India's Best Descent to Chennai: National Basketball Championship Preview!

It's back! After a year filled with basketball tournaments around India - from the sponsored club championships to the National junior-level competitions - it is finally time for the most prestigious trophy of them all. India's finest Men and Women Senior teams from states and units all across the country are set to battle for the 62nd Senior National Basketball Championship for Men & Women, set to be held in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) from December 16th-24th, 2011.

The tournament will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, the same courts that hosted the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship for Women. A total of 26 Men's teams and 23 Women's teams have confirmed participation in the event, organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA).

The participating teams are:

Men (26): Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Services, Indian Railways.

Women (23): Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Indian Railways.

It wasn't even a year ago when, in the capital city of Delhi, India's most powerful basketball forces added another feather in their caps and another stripe on their basketballs. On January 4th, 2011, Indian Railways completed a three-peat double of National Basketball Championship victories: it was the third consecutive year that both the Men's and the Women's team from Indian Railways won their respective divisions. It was the third consecutive victory for the Men, and an incredible eight consecutive chance to hoist the trophy for the women. Railways have become an unstoppable force, completely dominating Senior Basketball in India.

In the Women's division in the last championship, Indian Railways faced Delhi for the ninth consecutive time in the Final, and had no trouble cruising to a huge 99-55 victory behind a big game by legendary Center Geethu Anna Jose (29) and Anju Lakra (23). In the Men's division, Indian Railways were given a stiffer challenge by Services, but a 27-point outburst by point guard Arjun Singh in the final gave his side a 74-62 win. Tamil Nadu (Women) and Punjab (Men) finished at third place in their respective divisions.

For the National Championship in Chennai, it seems that Indian Railways' Women's squad will once again be the favourites: some of their biggest stars - including Geethu Anna Jose and Anitha Paul Durai - play for the local Southern Railways side, and will feel the home advantage in this championship. After her trial with the WNBA, expect Geethu to be stronger this time around, and expect big contributions by Chhattisgarh's sharp-shooter Anju Lakra and Anitha. Delhi, powered by the 'Singh Sisters' - Prashanti, Pratima, Akanksha - and growing star Raspreet Sidhu, will once again pose the biggest threat to the holding champions. But one of the most improved teams in the Women's side will be Kerala, who will be able to feature several of their superstars that have been making waves in the Junior and Youth divisions and haven't yet been scooped up by Railways.

Indian Railways Men may lose a little bit of their shine, however: two of their biggest stars and starters for India's international squad Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Yadwinder Singh have transferred to ONGC, immediately tipping the power scales further up north to Uttarakhand. The Men's division is wide open now, as Services and Punjab will come to Chennai believing that they could walk away with the gold.

Another major feature at the Chennai Senior Nationals will be that India's three world-class national coaches - the Americans Kenny Natt, Pete Gaudet, and Zak Penwell - are all planning to hosts clinics for other Indian coaches as well as players gathered in Chennai for the Nationals.

Team managers will be reporting at the venue in Chennai on December 15h, and a Referees Clinic is slotted to be held the same day, on the eve of the tournament's opening tip.

Basketball fans from Chennai and nearby (and even those not so near!): This is your golden opportunity to watch the best basketball that India has to offer. Games will be held all day (usually from 8 AM - 8 PM) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and entry is free! All of India's biggest superstars, including Jagdeep Singh, Yadwinder Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Hareesh Koroth, Trideep Rai, TJ Sahi, Geethu Anna Jose, Prashanti Singh, Anitha Paul Durai, Akanksha Singh, Raspreet Sidhu, Kokila Subramani and MANY more will be taking part.

Who do you think will be the last team standing?

Sub-Junior (U14) Boys & Girls Coaching Camp being held in New Delhi

The best Sub-Junior (under-14) basketball players in India – in both the boys’ and the girls’ divisions – have been invited for a special coaching camp at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from December 12th-30th, 2011. This camp will help prepare the sub-juniors for international exposure matches in the future.

The sub-juniors are the youngest crop of competitive basketball players under the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and have been picked for this camp from all over the country on the basis of their performance at the 38th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship in Lucknow in September.

Practice sessions are being held with coaches Kenny Natt and Pete Gaudet for the boys’ and the girls’ respectively. Natt is the head coach of India’s Senior Men’s Basketball Team, while Gaudet holds the corresponding post for India’s Senior Women. Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches will be assisting Natt and Gaudet, along with Matt Hivner, a special volunteer assistant for the BFI.

The BFI have given an open invitation to all interested basketball coaches to attend the practice sessions if they so desire.

Here is a list of players invited for this camp.

Japan win U16 Women's ABC; determined India finish 5th

As far as women's basketball in Asia is considered, there is a clear batch of elite top four teams, which, at nearly every level (U16, U18, Senior), and every championship, are the last four teams standing. Asian Women's Basketball tournaments are usually decided between China, Korea, Japan, and Chinese Taipei, with China taking home the honours in most cases. The rest of the participants - Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, etc, usually share the spoils beyond the top four.

