2014: The Year in Indian Basketball

Flip the calendars and adjust your dates. It's now 2015, and so much has changed in Indian Basketball in the past 12 months. Peaking with India's memorable victory against China mid-way through 2014 as well as other positive international performances, you could say that it was the year that basketball in the country truly began to grow up. Domestically, Indian basketball players were involved in bigger and better BFI, NBA, and Reliance Foundation events, events that reached to farther corners of the nation than ever before.

Let's look back at some of the biggest news stories from 2014 in Indian Basketball.

- In January over in Ahmedabad, ONGC repeated as Federation Cup champions with a big win over rivals IOB in the final, while Chhattisgarh's Women's side closed out the tournament in thrilling fashion with a one-point win over Maharashtra. Chhattisgarh's Radhakrishnan and ONGC's Vishesh Bhriguvanshi were named tournament MVPs.

- Just a few days later, Kolkata's outfit Eastern Railway capitalized their unexpected run with a final victory over Assumption College (Changanacherry) to win the 5th JCI All India Invitational Basketball Tournament, held in Athirampuzha in Kottayam district, Kerala. In the Men's Final that followed, Bangalore's outfit Vijaya Bank blew out Customs (Chennai) for a resounding victory.

- ONGC were back atop the podium the next week, defeating IOB once again in Mumbai to win the 9th Savio Cup in Mumbai. Although they started as favourites to hold on to their title, Southern Railway had to battle till the very end and use every bit of their talent and experience to outlast the spirited hosts Maharashtra in the Women's final.

- Goa played host to the 2014 Lusofonia Games, and Indian Basketball Men's team gave the home fans a real reason to celebrate. Under Head Coach Scott Flemming, India defeated Angola in thrilling fashion to win gold at the Games' basketball tournament. They were undefeated through the course of the tournament. India's Women's team - comprising mostly of under-21 players - finished with a bronze medal. Mozambique won Women's gold.

- Former NBA point guard Muggsy Bogues returned to India for his second trip in the first week of February. Bogues took part to assist the first season of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme in the country: he visited Mumbai and Kochi to train the hundreds of players and coaches involved in the events.

- February also offered some sobering news as basketball was de-registered as a sport in Jammu and Kashmir by the Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council (JKSSC), ending all funding for the sport in the state.

- The 64th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women was delayed in 2014 and finally tipped off near the end of February in New Delhi. The delay wasn't the only anomaly: Chhattisgarh's Women ended a 10-year dominating run by Indian Railways at the Senior Nationals by defeating the pre-tournament favourites in the finals to snatch the winner's trophy. Meanwhile in the Men's section, Tamil Nadu's played some brilliant basketball through the course of the tournament and defeated Punjab to secure gold. Tamil Nadu's Rikin Pethani and Chhattisgarh's Kavita Kumari were given the Harish Sharma Most Valuable Player trophies at the end of the tournament, an award named in honour of the BFI's former CEO who passed away two years ago. Former NBA Head Coach Del Harris was a special guest at the nationals and held a 'Train the Trainers' clinic for attending and local coaches and players.

- In mid-April, ONGC (Men) and Southern Railway (Women) defended their titles at 2014 Advani Memorial Basketball Tournament in Jaipur (Rajasthan). Southern Railway's Kokila Subramani (Women) and ONGC's Amrit Pal Singh (Men) were named MVPs.

- After six months of action in eight cities, the finals of the 1st BFI-IMG Reliance National School/College League were held over five days in early May in New Delhi. Teams from Ludhiana and Chennai made their home cities proud with championship medals.

- In mid-May, India's Men's National Team took care of business at the 3rd South Asian Basketball Championship in Kathmandu (Nepal) dismantling four South Asian winners in efficient victories and qualifying for the 5th FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan (China).

Photo courtesy: Ekalavyas

- The 64th Junior National Basketball Championship for Under-18 Boys and Girls - held at Kochi (Kerala) from May 26th to June 2nd - came down to a double rematch in both the divisions from last year's Finals. Chhattisgarh defended the girls' title with a second consecutive Final victory over hosts Kerala. Punjab's Boys redeemed themselves after last year's loss in Cuttack to snatch the title over Delhi with a win in the Boys' finale. Punjab's Arshpreet Singh (Boys) and Chhattisgarh's Sharanjeet Kaur (Girls) were named MVPs.

