and basketball ends for the night.

But even after the court closes, basketball doesn’t sleep. The game haunts the dreams of the players – young and old – who can only think of returning to play the next day again. Because in Nagpada, even when the game stops on court, it remains the heartbeat of this basketball-crazed neighbourhood.

And just before 5:30 PM the next day, a crowd of enthusiastic ballers line up outside the gate again. They cheer, and they holler, and then the gates open for another day of hoops.

*

Late Bachookhan Municipal Playground – Nagpada, Mumbai: Fact-Box

• Constructed: circa 1960s.
  
• Major Renovations: By the city in 1970s, and by the NBA in 2007.
  
• Major Tournament hosted: Nagpada Invitational Tournament, usually in November/December.
  
• Top international talents from the court: Abbas Moontasir, Afzal Khan, 8 Chhatrapati Award winners, 22 India internationals.
  
• Fan capacity: Around 2000-3000.
  
• Local Team: Nagpada, overseen by the Nagpada Basketball Association (NBA).
  
• Entry cost: Free!
  
• Court opening timings: 17:30 – 23:00 daily.
  

Started from the Bottom: David Stern makes his first trip to India

I wrote this feature for SLAM Online, and it was originally published on their website on April 17, 2013.

Streetball schedules in India change drastically in the summer. With temperatures soaring to unbearable heights, most players choose wisely to avoid playing when the sun is up at its harshest. Serious ballers wake up at dawn for an early run around 6-8 AM, and then, after a day spent at rest/school/work, they return as the sun sets for a few more hours in the cooler evenings. The brave souls who do venture out to play in the afternoons have to deal with dizzying afternoon winds (called Loo in Hindi), and cement courts so hot that they could burn shoe-soles and bare feet. Playing bare feet, of course, isn’t exactly out of the question in the poorer pockets of the cities.

Mumbai is far from being India’s hottest city, but temperatures do begin to soar to uncomfortable highs starting from this time of the year and running into the humid pre-monsoon. And it was in one such April afternoon in the warm, humid city of Mumbai that the man who has single-handedly been most responsible for revolutionizing the game of basketball found himself on a basketball court.

This is an image of NBA Commissioner David Stern, standing alone holding a basketball in a raggedy-looking court in the heart of Mumbai. That is the Mastan YMCA court in Nagpada, a mostly-Muslim minority neighbourhood in India’s financial capital, an overcrowded bustling area of slumdogs in the city of millionaires. This iconic basketball court is where some of the nation’s finest have honed their craft and where ambitious poor street children mingle with international-level players.  

Officially in India for the launch of a NBA Cares programme, Stern’s belated visit to the world’s second-largest population means a lot more than charity. Entering the last of his 30 long years as the head honcho of the NBA, Stern has a revolution of the game back home – from Magic and Larry to Jordan to James – and a rapid popularization abroad – from Barcelona ’92 to China. Now, he finds himself, for the first time in his career, in one of basketball’s last international frontiers.

By most accounts, basketball is only second to football (soccer) in its widespread popularity across the world. From the best in the game in North America to the passionate followers of the game in South America and Europe; from the far reaches of Australia and Africa, and the 1.5 billion in China, basketball has been accepted and it has thrived. But the 1.3 billion people – most of whom left completely untouched by the sport – have long stuck out like a sore thumb.

Stern, who took over as Commissioner of the NBA in 1984, visited Russia for the first time in 1988 and China in 1991. In a recent interview with DNA India, he admitted that that the NBA has been late in their entry to the Indian market. But, he added, “We were basically responding to a built-up infrastructure system. India, we were watching. This market is growing at such a rapid pace and we know we have an opportunity (to grow) here. We decided to be here. We only go to (to a country) if we are committed. We have offices in India now.”

The NBA’s has had a light presence in India for half a dozen years already, but it was only a year or so ago that the finally opened their first India office, in Mumbai. In the past recent years, the NBA sent current and former players to the country as league ambassadors (Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Brandon Jennings, Muggsy Bogues, George Gervin etc.) and held various grassroots programmes in the major basketball-loving cities in the country. Their presence grew online through NBA’s India website and social media and on the screen, with comprehensive broadcast deals bringing more live NBA games to the Indian household.

