Finally, there's going to be an Indian Player's Association for former basketball internationals

What happens to a basketball player who can't play basketball anymore? Some of them completely leave the game behind to go into private ventures. Some continue with their government jobs full time. Some join local or national basketball federations to stay connected with the game even after their playing career. Some move on to coaching, refereeing, or events planning. And then, there are some who - despite at one point being among the finest basketball players in India - fade away into obscurity with no community to call their own.

It seems like that, finally, there is now a chance to keep the Indian basketball families together in official terms long after the end of their basketball careers.

At the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the senior stakeholders of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in Ludhiana, BFI President RS Gill passed a proposal for the creation of an Indian Player's Association for all former players to have played for India at the international level. 10 international players were called for this meeting to set the wheels in motion.

Former star player and current coach/referee Shiba Maggon has described herself as the thread between the players and the federation for this project. "This association should help take care of former Indian players who have retired but aren't doing so well afterwards," Maggon said, "We need to get together to make suggestions and take care of each other."

Maggon added that, once the Association is formed, two representatives from it will be invited to be members of the AGM every year.

The association is still working on getting former players together to become members and soon hold their first meeting where leadership positions will be decided. Maggon has requested all former Indian internationals to contact her for further information.