- NBA point guard Isaiah Thomas - who was with the Sacramento Kings until the summer and is now with the Phoenix Suns - visited India in June 2014. Thomas spent time in Mumbai and Chennai, where he visited schools, community organizations, and conducted youth clinics. He also joined the NBA's official broadcaster in India Sony SIX to provide analysis of the NBA Finals.

- Three Indian players - Vishal Gupta (Andhra Pradesh), Ashish Briggs (Madhya Pradesh), and Mahipal Singh (Rajasthan) - were invited to NBA/FIBA's Basketball Without Borders camp in Taipei from June 13-16. There were among 50 of the top young players from Asia and Oceania at the camp.

- By defeating Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on consecutive nights in July at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, India's U18 men's squad won gold at the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Qualifiers for the 23rd U18 FIBA Asia Championship. They qualified to represent South Asia at the U18 FIBA Asia tournament in Doha (Qatar).

- The highlight of 2014 - and really, one of the All Time highlights in Indian basketball history - was India's campaign at the 5th FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan. In their second game of the tournament India defeated hosts and Asia's top squad China on their home soil, 65-58, in the 'Wonder of Wuhan'. India gave a scare to the continent's other top teams, and despite the Quarter-Final exit and just a seventh place finish, Flemming's team displayed performances on court that are sure to earn them respect in major Asian tournaments in the future. Iran eventually recaptured gold the gold by defeating Chinese Taipei in the final. The tournament was also notable for the flare-up of the nasty FIBA Headgear controversy, hurting India's Sikh star players Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh.

- Back home, former Portuguese basketball coach, general manager, television analyst, and ambassador Carlos Barroca was chosen to replace Troy Justice as the Senior Director of Basketball Operations for NBA India.

- India's junior boys' squad disappointed at the 23rd FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Doha (Qatar), finishing 13th (last), losing two of their three Preliminary Round games and failing to qualify for the next stage of the tournament. China played fantastic basketball through the course of the 10-day tournament and made this their 11th gold overall in the tournament. The FIBA Headgear controversy returned, as India's Anmol Singh was forced to remove his turban in the first game against Qatar.

- In mid-August, NBA India launched the biggest ever iteration of the NBA Jam, the hugely popular college basketball and youth festival, spreading out to 16 cities and involving a greater number of young Indian basketball fanatics than ever before.

- On August 29, Indian basketball superstar Geethu Anna Jose added another feather to her cap by being officially conferred the Arjuna Award - prestigious national award handed to sports-persons in India by the Government of India - by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Jose became the 17th basketball player in India to receive this award, but only the first since 2001. She was also only the second women basketball player to win the Arjuna Award since Suman Sharma in 1991.

- With the expectation to engage over 750,000 youth basketball players and train PE teachers at more than 1,000 partner schools across India, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme returned with a bang for it's second year in early September, expanding from three Indian cities to eight. The programme focus was on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into each participating school’s physical education curriculum.

- There was massive expansion elsewhere, too. By the end of September, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG Reliance announced the new seasons of the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and the Indian College Basketball League (ICBL), to be held in 22 and 21 Indian cities respectively. Over 1100 institutions and 13,000 combined school or college students - both men and women - were set to participate in the ISBL and ICBL in 24 total cities.

- India's Senior Men's and Women's National teams played at the basketball tournaments at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon (South Korea). Topsy-turvy performances by India saw some positive moments but also left a lot to be desired. India's Men finished 12th (out of 16) and Women finished 6th (out of 11). South Korea defended their home turf in style, as both their Men and Women's squads outperformed higher-ranked squads to secure the gold medal.

- In mid-October, at the 31st Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu defeated Kerala in both the boys' and girls' finals to win double gold medals. TN's star performers through the course of the tournament - Eshwar PB (Boys) and Ishwarya J (Girls) - were named MVPs.

- With a victory over rivals Japan in the final, the Chinese eves completed a three-peat of titles at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Amman (Jordan) on Friday, October 17th. This was China's 14th overall title in the 22nd edition of the tournament as they continued to be the driving force in junior Asian women's basketball. India, who played in the tougher Level I of the tournament, lost all their preliminary group games but won the crucial Level I qualifier against Malaysia to remain in the higher fray of the competition for 2016.

- From October 15-19, the city of Bengaluru hosted the inaugural Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty All India Basketball tournament, a men's championship that featured six of India's top club level or state teams. After five days of high-notch basketball, the tournament was settled with a comfortable final win by Indian Overseas Bank - IOB - against their Chennai city rivals ONGC.