But it seemed that India still wasn’t ready yet. In a country of a billion, India still can’t find a 12-man roster to become a basketball heavyweight. India’s national teams still finish in the lower rungs of Asian championships and are usually ranked between 40-50 in the FIBA World Rankings. India’s best players still don’t have a professional league to practice their craft in; instead, they are all semi-professionals who hold other government jobs and take part in federation or private invitational tournaments through the year. The infrastructure in India is still an issue, with few stadiums that can boast international basketball competitions and none that could satisfy the NBA’s high demands. Most players still play in outdoor courts, on cement, still wake up before the sun in the summer or suffer the wrath of the afternoon heat.

The obvious example for Indian basketball to try and imitate are our friendly/frosty neighbours up north: China. Both are big countries with massive populations and a rapidly developing economy. China has accepted basketball with open arms: the game has trickled down from a fairly competent basketball league (CBA) to grassroots adoration into becoming the first-choice sport for most young Chinese. India knows that basketball will never upend Cricket in popularity, but those invested in the sport are interested in just capturing the attentions of a small minority. A minority of a billion is still a very, very large number. China got a head-start: the game has been played there for decades and started to become a bigger deal in the 90s. India may never get to that level, but Stern’s first visit could finally be the boost that it needs in the right direction.

Stern, for his part, was more optimistic about Indian talent than most, claiming that an Indian could play in the NBA within five years. Unless we count Canadian-Indian New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar or his younger brother Tanveer (and we won’t), this still seems like quite a far-fetched possibility. The NBA is an impossibly tough league, and India’s coaching, player development, and infrastructure still need a few more years before we can begin to hone an NBA-worthy player. The closest call is Satnam Singh Bhamara – the 7-footed teenager who was plucked out of a tiny Indian village and now finds himself developing at an impressive rate in the IMG Academy in Florida.

Stern stated that he hopes to achieve four things in India: the right scale of adoption of the sport at school level, successful TV coverage, increased presence on digital and social platforms, and run a collegiate league.

Here’s the thing: Basketball is already played in most schools in India. The challenge isn't to adopt basketball to schools, but to make it a serious option for students and not just a pastime. Most young basketball players - even the really talented ones - quit the game to focus on 'real life' as they get older. Indian kids (like other Asian kids) are pressured to focus on traditional academics over anything else. This is a bigger problem facing anyone hoping to venture into sports or arts. 

TV coverage is definitely realistic, and the NBA has increased their coverage every year. Only problem with NBA in India on TV is that most live games are at around 5-8 AM in the morning, so it's tough to create the same game-watching atmosphere. The NBA is doing a great job with digital/social outreach in India, and this will continue to grow at a rapid pace.

And in reference to Stern’s last point: more than collegiate or school leagues, the NBA in India has been involved in promoting grassroots level competitions for inner-city amateurs around the country.

What India really, desperately needs, is a national professional basketball league. The type of league that will help create consistent basketball earnings for the best players in the game in the country and will encourage young talents to not quit on their hoop dreams too early. The type of league that if marketed the right way so casual fans of the sport – who know more about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James than home-grown stars like Vishesh Bhriguvanshi  and Jagdeep Singh – can become more aware of the Indian basketball talent. The type of league that can create jobs for referees and coaches, and assistants and managers, and agents and physiotherapists, and commentators and more. The league that could potentially would be the biggest push to improve on the basketball infrastructure across the county.

India’s experiment with this type of league – Cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) – has already been in place for the past six years and enjoys a fanatic level of popularity. Private owners got involved and pumped in money into the IPL, and it has resulted in one of the richest leagues in the league. Other sports in India can’t expect cricket levels of success, but similar leagues in Field Hockey, football, and Badminton.

A pro basketball league can’t be too far away. The incentive will have to come from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the sport’s governing body in the country, and IMG Worldwide, the international conglomerate who have been the BFI’s sponsors for the past few seasons.

During his stay in Mumbai, Stern met with several current and prospective business partners for the NBA before enjoying an evening at an IPL game. Like the IPL learnt from the NBA in marketing cricket in India, Stern commented that the NBA will have to learn from the IPL to work in conjunction with the BFI and IMG to market basketball.