But if the most recent Asian championship - the 2nd U16 FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Jinan (China) - is any indication, then an improving basketball programme could see India become Asia's clear fifth-best side, and a side that could be a year or two away from surprising the powerhouses in the top four.

The 'Big 4' were in the Semi-Finals again at Jinan: in a tournament that lasted from Dec 4-11, 2011, Japan, China, Korea, and Chinese Taipei were once again the last four teams standing. But it was Japan, and not China, who emerged as the best of the group this time around. Japan's U16 Women went through the tournament undefeated to lift the trophy.

India finished 5th in the tournament, with a gusty and improved performance, but also showing that a lot more work needs to be done before we can start competing with the top four sides.

Japan were incredible throughout, finishing the tournament with a perfect 7-0 sweep, including a dominating performance in the Final over Korea. Japan had finished runners-up in this competition two years ago, after losing to China in the final: this time around, they beat all comers, including China. Led by Evelyn Mawuli's 19 points, Japan won the final 102-56 over Korea. Mawuli led a total of six Japanese players who reached double figures.

Previous champs China would be disappointed with their performance this year: China lost to Japan in the group stage, and then lost to Korea by 1 point in the pulsating semi-final clash. China did manage to defeat Chinese Taipei in the 3/4th place playoff to win the bronze medal.

The Big 4, along with India & Philippines, were placed in 'Level 1' at the start of this tournament. The six Level I teams played against each other to determine the final four, while teams who finished at 5th and 6th place in Level 1 were to play teams who finished at 2nd and 1st place in Level 2 to determine the Level 1 entrants in the next U16 Women's ABC.

India had an enthusiastic start to the tournament in their first game vs. Korea, but the Koreans were just too precise for India to keep up. To prepare for later games, India played several players in heavy rotation against Korea. At the end of the game, it was the difference in shooting percentages of the two teams that told the story: Korea (48%) bt. India (14%) 85-57. Kim Sion of Korea scored 15 points and Yang Inyoung added 14. India's star Poojamol KS didn't start the game but came off the bench to lead the way with 17 points and make the final scoreline a little less embarrassing after her 4th quarter outburst.

Eventual champs Japan were up next for India, and they made quick work to get past us. With Mawuli leading with 15 points, Japan started the game on a 12-2 run and never looked back. Four other players scored in double digits for Japan, who won 94-45. India were led by Barkha Sonkar, who had 15 points.

India were up against China next, and the tall Chinese teams gave India their toughest defeat of the tournament, 125-49. China's offense was unstoppable: Gong Li led the onslaught with 26 points while Yang Hengyu added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Sharanjeet Kaur (17) was the only double digit scorer for India.

It was their 4th game of the championship - Chinese Taipei - that India were most prepared for. Coaches Vinod Vachani and Shiba Maggon knew that this was a winnable game for India, and would be the crucial match-up to determined whether or not India fulfill their dream of playing in a semi-final at this tournament. India played great basketball in the first half against Taipei, and led by one point at the halfway mark. But India began to wither as the game progressed, and Taipei grew stronger in the second period. Chen Y-hsuan of Taipei scored 16 of her 30 points in the second half to lead her team to a comfortable-looking 99-67 win. Poojamol KS had a strong first half and finished with 23 points for India.

With their semi-final dream shattered, India had a chance to improve on last year's 6th place finish in their final Level-1 game against the Philippines. Like India, Philippines had also lost all of their previous games. Vachani's girls wasted no time in grasping their opportunity to create some distinction between themselves and their competition: Shireen Limaye, who has been one of Asia's best rebounders in the U16 level, had a good night with 20 points and 11 rebounds. India went ahead in the first quarter and never looked back. Elizabeth Hilarious added 14 points and 11 rebounds for India. The Philippines attempted a fourth quarter comeback but the damage was done: India won 87-66 and secured fifth place in the tournament.

India's final game at Jinan 2011 was against Hong Kong, who had finished at 2nd place in Level II. It was important for India to win and remain in Level I for the next U16 Women's ABC - India took charge to notch their second win in the tournament, 81-51. Shireen Limaye was once again the star for India, with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Sharanjeet Kaur (15) and Sangeeta Kaur (13) adding to the scoring punch for India. After the game, India's coach Vinod Vachani admitted that he had hoped for a top four finish, but was satisfied to retain the Level I status for India.

Despite her good performances in the two wins, India would've expected more from Limaye, who was the most experienced player in this squad, and the only one to have represented India at the senior level. Nursing an injury, Limaye was limited against the stronger teams and only showed her true colours when the competition eased up. Chhattisgarh's Sharanjeet Kaur was the most consistent scorer for India.