- Three-time former NBA champion Bruce Bowen visited India to take part in NBA Jam and Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA events at Kolkata, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana in early November.

- India's senior men and women took part in the 2014 Asian Beach Games 3x3 Basketball tournament in Phuket (Thailand). After an undefeated run, India's Men were finally defeated in the final by Qatar and had to settle for the silver medal. India's Women - reigning champs from 2012 - could not repeat their success after choosing to send a far less experienced team to Phuket. India lost all three of their games to finish at seventh place.

- Madhya Pradesh (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) lifted the winner's trophies at 41st Sub-Jr National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in Nashik (Maharashtra), with both teams defeating Chhattisgarh in the final. The MVP awards were handed to Kerala's Sreekala R (Girls) and MP's Mani Thakur (MP).

- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver closed his first year as the head-honcho of the league with his first-ever visit to India, and he brought along Kings' Indian-born owner Vivek Ranadive and former Kings/Lakers player Vlade Divac. Silver, Ranadive, and Divac spent their time in Mumbai, visiting a school as part of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme and interacting with the Indian press.

- 2014 NBA Jam National Finals conclude in Pune on December 7. Punjab Warriors (Boys) and Pune Ballers (Girls) were crowned the national champions.

- Towards the end of December, New Delhi hosted the national finals of the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and Indian College Basketball League (ICBL), featuring the winning 40 school and college teams in the men's and women's divisions from 10 cities. After seven days of exciting hoops action, the representatives of two cities - Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Ludhiana (Punjab) - separated themselves from the rest of the pack to win their respective 2014 titles.

- On the eve of the launch of the 65th Senior National Championship in Bhilwara (Rajasthan), the BFI named December 28th as the official 'Indian Basketball Day', in honour of the late former BFI CEO Harish Sharma on his birthday. On this day, the best players in the country took part in Men and Women's All Star games and a Slam Dunk contest. Cultural performances, prize distribution, and a remembrance ceremony for Sharma was also held.

It was indeed a year to remember, and India can take heed in successes at the Lusofonia Games, the FIBA Asia Cup, and the Asian Beach Games internationally. Back home, the involvement of new cities in grassroots programmes will play a big role in the future development of basketball talent. The interest shown from FIBA and the NBA, as well as the continuing growth of the BFI, promise bigger things ahead for 2015.

Team India coach Scott Flemming is bringing individual player basketball development videos

Over the past two years, American basketball coach Scott Flemming has already earned his way into the hearts of hoop fans in India as the Head Coach of the senior national Men's team. Under Flemming, the team has taken significant steps forward and shown improved performances in international tournaments such as the Lusofonia Games and the FIBA Asia Cup.

But Flemming's job responsibilities don't just end with the 12 men that represent India at the senior level internationally; as the national head coach, he is also invested in helping improve the grassroots talent of young players in the country and also pass on some of his coaching advice to aspiring Indian trainers and coaches, too.

Working with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), Flemming is bringing a series of videos teaching individual player development drills such as dribbling, footwork, shooting, and more. As they are uploaded, the videos will be available from the BFI's official website. Flemming has also received assistance from senior and junior Indian national players to produce the content for the drills in the development videos.

The first of this video series was released a couple of days ago, with a focus on ball handling.



"There will be 4 different areas focused on this series of player development drills." Flemming told me recently, "These drills will be a resource for players to include in their regular workouts to improve their skills. They will also be a resource for coaches to use to specifically work with individuals or small groups to improve their fundamentals. There are no plays or team concepts here. They are designed for skill development. These are not only my drills but many of them are used by some of the top coaches in the world."

"I trust our coaches and players will incorporate them in their practices and workouts," he added, "This player development series will continue with a focus on offensive separation moves, shooting (perimeter and low post) and defense."

As Flemming mentioned in the introduction to the first video, these drills can be worked on many times by an individual or by players in small groups. And he stressed the key of being consistent with the drills and doing them regularly - every single day.

So, too all young Indian players with hoop dreams, here is a great place to start: you can get access to similar coaching tips that our nation's top players are learning in the comfort of your own home. Just make sure to stay persistent. As Coach Flemming said in the video: "Preparation creates confidence," and India could sure do with many more confident basketball players to become stars of the future.

