Hoopistani on Ekalavyas!

Ekalavya is one of the most popular characters in Hindu mythology, who, even after facing rejection from the great Duru Dronacharya, taught himself to become one of the greatest archers of his time. It's the ultimate underdog story, the story of how someone with potential can overcome circumstance as long as they they have drive.

It's with that inspiration that Ekalavyas.com was formed, seeking to empower those underdogs in sport with will and drive to rise above any circumstance. In India, that circumstance is how every sport not named cricket gets dominated and ignored by the mainstream. One of Ekalavyas missions is to support the rise of these alternative sports. Fortunately for us Hoopistanis, Ekalavyas have started their journey with a strong focus on basketball around India.

Photo Source: Ekalavyas.com

Over the past few months, the website has already covered live several basketball tournaments in the country, including India's triumph at the Lusofonia Games in Goa and the Inter Zonal All India University Championship in Varanasi. In addition, they have also featured several players and coaches around the country, such as Amrit Pal Singh and Subhash Mahajan.

Of course, I have developed a nagging habit of refusing to keep myself away from any sentence that includes the words 'india' and 'basketball' in close proximity. So when Ekalavyas came calling, 'Yes' was the only option.

Starting this month, I'll be contributing a column to Ekalavyas.com on Indian hoops and hopefully, together, we can reach a greater audience and bring more awareness to people around the country and the world about the game here. For my first feature, I wrote about the possibility of a future professional basketball league in India, and how it could revolutionize things.

So join the Ekalavyas and support the movement. Just don't go around cutting off any right thumbs.