Limaye finished the tournament as the second leading rebounder in Asia (12.2 rpg). Point Guard Kavita Akula had 3 assists per game, good enough for 4th place amongst all players in the tournament. Sharanjeet Kaur shot 68% from the free throw line, which was 5th highest at Jinan.

The winners and the runners-up - Japan and Korea - have qualified for the 2012 U17 FIBA World Championship for Women.

India came into this competition with a strong, experienced team and a lot of confidence. In terms of talent, it is hard to imagine if the squad in 2013 could improve on the 2011 line-up. But India will be hoping that, with improved levels of training and coaching, they can finally achieve their semi-final dream two years from now and break the Big 4 monopoly in Asia.

Countdown: NBA is Back! Top 10 things I'm looking forward to this season!

The NBA is (pretty much) back, baby!

After it was all said and done, the 'nuclear winter' of the NBA came to an end before the real winter began. The NBA Lockout unofficially lasted nearly 149 days, 149 days of despair, destitute, cluelessness, and existential crises. 149 days of NBA players going international, going ballistic in charity games, or going plain crazy. 149 days of the average NBA fan (yours truly included) nearly losing his NBA religion and thankfully, finding it again.

But it's back, yes it's back. NBA players still have to vote for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but this remains as a mere formality. I was tentative to celebrate at first, but the signs around me were encouraging. NBA.com finally replaced photographs of Billy Hunter in a suit with those of LeBron James in a jersey. December 25th - Christmas Day - was chosen as the 'return of the NBA', with five games slotted for opening night. And soon-after, entire schedules for a shortened, 66-game season, were released for all the NBA teams. Even before teams and players were allowed to talk to each other, we were already hearing trade rumours and free-agency news.

So what if there remain some questionable red flags about this whole ordeal. The lockout came to an end, but not before one of the worst series of official debates and negotiations in sports history. Plus, as Dave Zirin wrote in his excellent SLAM article,, the NBA players got 'played' by the new deal.

Another issue is going to be with the new-look schedule: teams will play 66 games in about 120 days, means, there will be several back-to-back-to-back games, and several teams will be playing five or six games a week.

But that said, it truly is a Christmas miracle for hopeless NBA fans that there will indeed be a 2011-12 season, and that it is going to begin in about 18 days (!!!). Gifted with sudden optimism after months of the 'dark ages', we now have tonnes of basketball-related (and not money/negotiation related) things to discuss, watch, appreciate, criticise, and experience again.

So without further ado, here is my Top 10 Countdown of the Things I'm Most Looking Forward For the 2011/12 NBA Season:

10. Where will the Free Agents end up?

Free Agency is usually the first order of events during any NBA off-season. This year, with the official 'off-season' lasting just about two weeks, the free-agency period is expected to be crazier than usual. The 2011 Free Agents do not have the star power of 2010 (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amar'e, Joe Johnson, Boozer) or the star power of 2012 (Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams), but what it does have - in buckets - is the NBA's most precious commodity: size. With solid post players becoming rarer and rarer in the NBA, I'm expecting the current crop of free agents to be rated highly and paid generously.
Amongst the bigs, the free agents include Nene, Marc Gasol (restricted), David West, Tyson Chandler, Glen Davis, DeAndre Jordan, Samuel Dalembert, and Carl Landry. Other free agents of note are Jason Richardson, Jamal Crawford, Thaddeus Young, Grant Hill, Tayshuan Prince, Jeff Green, Caron Butler, and JJ Barea. Oh, and by the way, there are the guys in China - Kenyon Martin, Wilson Chandler, JR Smith, and Aaron Brooks - who may or may not be able to return to the NBA before March.
I love it when a team comes together, especially when the starting five fits neatly, and each player is capable enough for his position and a good fit for the team as a whole. This current crop of free agents may not have guys who could revolutionise a team's system, but there are several who can 'complete' a starting line-up. With salary caps and trade scenarios, it's hard to predict who will end up where, but over the next few days, I can't wait to witness the shifting around.

9. John Wall

There is one player every year who breaks out and improves more than we expected him to improve. This season, I'm predicting that the player will be John Wall. The Wizard's PG will come into his second year with his role clearly defined, with the keys to his team's offense clearly in his hands, and with the sky as the limit! In a shortened season with games crammed in close together, expect the younger, fitter guys to perform better: Wall, with his speed and athleticism, is going to outrace almost everyone else on the basketball court. I'm expecting him to clearly be have an All Star season and for the Wizards to become one of the most exciting (but still relatively unsuccessful) teams in the league.

8. Watching early morning live games in India

Last season was a golden period for the NBA fan in India. Thanks to the Ten Sports and Sony PIX deals, four live games were shown weekly here, and by the latter part of the season, the number was increased to six a week. Live in India means tip off usually between 5:30-8:30 AM - for a geek like me, this meant that I was up at the crack of dawn six days a week out of seven. The lazy boy in me complained at first, but the NBA lover in me soon shrugged off the complaints and got accustomed to a cup of hot chai, a comfortable couch, and early morning NBA action. I can't wait to become a morning person again.