Previewing the 5th FIBA Asia Cup with India's Coach Scott Flemming in Wuhan

The biggest international basketball tournament for India in the 2014 calender year is finally here! India are among the 10 squads in Wuhan (China) for the 5th FIBA Asia Cup India qualified for this tournament (previously known as the Stancovic Cup) by winning the 3rd South Asian (SABA) Basketball Championship in Kathmandu back in May. Now, Head Coach Scott Flemming will test a nine-game winning streak for Team India against some of Asia's finest.

The tournament tipped off Friday, July 11, at the Wuhan Sports Center but India will be playing their first game on Saturday afternoon against Japan, a side that India gave some trouble last year at the FIBA Asia Championship. India have been placed in the tough Group A, along with hosts China, FIBA Asia Championship holders Iran, Japan, and Indonesia. To qualify from the group and make it to the knockout round, India must finish four among five, which means that they realistically must win at least one game.

That's a task much easier said than done, of course. In the previous iteration of the FIBA Asia Cup - in Tokyo two years ago - India returned winless at last place. But Flemming is optimistic that this team has taken some steps forward and can improved results this year.

India's 12-man roster for this tournament was released last week and includes well-known names such as Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Amrit Pal Singh, Amjyot Singh, Pratham Singh, Joginder Singh, and more. The team will play four games in four days against Japan, China, Indonesia, and Iran from July 12-15 (click the above link for India's schedule with timings), and if they can win at least one of those games, they can look forward to the quarter-finals from July 17. The final of the tournament is scheduled to be held on July 19.

I am here in Wuhan for the tournament, and will be providing as close coverage as possible. Catch features on the Hoopistani blog, my match reports for the Basketball Federation of India, and live commentary and interviews on Ekalavyas.

On the tournament's opening day, which was the eve of India's first game against Japan, I spoke to Head Coach Scott Flemming who joined me to preview India's chances looking ahead.

Take it away, Coach.

I was the coach at the Asia Championships last year, the Lusofonia Games, the SABA Qualifiers, but this is my first time at the FIBA Asia Cup.

The plus side is that many of these players have been with me for two years off and on now, and so I think that they have a good understanding of the system that I have implemented. I think that we have improved steadily, not drastically. We're on a nine game winning streak - now obviously it didn't come against teams that we are gonna see here and we understand that. But we beat some quality teams along the way in the Lusofonia Games and the last ABC games [India's streak started with a win over Bahrain at 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, the last game of the tournament] Unfortunately, we haven't played any games with this particular team. We're coming in here just trying to get an understanding of the team while we have to win. Most of these other teams have played a good number of games together coming in. Unfortunately our exposure trip scheduled before the tournament didn't work out.

We played in Nepal last. I don't want to downplay that but those weren't real strong teams. The Lusofonia Games were the last test we had in January. But we have different players now.

We've added Palpreet Singh, he wasn't available earlier because of exams. He gives us depth at the post position.

Stylistically, we're gonna try and keep an up-tempo game, but there are certain teams who are bigger, stronger, and more talented than we are. We're gonna have to make adjustments and beat those teams a little more in the half court. I think we're a team that can do both. We wanna fastbreak when the opportunity is there, but we work pretty hard on our half court offense as well. We can't depend on just one or the other. Our style will be similar to what I put in the beginning, but there are game-time adjustments as well.

There's still a gap between us and the top teams. I'm doing my best to narrow that gap. And hopefully, we'll have a breakthrough. We're better than we were when I first came, I believe that. We're a better team. We talked about this before, there are some practical things that need to happen for us to take a big step up [In an earlier interview, Flemming had mentioned that India needs to start nationalizing Indian-origin players who want to represent the national team for India]. We need some help from the government and other organizations. But that's out of my control. So right now, I'm here to work with who we have and use them to their highest level. I think our players are playing with more confidence. They're feeling good about things especially after the Lusofonia Games. Granted we were hope - that helped! Having thousands of Indian fans behind us in those games helped. But now we're back to 'normal', playing internationally.

We do have an injury - our starting point guard Joginder Singh strained his ankle last week in practice. But he's here and hopefully he's gonna play, but he's not at full strength, and he won't start for us. So that hurts because he has been real steady - he played in the Lusofonia Games, he knows my system inside out, he's really our leader. But we're hoping that he can get back and play in a big role here. Right now we have to wait and see.

Prakash Mishra will take his place for now in the starting five. And then Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Pratham Singh, Amjyot Singh, and Amrit Pal Singh. Those are our starters, but we're gonna play 9-10 people. My mission is to build depth. I think we have 10 or more players who can play crucial minutes.