Things will not be as glamorous as they are in the States, or even work as smoothly as they do in China, but Stern’s visit has definitely signalled that basketball in India is headed in the right direction. And if a small fraction of the world’s second-largest population can become further enamoured by basketball, it could help make a big dent in the game’s future worldwide.

“India is totally unique,” Stern said, “We are starting from the bottom. And I must tell you we could not be more confident.”

‘The bottom’. As in the world’s largest youth population just waiting to be sold the game of basketball to become a real power. ‘The bottom’ are kids who play basketball in bare feet on hot days and kids who watch the NBA’s Commissioner promote a wonderful sport in their own backyard, near their own slums.

‘The bottom’, where money, fame, indoors, outdoors, hot and cold go out the window, and the only thing left is the player and the game. 

India’s All Star Weekend: Basketball stars shine on courts dedicated to Harish Sharma

If you were an outsider to India’s hoop universe looking for a weekend crash course to everything in Indian Basketball, then the last couple of days in Mumbai were your chance: Over three dozen of the most talented and famous Men and Women Indian basketball players descended to the Mastan YMCA basketball courts in Nagpada for the 3rd Indian Basketball All Star Showcase, held from May 3rd-5th.

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Indian Basketball's All Star Showcase to tip off in Mumbai

The third Indian Basketball All Star showcase – a weekend highlighting the talents of India’s finest Men and Women basketball players – is set to be held at the Mastan YMCA Courts in Mumbai from May 3-5, 2012. Like previous years, the event will feature well-known basketball players from all across the country taking part in All Star Games, shooting, and dunking competitions. Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA) will host this year’s events dedicated to the memory of the late CEO of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) Harish Sharma.

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Indian Basketball All-Star showcase in Mumbai from May 3-5

For the third year, the Mastan YMCA basketball court in Nagpada, Mumbai, will host the best of the best in Indian hoops talent in India’s own version of the basketball All Star weekend, from May 3-5, 2012.

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Video: TJ Sahi dunks over a Mumbai Taxi

Blake Griffin was not the first person to dunk over a car. But when the 'Blake Show' took off to slam it in over a Kia during the 2011 Slam Dunk competition, it was the first time an "over-the-car" dunk was done on such a big stage. I was there in person, and I was impressed. Half of me was impressed because it was a pretty good dunk, and the other half of me was impressed because of a combination of entertaining things that took place along with the dunk - The Gospel Choir, "I Believe I can Fly", the Staples Center home crowd cheering him on, and did I mention, it was the friggin NBA Slam Dunk Competition?

But strip the dunk bare of all the side-shows and what you're left with is a 6 foot 10 NBA player dunking over a short car.

Forward another couple of months. The scene is drastically different. It's a slam dunk competition all right, but one being held far from the glitz, glamour, and indoor-court comforts of Los Angeles/Staples Center. This dunk contest was being held at the first ever Indian All Star Weekend in Mumbai. The court was the Mastan YMCA, in Nagpada, which in most terms is the exact opposite of LA glamour. Nagpada is known for its kebabs, its crowds, its chawls, and its basketball.

And it was in this setting that, in an outdoor court, with a temporary rollover surface over the concrete court, and where the crowd had free entry to come and watch India's best dunkers exhibit their stuff, that TJ Sahi created history. If you don't know, Sahi is perhaps the most explosive dunker in India: the six foot tall Punjabi point guard, nicknamed 'Air India', has reached cult status for his athletic ability, and has been a main feature in several dunk competitions held in the country over the last few years. You can check out more of his videos on his YouTube channel.

During the Friday night events of the Indian All Star Weekend about two weeks ago, Sahi did his usual in the dunk contest - wowing audiences with his leaping ability. But he saved the best for last, taking a page out of Blake Griffin's book, and then topping him. Sahi dunked over a Mumbai kali-peeli (Black & Yellow) taxi on-court - a car with greater height than the Kia Griffin dunked on. Watch the video of some of Sahi's best dunking highlights below (over bikes, kids, etc, etc), and it ends with this famous over-the-taxi dunk. (Warning: loud Punjabi music to be expected).