7. The 2012 Draft-Class Tank Off

You know what the lockout did? It forced several up-and-coming basketball stars who would've been top picks in the 2011 draft to stay in college for another year. 2012 was supposed to be a big year regardless, but now, it seems that it could be one of the best draft classes ever (probably the best since the LeBron-Wade-Melo-Bosh class of 2003). If the 2011 rookie class turns out to be a little underwhelming, have no fear, because 2012 is on it's way. Between the likes of Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones, Bradley Beal, Jeremy Lamb, James McAdoo, Michael Gilchrist, and Austin Rivers, there is enough talent here for NBA teams to build around for their future.
Which brings us to the upcoming NBA season: a lot of non-playoff teams will clearly have an eye on the draft, especially in bagging someone from the big three of Davis, Drummond, or Barnes. While the draft lottery is supposedly a fair system that should prevent NBA teams from 'tanking' (losing games on purpose to get a higher probability of a top draft pick), a lot of teams may sneakily do it anyways. So, as the season gets to it's last 10 or so games, watch for some of the worst teams in the league (Raptors, Cavs, Pistons, Bobcats, etc) to enter the 2012 Draft Sweepstakes a little early.

6. Ricky Rubio

Few players have gone from underrated to overrated to loved to hated to just ignored all before their 21st birthday, all before a second of NBA experience. Former Spanish teenage Phenom was the world's best teenage player at 15, gathered up success, accolades, and incredible YouTube highlights before he turned 18, had memorable Olympic performances, got drafted into the NBA, never showed up to the NBA, and then buckled under the pressure of his young fame to perform at a high level. But he's finally here: Rubio will start the new NBA season finally with the Minnesota Timberwolves. At 21 years and 2 months old, he already has wealth of international and professional basketball experience. But can he run with the best of the world night in and night out in the NBA.
I've always had a soft spot for Rubio, and despite his recent failings, I predict him for NBA stardom in the future. Like most international players, it will take him a few years before getting into his stride, but when he does, this intelligent and exciting point guard is headed for big things. Currently, he will start as the motor that runs a young Timberwolves squad, who will surely be most fans' favourite-bad-team. Rubio, Kevin Love, rookie Derrick Williams, and Michael Beasley (if he stays) will make a strong nucleas for this team. I can't wait to watch them run!

5. A full season with Melo & Amar'e in New York

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'd know that I haven't exactly kept my Knick-fandom a secret. The Knicks have been my favourite team since the dawn of my interest in the NBA, and for the first time in over a decade, they actually have a squad that could challenge the NBA's best contenders.
Carmelo Anthony was brought to New York a little too late last season, and didn't really get a chance to gel with the Knicks' other All Star, Amar'e Stoudemire. They both had their moments of brilliance, though, and left us fans excited for much more. Melo may not be in the elite class of superstars like LeBron, Durant, or Wade, but he is an unquestionable offensive talent. This season could be his perfect year: if he can get his act together, become a better leader, and play a little more defense, he could be looking at a career year. I'm hoping that Amar'e provides consistent support from the post, Chauncey Billups keeps the team running, and the role players step up, and all added together, the Knicks could be a force to reckon with.
If Carmelo Anthony was ever going to have an MVP-caliber season, it's now.

4. The extended Dwight/CP3/Deron melodrama

Unless you're a fan of the Magic, Hornets, or the Nets, this point will rank high on your list, too. Three superstar players - Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams - are all set to become free agents next season. Now, free-agents-to-be can take three routes of dealing with a situation where they don't want to remain with their current teams:
1. Openly refuse the contract extension before they become a free agent.
2. Do the Carmelo thing, which means, make it clear to their team that they won't resign, so that the team can then sign and trade them somewhere else and get back some value for them. Carmelo Anthony wanted to leave the Nuggets, but he got them a lot of good value (Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton) in return from New York.
3. Do the LeBron thing, which means, not give the team any clues to his future all season, and when free agency comes, surprise the team by leaving them and getting them nothing in return. LeBron did this with a spectacular fail otherwise known as 'The Decision'.
The drama is about to start for Dwight/CP3/Deron: will they stay, will they go, where will they go, who will they be traded for, who will be heart-broken????? Even before the players' CBA agreement was to be signed, we already heard of several rumours, including Chris Paul wanting to play for the Knicks, the Celtics offering New Orleans Rajon Rondo in exchange for Paul, Deron Williams turning down the extension offer from the Nets, the Mavericks targeting Williams for next summer, the Bulls considering a trade package to team up Dwight Howard with Derrick Rose, and the Lakers offering everyone in their team not named Kobe Bryant to acquire both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.
The rumours are going to get crazier and crazier. YES!!