We played Japan - our first opponents tomorrow - pretty tough in the ABC last year. But they're a different team, they've added some players that weren't there last year. They've played Iran right to the end today, they were even leading in the first half. So, we've got our worked cut out. We're gonna have to play at a really high level to beat them. I'm optimistic. I think we can, but, again, we haven't played any practice games before this, so we're gonna find out a lot about who we are when the game's on the line. Unfortunately that's the case, but we're gonna have to be quick learners.

My normal nature is that I want to win all four [preliminary round] games. I want to win them all. But, first, we need to get that first win. We didn't win any in the last FIBA Asia Cup. Our short term goal is to get the first win, build on that momentum, and hopefully win another one or two in this round. Our goal is to get into the second [knockout] round and then anything can happen. We have our strengths and weaknesses, but we have a chance to do something that no Indian team has done for a long time. We're gonna be learning our rotation etc. at game-time: I've got a good idea of it, but until you start games, you don't know.

India to take part in basketball tournament in Dubai in August

India's national basketball Men's team has accepted an invitation to take part in the inaugural B&B International Basketball Championship, set to be hosted by the Al Nasr Club in Dubai from August 20-27. India was among the first teams to confirm their participation in this competition. India is set to face other Asian national and club sides in this tournament.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas.com

According to GulfNews.com, the only other national squad so far to be invited in the championship has been Iraq. Top club basketball sides from Malaysia, Australia, Lebanon, South Korea, China and the Philippines by Al Nasr to Dubai.

Via GulfNews.com

"Having the Indian team in Dubai for this international competition is a huge achievement for us. We hope the Indian supporters come and back their team," B&B General Manager, Abdullah Murad told Gulf News.
"In the past we have seen the huge response Indian teams have got in Dubai and I am convinced it will be no different this time," he added.

Invitations have been sent out to the Kelantan Warriors from Kuala Lumpur, the Wollongong Hawks from New South Wales, Australia, two-time former Fiba Asia Champions Cup winners Al Hekmeh Sagesse from Lebanon, Changwon LG Sakers from South Korea, Dongguan New Century Leopards from China and Air21 Express team that plays in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Joining these international sides will be local teams Al Wasl and Al Nasr.
"We have narrowed down on some of the top teams in Asia as we want the general public to attend and enjoy wholesome family entertainment," Murad said.
"We are still in contact with other international club teams and there will be additions as we build up towards this competition," he added.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas.com

The tournament will serve as a good practice ground for India, who will hope to shift their attention right after towards the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (South Korea) starting from mid-September.

India will be hoping to continue their recent slate of basketball success in the South Asian region. Led by Head Coach Scott Flemming, India's Men team captured the gold medal at the Lusofonia Games in Goa in January and the victory at the 3rd South Asian Basketball Championship in Nepal, which secured their qualification for the FIBA Asia Cup.

The 5th FIBA Asia Cup will be held in Wuhan (China) in Mid-July, and that is Team India's next major basketball tournament, a month before the B&B International Championship in Dubai.

India's National Basketball Teams practice in Greater Noida: Catching up with Coaches & Players

Since April 15, India's Senior Men's Basketball team probables have been at training camp at the Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Center in Greater Noida with Head Coach Scott Flemming. A week later - on April 22 - the women's senior team joined in too, led by Head Coach Francisco Garcia. This was the first time that India's national squads were using this facility. But these camps aren't just to give our players and our coaches a cushy spot to shoot hoops; there is serious business in progress here, the business to prepare the national squads for a busy calender of basketball ahead.

I got a chance to visit the national camp earlier today, speak to both the foreign Head Coaches, interact with some of India's top national team players, and also witness some of the training sessions.

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On this day, the Men's squad practiced first. Unlike the Women's side - whose next assured major tournament won't be until the Asian Games in September - the Men have several more urgent matters on their schedule. In a few weeks, they will be heading to Kathmandu (Nepal) to take part in the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Basketball Championship, where they will face other South Asian squads such as Nepal, Bangladesh, or Bhutan. Afghanistan, who have pumped their national team with Afghan-Americans, are usually India's closest challenger in these tournaments, but Coach Scott Flemming wasn't sure if they would be participating this year. Victory in the SABA Championship (which is almost assured) will help India qualify for the Asia Cup, set to be held in Wuhan (China) in Mid-July. Sometime in August, the national team might head to Dubai for a top level Asian invitational basketball tournament. And finally in September, they will shift their attention to the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (South Korea).