Here is a complete list of ways in which this dunk was more awesome than Blake Griffin's:

1. The kali-peeli taxi, an icon of all things Mumbai, was higher than Blake's Kia.

2. Sahi is about 10 inches shorter than Griffin.

3. If you don't know, these outdoor Indian courts aren't exactly best-suited for basketball athleticism. The court is uneven, with bumps, unlike the comfortable NBA floors which are obviously much easier on the dunker's knees.

4. Don't know if Griffin practiced, but Sahi later confirmed to me that he didn't. "I just had a gut feeling I could do it," he said.

5. Sahi had to figure out a way to cover the meter and the sharp edges on the front of the taxi with a mattress, because a single misstep could've brought a whole lotta pain to his nether-regions.

6. The taxi driver and a bunch of kids sat inside the car to watch him leap over it. R. Kelly was replaced from the soundtrack in favour of some Punjabi music. Now THAT'S entertainment!

Once again, I count myself lucky to witness this first-hand, right behind the basket. Thanks TJ, for another historical moment - we'll be waiting to see what else you have in store for us.

Indian All Stars sparkle Mumbai with two electrifying games

The best basketball players in India came out to put up an extraordinary display of skill, athletic ability, and hoops intelligence at the Mastan YMCA court in Nagpada, Mumbai on Saturday, April 9 at the Indian All Star Games. The finest Indian men and women players, from all across the country, were invited to play in these exhibition matches that produced plenty of thrills and a few dominating performances.

For both the games, the players were divided into two teams each, WEST and EAST. The toast of the night was definitely Geethu Anna Jose, India’s biggest basketball star, who has recently been invited to tryout with several teams in the US-based basketball league, the WNBA. On Saturday, Geethu was at her dominant best, scoring 41 points in the Women’s All Star Game to lead the Team WEST to a 77-74 victory over Team EAST. In the Men’s game, Team EAST won 95-82.

The first-of-its-kind event in India was organised by Ibrahim Lakdawala of Lakdawala Developer PVT. LTD.

In the Women’s game, WEST took an early lead behind Geethu’s unstoppable inside play and support from Indian woman’s captain, Prashanti Singh (21), but sharp-shooting by Delhi’s Raspreet Sidhu (21) kept the EAST close in the game. With WEST holding on to a comfortable eight point lead at the beginning of the last period, EAST began to mount a comeback with a flurry of three-pointers by Bharti Netam, Anju Lakra, and Manisha Dange. But it wasn’t enough and the WEST held on for the three-point victory.

Hindi film actress Neetu Chandra was an added attraction for the fans present, as she displayed her own hoop skills as part of the Women’s EAST team. Chandra, who has been an active basketball player, has been participating in regularly in basketball events at the Mastan YMCA.

The Men’s game featured some exciting and athletic play, sharp passes, and fancy lay-ups by some of India’s finest. The EAST side made it a point to be dominant from the very beginning, leading 42-33 at the half and sustaining their strong play for the rest of the game, too. Trideep Rai (21) and Yadwinder Singh (18) did most of the damage from the EAST team, while Jagdeep Singh Bains scored a game-high 22 for WEST. In the end, EAST ran away to a 95-82 victory.

Awards

WINNERS – Women’s WEST & Men’s EAST: Awarded with Rs. 40,000 each.
RUNNERS-UP – Women’s EAST & Men’s WEST: Awarded with Rs. 25,000 each.
Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Geethu Anna Jose (Women’s WEST)
Best Player Awards – Prashanti Singh (Women’s WEST), Raspreet Sidhu (Women’s EAST), & Jagdeep Singh Bains (Men’s WEST).

Several awards were handed out to the outstanding players of the game, including BlackBerry phones, Laptops, travel bags, Grinder Mixer, and cash.

The All Star Weekend’s first day was Friday, April 8th when the gathered crowd witnessed a Men’s and Women’s 3-point shooting competition, won by Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Akansha Singh respectively, and a Men’s Slam Dunk contest, where Bhriguvanshi and TJ Sahi were named joint winners.