3. Young squads - Bulls & Thunder - take the next big step

Led by two of the best young players in the league in Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, the Chicago Bulls and the OKC Thunder are similar teams since they have been both on 'the come up' over the past year. Both teams arrived till their respective conference finals before losing out to more experienced squads. This season could be very different. A couple of shrewd trades or free agent pick ups will make the supporting roles around Rose and Durant stronger. A shorter but more dense season will help squads with young legs. With experience on their side now, we could be looking at the future of the league in these two teams. Rose and Durant are also both humble, hard-working players, who have strong organisational support behind them to help them in their success. Could one of these teams make the NBA Finals. With Miami in the East, Chicago's way to the promised land looks much tougher. But this may be the Thunder's year to finally breakthrough to the NBA Finals, especially in an ageing Western Conference (and especially if the Lakers don't pick up Chris Paul and/or Dwight Howard).

2. Metta World Peace

I'm sure - no, I'm convinced - that I'm not ranking this too high.
A few months ago, a player named Ronald William Artest, Jr. who is a Small Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, a tenacious defender, an occasional big-shot hitter, a part-time rapper, and a part-time nutcase, decided to legally change his name to Metta World Peace.
Why does this matter so much to me? Because I'm already imagining the flurry of changes we can expect from this historical move. 'Lakers - World Peace' jerseys will be flying off the shelves, commentators in NBA games will have to blame World Peace for taking bad shots, the name 'M. World Peace' will be on NBA programmes, World Peace will make a rap album, World Peace will stop a potential altercation, and World Peace will be called for technical fouls.
And, if my ultimate dream comes true, some genius somewhere will use his or her powers of persuasion to make sure that Metta World Peace is picked as the designated defensive stopper for USA's Olympic Basketball team at the 2012 London Olympics. The jersey will say USA in the front and 'World Peace' in the back. If that isn't diplomacy, then I don't know what is.

1. Christmas Day (Or, because of the time difference, the morning after Christmas)

I'm by no means a person who gets into the 'holiday spirit': Christmas hasn't necessarily been anything more special than another day off school (in my childhood) or work. But Christmas 2011 is looking to become my favourite once, since, well, ever. That is the night that, 54 days later than expected, the NBA season will begin.
Five games are already scheduled for Christmas night, or for us in Asia, the morning after Christmas: Celtics @ Knicks, Heat @ Mavericks, Bulls @ Lakers, Magic @ Thunder, Clippers @ Warriors.
Boom! That means that, after an extended lockout, we get to see Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e, LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Nowitzki, Rose, Kobe, Gasol, World Peace, Dwight Howard, Durant, Westbrook and Blake Griffin all on the first night! We've been presented with a rematch of the NBA finals, an exciting match-up between the Celtics and the Knicks at the Madison Square Garden, a face-off between powerhouses Bulls and Lakers, and Blake Griffin vs. an awful defensive team so that we see as many incredible dunks as possible.
The NBA's past, present, and future are all there together on opening night.

The lockout - an ugly period where green bank notes threatened to kill the soul of the beautiful, orange, bouncy, basketball - is over. There will be no nuclear winter this year. Time to get hyped again. The NBA is back!

India's Junior Men's Basketball First & Second Teams Announced

After a successful BFI Junior Basketball Expo at the SRCC Court in New Delhi last week, India's National Head Coach Kenny Natt has released the names of the 10 best under-18 players in India in Junior First and Second Teams. According to Natt, the players have been selected on the basis of their performance and hard work ethics during both the Junior National Camp in Delhi during the entire month of November and the All Star event at the Junior Basketball Expo on November 29th.

A total of 26 Junior players from the National Camp took part in the basketball competitions and the All Star Game at the expo last week.

India's Under-18 First Team All Stars

Loveneet Singh (Punjab)

Kasirajan Muruthan (Tamil Nadu)

Ajay Pratap Singh (Chhattisgarh)

Akhil M Sunny (Kerala)

Aravind A. (Tamil Nadu)

India's Under-18 Second Team All Stars

Nitin Chopade (Maharashtra)

Siddharth Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh)

G Sivabalan (Tamil Nadu)

Suresh Kumar Bijamiyua (Rajasthan)

Manpreet Singh (Punjab)

Ajay Pratap Singh: The Future is here, now

On this basketball court, even when he is surrounded by other players of his age and his talent level, Chhattisgarh's 17-year-old phenom Ajay Pratap Singh - or 'APS' as his friends call him - manages to stand out. Even those in the audience unfamiliar with his young, yet experienced career, can tell that he is primed for big things. More than anyone else, Ajay moves like a basketball player.