Very early in our conversation, Flemming makes sure to mention that, above all the cultural and professional differences that an American faces when working in India, his salvation is found easily on the court. "I love my players and my coaches here," he says, "And I have always loved practice." He has been in India a year and a half now since his appointment, prior to which he was an assistant coach of the NBDL side Texas Legends.

The last time Flemming worked with the national team was when he guided India to a memorable gold medal win at the Lusofonia Games in Goa in January. Flemming recalled the victory fondly, saying that he was amazed to see over 4,000 fans in the stadium in final against Angola chanting 'In-dia!" "In-dia!'. "It was like an NBA home court advantage," Flemming said, "For our players, it was great to have that support at home that basketball doesn't usually get."

The Lusofonia Games triumph also showcased India's improving confidence against top sides, and their ability to finish off close games. Flemming told me that the team had learnt a lot from the tragic, close losses to Bahrain and Japan last August at the FIBA Asia Championship and were able to withstand the pressure against their challengers in the Lusofonia Games.

"The team has definitely improved on the defensive end," said Flemming, "We are continuing to spend a lot of time practicing team defense and transition defense in particular. Our goal is to get back quickly on fast-breaks and not allow any layups. Some players were only used to playing zone, which is important, but it's important to teach man-to-man principals, too."

"Another thing that we've been working on are proper offensive systems and sets. I want to give my players freedom from time to time on offense, but it has to be within the structure."

Flemming also added that a lot of the current camp's focus is on individual player development to help the veterans of the Indian squad keep improving. He is also looking to continue bringing a younger crop of players to give them exposure - currently he said that there were "four of five" first-timers with the senior team in the national camp.

Flemming noted that players like Amjyot Singh, Amrit Pal Singh, and Joginder Singh had all made major improvements to their game since his arrival, while veterans such as Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Yadwinder Singh have continued to be match-winners and an important part of the squad. When asked about 7-foot teenage phenom Satnam Singh Bhamara who is currently playing at the IMG Acadmey in Florida, Flemming made it clear that the team couldn't count on his return for this summer's events. "He has had several injuries and is now recovering," said Flemming, "It is probably better for him to focus on his conditioning over in Florida for now."

But Flemming believes that, while India can continue making baby steps in improvement at the Asian level in the next few years, a major ruling will always hold them back from take a giant leap forward. That ruling is of the naturalization of foreign players. Most Asian teams have at least one player - usually their best player - who has little to no connection to that country at all. FIBA allows every team to have only one naturalized foreign player on their roster, a rule that is stretched and abused liberally by most squads. India, however, doesn't allow naturalization: to become an Indian citizen (and thus be a naturalized player for India), one has to surrender their foreign passport, unlike other countries. India doesn't allow dual citizenship. It is this dilemma that has kept a number of talented Non-Resident Indian (NRI) talents who have played a high-level of basketball in North America or elsewhere from committing to the Indian national team.

"We play under different rules to most other countries," Flemming said, "I know of 12-14 NRIs, like Inderbir Gill or Varun Ram, who have expressed their desire or passion to play for India, but it is tough to expect them to denounce their foreign passports. Almost every other Asian country however has at least one foreigner. Really, all I wish for is a level-playing field. Either no team should be allowed to have naturalized players, or at some point in the future, we are allowed to at least feature a few players of Indian-origin in the Indian roster. For us to make a big jump forward, this has to be a part of it."

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I also briefly spoke to Bhriguvanshi, Yadwinder, Amjyot, Amrit Pal, Joginder, and Pratham Singh, all of whom were in praise of the coach and were eager to embody the philosophy of team first. "We are all starters," Yadwinder said, "Ask any of the players in the camp and they are all good enough to start for India."

Among themselves, the players noted that Amjyot had probably improved the most, while Joginder had also become a key cog in the squad.

"Previously, there was a lot more individual play in the team," said Amjyot, "I think the team is very unselfish now."

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India's Women's side has a little longer to go, a little more time to prepare, and a little more uncertainty while they wait for the next international challenge. Their big tournament is the Asian Games in Korea in September, but before that, Coach Francisco Garcia's side will have a camp at Greater Noida until May 17th, two more camps, and hopefully an exposure trip of friendly games before the tournament in September.

The Spaniard Garcia, a veteran of 20 years of coaching experience in Spain, Denmark, and Finland, was appointed India's Women's Head Coach about 10 months ago. Since then, he helped lead India to a best-ever fifth-place finish at the FIBA Asia Championship, which included a memorable overtime victory over Kazakhstan. Garcia hopes to continue the momentum looking ahead.