Basketball stars align for shooting and dunk show in Mumbai

It was a curious scene – outside the Mastan YMCA court, was the poor Nagpada area, that of thin lanes, population outbursts, and some of the best kebabs known to man. Enter the court and it was a slightly different world, where the finest Men & Women basketball stars from all across the country gathered together for a novel Indian All Star event. They wore fancy new jerseys, participated in glittering photo shoots, and signed autographs.

But this was a scene where these two world’s aligned beautifully. The Nagpada area has long been known for being a major hub of basketball activity in India, and it has overseen some of the greatest players, rivalries, and basketball tournaments that have been held in the country over the past several decades. That frenzied energy and fandom for the game is the perfect platform for the two-day All Star event.

On Friday night, the best shooters in the Men’s and Women’s categories took part in a three-point shooting competition. This was followed by the fan-favourite, Slam Dunk contest, which saw more than one major surprise. And the high-point of this high-energy night came when Punjabi’s point guard Talwinderjit Singh “TJ” Sahi brought out a Mumbai Kali-Peeli (Black & Yellow) taxi to the basketball court, had it parked below the basket, caught a pass from a friend sitting atop the taxi’s carrier, and proceeded to slam it home.

But the night was about so much more than that – all of the stars of the two teams, which included Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (India Men’s captain), local legend Riyazuddin, Jagdeep Singh, Trideep Rai, Yadwinder Singh, Indian Women’s captain Prashanti Singh, Anitha Paul Durai, Anju Lakra, and many others were presented with their new all star jerseys. They proudly took part in several photo-shoots and were fawned over by the local basketball aspirants. Unlike most of India, the kids in Nagpada don’t want to grow up and bat like Sachin or bowl like Zaheer; they have dreams of dribbling like Riyaz and shooting like Manisha.

“Mumbai is the best place to promote, not only basketball, but to promote anything at all,” said Prashanti Singh, “In India, basketball is biggest in this city.”

And the biggest platform in India was presented with India’s biggest performers. A large crowd, comprising of young children, older basketball players, and hundreds of locals from the nearby areas swelled up the court, finding their seats on the ground and on the stands around the court. The night began with the Women’s three-point shooting competition, a large field where 13 of the All-Stars participated.

Four of the shooters tied with seven three-pointers made in one minute each after the first round – Maharashtra’s own Manisha Dange, and three sharpshooters from Chhattisgarh – Seema Singh, Anju Lakra, and Akansha Singh. When the second round got on for the women, it was Akansha who stood last, making a last second three-pointer to give herself the edge and the win. Dange finished second and Lakra came in third.

The men’s competition followed, and the field of participants was only half of the women. It made for a stiffer battle, and in the end Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, who made eight threes under a minute, was crowned Men’s three-point champion. TJ Sahi finished second.

Vishesh came out again to take part in the Slam Dunk competition, and he was joined by Yadwinder Singh, Jagdeep Singh, and TJ Sahi. The rules of the competition were simple – three judges give each player their score out of 10 for each dunk, and there are three rounds. All four of the dunkers wowed the crowd with their athletic ability. And the crowds played happy volunteers, too – it didn’t take more than a slight nudge from Vishesh before several young kids took a seat below the basket for the dunker to jump over them and slam the ball in.

Sahi, who brought on Mumbai’s famous icon – the Kali-Peeli – had many of the kids sit inside the car to watch him jump and dunk over them. The meter stayed up, and so did Sahi, who brought the house down with his effort. It was unfortunately not enough as Vishesh was able to spring out his own surprise - dunking over a motorcycle - and in the end and score just enough. In the end, the competition ended in a tie for both of India’s top dunkers.

With the playful festivities of the first day over, the All Star Weekend moves into its main event for Saturday night, when both the women’s and the men’s All Star Games will be played at the Mastan court. The brand new kit has been ironed, the players have practiced, and the crowd is going to start jostling for their seats: are you ready?

All Star Friday night results

Three point shooting competition (Women): 1. Akansha Singh 2. Manisha Dange 3. Anju Lakra

Three point shooting competition (Men): 1. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi 2. Talwinderjit Singh Sahi

Slam Dunk contest (Men): Talwinderjit Singh Sahi & Vishesh Bhriguvanshi