The court was the indoor facility at the Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in New Delhi. The event was the BFI's Junior Basketball Expo, a showcase of the best under-18 basketball players in the country. In the audience were over a 100 Delhi high-schoolers and aspiring basketball players watching every move of Ajay and his fellow compatriots. The ringmaster is Kenny Natt, a former NBA Head Coach and now the Head Coach of India's Senior Men's team, who has organised this showcase to scout for the next generation of Indian stars who will take the mantle in the national team.

Each of the 26 players on the court and on the bench of the U18 All Star Game have made a name for themselves as junior basketball stars. Still, the crowd, and especially those who know of Ajay's capabilities, keep waiting for him to stand out, to do things that separate him from the rest, that make him special. But for the majority of the All Star Game, Ajay keeps us waiting.

But let's rewind this story back to the very beginning. How does the son of a Billai Steel Plant employee in Chhattisgarh, who hadn't picked up a basketball until he was 11-years-old, become one of India's most prodigious young talents six years later?

I'll let Ajay explain it himself: "It all started with a summer camp," he says, "I was 11-years-old and a friend of my father was a basketball coach, who encouraged me to try out basketball at the camp. Normally, players who are new to the game are encouraged only because of their height, but back then, I was no taller than the average kid of my age. At first, basketball was just 'time pass' for me at the camp, but when I returned, I realised that I had actually become very interested in the game, and so I continued playing."

Ajay says that is first coach was RS Gour in Billai, who was always backing the youngster to keep playing and keep improving his skills. Luckily for the youngster, his love for the game developed parallel to the golden period in Chhattisgarh's basketball history - a period that is continuing full-fledged even today - where good management and better coaching helped mould numerous stars to make a mark in the national and international level from the state. Ajay had no shortage of role models.

"I looked up to a lot of senior players from my area," said Ajay, "I saw what they did on court, I saw what they achieved, and I wanted tot he same. There was a senior at that time, Pratam Singh, who had been a star for Chhattisgarh and had even represented India. I wanted to follow in his footsteps."

A few years later, and it seems that Ajay has done well in following the course set by his idols, and then some more. For he didn't just follow the footsteps, he glided over some of them: at the SRCC court during the Junior Expo, Ajay gives a few glimpses of his amazing athleticism, all during practice time before the All Star Game. While other players touched the ball off the glass for neat basket during the lay-up lines, Ajay is one of the few who is intent to punish the rim with an electrifying dunk at each opportunity. I have seen this all before: he is one of the few junior players in India with both the audacity and the actual talent to ignite the crowds with regular in-game dunks. The crowd at SRCC move closer to the edges of their seats when the All Star Game begins, expecting fireworks from this athletic youngster. But Ajay keeps them all at bay...

Back to our story, though, and we find a 13-year-old about to make his first breakthrough at a national-level competition. Ajay played in his first Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship in his hometown of Billai back in 2007. His team had to settle for a third-place finish, but Ajay remembers this as the first time in his career when he began to develop real confidence in his abilities.

"I was a little scared at first at such a big occasion," he says, "But I was given ample chance to play, even though I was younger than most in the squad."

"Back then, I played more of the guard position, because I was a little shorter," Ajay adds, "This helped me improved my ball-handling, and now that I've grown taller, I can be a mismatch at the guard position because of my height."

Like many before him to have made the breakthrough in Indian Basketball, the accolades, success, and higher levels of competition began to follow thick and fast. Ajay kept playing, kept performing, until the day he first wore an 'India' jersey: his big break came with India's Youth (U16) team that was sent to the U16 FIBA Asia Championship in Malaysia in 2009.

"It felt very good to be playing for your country," he remembers, "Despite our final finish (13th place), we played very well. It was the first time that a Youth Asia championship for being held, so it was a new experience for us all."

In October 2011, Ajay would head out for the U16 FIBA Asia Championship again - this one in Nha Trang City in Vietnam - and it would be his most recent performance for India that would help further distinguish him from the rest.

The All Star Game begins at the Junior Expo. Ajay has been placed in a far better team of the U18s: he is part of 'Team Red', which include other rising players like Loveneet Singh, G Sivabalan, and Aravind A. Known for his prolific scoring ability, Ajay instead takes a back-seat to his talented teammates, choosing instead to focus on his other strong-point: play-making. With Ajay and Loveneet running the motor of this squad and Aravind finishing any and everything around the basket, Team Red take a 13 point lead over 'Team White' with less than four minutes left in the game. For Ajay, it seeded to be a routine, if relaxed, victory on the cards.

He has played the play-maker role brilliantly before, of course, but what makes him special is his ability to switch seamlessly became shot creator and shot finisher. In the most recent Junior National Championship in New Delhi, Ajay was perhaps the top individual player in the Men's section. He laid out his full arsenal for Chhattisgarh, which includes an above-average three-point range, blinding quickness with the dribble, an ability (and the will) to regularly attack the basket, a long wingspan to disrupt the other team's offense on the defensive end, and crystal clear floor vision to always keep an eye on other teammates.