"The biggest challenge is to hold on to the fifth place," says Garcia, "It will not be easy because other teams like Kazakhstan or Malaysia are right on our toes. Unfortunately, the top four of Women's basketball in Asia - China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Korea - is quite set. I think we need a proper professional league in India so that our girls can get the exposure and talent to play at the high level if we are to challenge any of those teams."

Currently, several of the more recognizable faces of the Indian women's squad, such as Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Prashanti Singh, Akanksha Singh, Raspreet Sidhu, Poojamol KS, Jeena PS, and more hadn't arrived at the camp yet for various reasons. Garcia confirmed that all of them - with the exception of Anitha who will not be playing this year due to personal reasons - will be coming into camp over the next few weeks. A total of 17 girls are expected.

For now, Garcia says he's excited to continue working with the younger players to get them ready to become the next big things. "You see these girls, who are not the usual stars for India, and even they have improved their skills so much," he proudly adds.

Like Flemming's Men's squad, Garcia is also focusing on improvement at two levels for the women: defense, and more organized offense.

One of the other challenges that Garcia's team will face ahead is moving on forward as the skills and fitness of Geethu Anna Jose - the greatest player of this generation in India - start to fade. For a decade (or more), Jose had dominated Indian basketball, been a force at the Asian level too, played professionally in Australia and Thailand, and even earned trials with three WNBA teams. Jose was not at her best for India at the recent FIBA Asia Championship, but was still a force in the post at crucial moments and played a part in India's fifth-place finish. But overall, for the first time in the 'Jose era', the team didn't need her to put up monster numbers in each game, and instead, the offense was more divided than it has ever been in recent years.

"A good team has to have balance on both the inside and outside," Garcia says, "Geethu wasn't in the best shape at the championship but she still helped us a lot. After she leaves the team, we'll have a major gap in the middle and will need to find another player who can dominate the paint. But in other areas, I think that the team has enough talent."

*

After practice, both teams headed out for their afternoon break, and both would return for more in the evening. It's a grueling schedule to get the best of all the players involved in the national system and to make sure that both teams maintain or improve their current standings at the international level.

Interview: India's Head Coaches Scott Flemming & Francisco Garcia reflect on Lusofonia Games

Last week, India's senior basketball squads continued to show overall improvement at the 2014 Lusofonia Games - held at home in Goa - where they played against other nations of the Lusophone. The competition ended with glory for India's Men, as they went undefeated through the tournament and beat Angola in the Final to secure gold. The Women's squad - represented largely by an under-21 squad - shown great valiance against more successful African teams but had to settle for bronze.

India's Senior Men - led by Head Coach Scott Flemming (formerly of the NBDL Texas Legends) - defeated Guinea Bissau and Angola in the preliminary round before getting past Cape Verde in the semi-final and beating Angola once more in the tournament's Final. It was a real achievement for India especially to defeat the much-higher ranked Angola and Mozambique. Angola are African champs, and although they sent a mostly under-23 side, India's performances were nevertheless extremely impressive.

The Women's division in the tournament only featured four teams in a round robin competition and India were led by experienced Spanish Head Coach Francisco Garcia. India dominated Macau easily in their first contest, but were blown out by eventual-champs Mozambique in Game 2. India stayed neck to neck against Angola in their final game but Angola made all the right plays in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Mozambique eventually ended up as Women's champions.

I interviewed both Flemming and Garcia after the teams' performances in Goa, and about looking forward to India's international competitions ahead.

Hoopistani: What were your expectations going into this tournament? Do you feel that you achieved them?

Flemming: I wasn’t familiar with the Lusofonia Games until about six weeks ago. At first I did not know what to expect but as I heard more about the teams involved I knew it would be a very competitive tournament. It was difficult because we had limited preparation time. Because of the circumstances our training was restricted to short sessions during the Savio Cup where most of the players were involved practicing and playing with their club teams. Fortunately, nine of the players had been with me in training camps the previous year. Although we always play to win every game I believe our primary goal was to earn a medal coming into the tournament. By winning all of our games against some strong African teams and receiving the Gold Medal I believe we probably exceeded the expectations of most people.