Ajay carried this momentum with him to the 2nd U16 FIBA Asia Championship in Vietnam. In a talented team with other gifted players such as Satnam Singh Bhamara, Loveneet Singh, Rakesh Sangwan, and Karthickeyen Saminathan, Ajay was the crucial cog in the middle, running the team as its most experienced and consistent player. India surprised a few traditional heavyweights with Ajay contributing with scoring and assists. He had 17 points in a win over Malaysia and 25 big ones in India's surprise victory over Chinese Taipei. India didn't do too well in the Second Round of the tournament, but Ajay had another 20 point game against hosts Vietnam in a classification match. India finished the tournament at 10th place.

Ajay ended the tournament as India's second leading scorer (13.1 ppg) behind Satnam Singh, but he also made a name for himself in the assists department, averaging the highest numbers of assists per game (4.0 apg) of all players in the tournament!

"I'm very proud of what we accomplished in Vietnam," Ajay said after the tournament, "We were a very well-coached team, and were well prepared this time. The federation gave us good support to work hard and practice for months for this championship in Delhi before we headed out there."

"We made a few mistakes in the Second Round against Korea and Iraq, two close losses that prevented us from qualifying for the Quarter-Finals," Ajay added, "We really could have won those games: our team was very united, and it felt good to play together in such a strong system."

Ajay named his big performance in the group stage against Chinese Taipei as the high-point for him individually as well as team-wise (India won the game by 21 points), but he took heart even in India's losses against Korea and Iraq. "We worked hard on our team defense for those games. Our coaches were always defensive minded. For whatever I achieved on the offensive end, I feel I did more on defense, since I had more experience than the other players there."

Back in SRCC, and it seems that Ajay's defensive intensity from the FIBA championship could be sorely needed. 'Team Red' start to get careless in the game's last few minutes, and 'Team White' begin to script an epic comeback. Careless turnovers by the Reds and determined play by the Whites suddenly turns this into a six point, then a four point, and then a two point game. Team White go on a dramatic 17-2 run, and with only seven seconds left in the game now, find themselves ahead, 54-52. The game's momentum has been abruptly shifted, and Team Red have only one last chance for an answer.

My eyes were on Team Red, and on the young boy from Chhattisgarh. I had the unfair advantage of knowing enough about him that I was convinced that he would deliver. A few weeks ago, Chhattisgarh Basketball's secretary and legendary coach Rajesh Patel had marveled about the youngsters abilities, especially in crunch situations.

Here was Patel's scouting report: "Ajay plays well in big games. He's left-handed, but can finish with the right, tall, and has a very accomplished all-round game. He has good ball control, good three-point range, and good driving and rebounding ability. Ajay is a prolific scorer, but more than that, he is confident and mature for his age."

And Ajay himself had shown little doubt about his abilities, in the present or the future. He may have been in an All Star Game in Delhi, but a part of his mind may have already been plotting ahead to Chennai, where next month, the Senior National Basketball Championship is set to be held. It will be Ajay's third Senior tournament, and he will be amongst a talented group of Chhattigarh players like Ankit Panigrahi and Kiran Pal Singh as they attempt to improve on last year's seventh place finish.

And maybe a part of his mind is looking even beyond, at India's Senior National team, which will is coached by the experienced and influential Kenny Natt. "I dream of playing for India at the Senior level," Ajay says, "I was called for the Senior camp earlier this year before the FIBA Asia Senior Championship in China but I wasn't selected then. But I have a chance to make it in the future team, though, I know Coach Natt needs a shooting guard. I'll be working hard to prepare myself for this role."

Coach Natt is of course in attendance at the SRCC All Star Game, and has seen Team Red just give up their double digit lead in a matter of minutes. With seven seconds left in the game and his team trailing by two points, the ball is inbounded to Ajay Pratap Singh.

Seven seconds can be a long time in basketball, and an even longer time when, in a matter of seconds, hundreds of different elements of the same story come together. In the seven seconds, Ajay used his quick dribble and strength, honed from his childhood days, to attack the opposing team's basket. In those seven seconds, he uses his years of experience at the international and national level to catch his defender off guard. In those seconds, the player who had been passive all game suddenly moves like an aggressive scorer towards the basket. He dribbles with his left, but elevates with the ball in his right hand. He's fouled on his way up to the rim, and in the same movement he finishes the tough lay-up. Game tied at 54. One second to go. The foul gets Ajay to the free-throw line for one last shot.

Patel's prediction proves right. With a relaxed head on his shoulders, Ajay calmly sinks the free-throw. 55-54. The last second wasn't enough for Team White to get a good shot off. Game over. Team Red win.

The crowd erupts and the teammates from the bench rush the court to celebrate with Ajay. It's a brief, relatively minor successful moment in a young career of many other successes. But Ajay Pratap Singh is not defined by what he has done already: he will be defined by what he will do in the future. And he isn't looking too far ahead to stake his claim and show that he belongs amongst the best players in the country: for Ajay Pratap Singh, is future is already here, now.

India's Youth Girls team are ready to take on Asia's best in China

After months of hard work and practice, India's U16 Girls' side will finally get a chance to show the fruits of their labour as they are set to play their first game of the 2nd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women in Jinan (China) on Sunday.

The championship will be held from December 4th-11th in Jinan - initially, it was slated for the city of Urumqi in early October, but in August it was announced that the tournament would be postponed and moved to a different city.

The Youth Girls will represent the youngest age of Indian basketball players in official FIBA competitive action. But what they lack in age, the India's U16 Girls have definitely made up for in confidence. This comes in the back of a good performance in the previous U16 FIBA Asia Championship, in 2009, and of the improving level of junior-level women players in India. The 2009 Championship was the first ever U16 FIBA Asia event, and it was held in our own backyard - in Pune! As hosts, India played well in the group stage and finished at sixth place in the tournament (out of 12), ending the championship with a 3-3 record.

That 6th place finish means that India have the blessing (or the curse?) to be drawn in 'Level I' of the championship this time around: the six best teams in Asia are placed in Level I, and they have a clearer road towards qualifying for the next stage of the tournament. Level II teams compete amongst each other to determine who qualifies for Level I in the next championship.

So the Indian eves now find themselves amongst Asia's elite in Level I, whom they will play in the Preliminary Stage: China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Korea, and Philippines. China and Japan are the 2009 finalists, and in 2011, hosts China come into this tournament as reigning champions. India will have a difficult time against both these squads, as they will against a strong Korea side. But for India to get something out of this tournament, the girls will have to save their best for the games against Philippines and Chinese Taipei. Indian coaches believe that the Philippines are a beatable side, whereas with an inspired performance, we could potentially pick up another win against the Taipei side.

Level II consists of Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Macau, and Malaysia.

This time around, India is sending an arguably stronger and more experienced squad than the previous championship. The most experienced name will be of Maharashtra's Shireen Limaye - Shireen was 14 when she took part in the Pune championship in her home town two years ago, and despite her young age, she managed to finish as the top rebounder in Asia. She has started to realise her immense potential in the last two years, and 2011 has been a big year for the now 16-year-old: Shireen got her break with India's Senior Women's squad that took part in the FIBA Asia Championship in Omura (Japan) and she was part of India's 3x3 team that played in the FIBA 3x3 World Championship in Rimini (Italy).

There are a few other game-changers on our side. UP's young star Barkha Sonkar and Chhattisgarh's Kavita Akula have both been mentioned several times on these pages before: that is because both these young guards were chosen by the IMG in mid 2010 for a scholarship as student-athletes in their basketball academy in Florida, USA. Barkha and Kavita are going to be the motors behind India's offense as well as our most tenacious defenders, and they too bring competitive experience beyond their years to this squad.

This championship will also be the international debut of Poonam Chaturvedi, who at 16 is already India's tallest women's basketball player. Six months ago, I called this girl (who plays for Chhattisgarh) India's next NEXT big thing. Back then, she was still relatively new to basketball and hadn't shown the confidence or the skill-set required for an Asia level tournament. But Poonam has been on a fast-track to improvement since the summer in the Youth Camp in Delhi, and I won't be surprised if the 6 foot 6 giant can show some flashes of brilliance in China. Her coaches and teammates will have to work to keep her confident, and if she is to be a future star for the Indian senior side, her baptism to international competition begins now.

There are a lot more names in this team who could be crucial contributers, like Ishwari Pingle and Sangeeta Kaur, but I will be expecting fireworks from Kerala's Poojamol KS, who I believe to be the finest youth player in India today. Poojamol is a do-it-all forward who has been dominating the junior and youth competitions in India for the past two years: she has been an integral part of Kerala's Junior and Youth team which have won both the Junior and Youth national championships for the last two years. Pooja was amongst the best players in all four of these tournaments, and she should be a force against international competition in Jinan, too.

Here is India's Preliminary Round schedule at the 2nd U16 FIBA Asia Championship (All timings IST)

December 4th, 12:30 PM: India vs. Korea

December 5th, 12:30 PM: India vs. Japan

December 6th, 2:30 PM: India vs. China

December 7th, 12:30 PM: India vs. Chinese Taipei

December 8th, 12:30 PM: India vs. Philippines

India need to win two games to enter the second round of the final four teams. If they finish at 5th or 6th place in their Level, they will play against the 1st or 2nd ranked team from Level II to determine who gets entry into Level I in the 2013 championship.

The final of the 2nd U16 FIBA Asia Championship will be held on December 11, 2011.