Garcia: Our expectations were to check what young players could compete at the international level and give them exposure. I feel that, despite the loss, we should have fought more against Mozambique. But in the rest of the games, the girls played well. We led against Angola-Under 23 for 35 minutes, and it was just stamina and lack of experience in key moments that lost us the silver medal. The Angola team were African U20 champions three years ago, they were senior champions last summer, and will play in the FIBA World Cup this year. Even the FIBA Commissioner at the game came to congratulate me for the job with the kids, and when I told him that they were under 21, he put his hands on head and was shocked! So I think we got what we were looking for and even a Bronze medal for the kids is a great memory. It was a very positive experience.

Hoopistani: India doesn't have as much experience going against teams outside of Asia - how were you able to prepare them tactically for this new challenge?

Flemming: Most of these players had played in the FIBA ABCs in August. I believe we were able to use those losses and wins to better prepare for these teams. Because of previous training together we were able to mix up our defenses and that definitely helped us to be competitive. Our players also did a great job of following our game plans that we put together from scouting the teams during the tournament.

Hoopistani: India fielded a junior squad in the Women's division - which young players impressed you the most? Who has the best chance at breaking into the senior team?

Garcia: It was great to see how Poojamol KS and Priti Kumari (both 17 years old) competed face to face against older and more experienced players. Jeena PS and Shireen Limaye showed expected standards of leadership. Overall, all the girls played at a good level. If they keep working hard, some of them will have the chance for the senior team. The experience of veteran girls plus the the energy of youngsters will make a good mix.

Hoopistani: You've been getting more familiar with the Indian squad now and your star players. Who would you say were the standout performers in Goa?

Flemming: If you watch our team play it has been a pattern for different players to step up every game. Unfortunately, that can mean that we have players that need to be more consistent in their play. It also means we have many players that are capable of making a big impact on a game. Although we are still a very young team our veterans, if you can call them that, like Vishesh [Bhriguvanshi] and Yadu [Yadwinder Singh] played a big role for us. Joginder [Singh] hit some big time shots, especially the three’s at the end of the Gold Medal game. Amjyot [Singh] played a key role even with a broken nose in the last 2 games. Pratham [Singh] has become one of our most consistent players on both ends of the floor. I could go on with others. We really have to do it as a team in order to beat these kind of opponents.

Hoopistani: What was the toughest game for you?

Garcia: Mozambique. They brought the same senior team that will compete in the FIBA World Cup in September. It was an experienced and professional side, and most of them play together in the same team with the same coach at the club level, so you get the feel that they have played together on the court for a long time. They were great athletically also.

Hoopistani: Give me one moment - on or off the court - that you will most remember from the Lusofonia Games.

Flemming: Two things come to my mind. One is the standing room only crowd in the Gold Medal game chanting 'I-N-D-I-A' at a high volume. They really were the 6th man. The second thing was the look on my player’s faces after we won the last game. That made it all worthwhile. They all thanked me after the game but it was really more about them. They have been through a lot to get to this point.

Garcia: The happiest moment for me was to see the kids in the podium getting their medals. Their faces meant everything. They really enjoy this sport. It was amazing.

Hoopistani: What lessons will you take from this tournament as you prepare for the national team for the Asian Games and other major competitions ahead?

Flemming: There are a few things we are learning. I believe our players are finally realizing you have to take care of the basketball and limit the turnovers to beat strong teams. This has been a weakness in the past and hopefully this will continue to be an area of improvement. The players are also buying in to the kind of defensive intensity that I am expecting. Overall we were very good defensively during the Lusofonia Games. It is still obvious that the physical strength of our players needs great improvement. At times we were pushed around easily by the big bodies of the Angola players, which resulted in a big rebounding disadvantage. We will try to continue to address all of these areas going forward.

Garcia: Now after the successes for Indian basketball at the FIBA ABC and in these games, as our Men's team won the competition, it is time to make some steps to move ahead, and the people who have the capacity to take these steps have to work on it. Improved Strength and conditioning is a must, we need professional leagues for men and women, and good facilities for practice. All these things together will help the growth of Indian basketball even more. I think we have shown a good performance lately in international competitions and players deserve clearly the best conditions that they can be given for them to keep improving.

India win Men's Basketball Gold at Goa's Lusofonia Games; Women bag bronze medal

Now, we're getting somewhere!

India started their 2014 international basketball calendar in spectacular fashion, as the Senior Men's National team defeated Angola in a thrilling contest at the Final of the 3rd Lusofonia Games Basketball Tournament, held at the Goa University Complex in Taleigao, Goa on January 27th. The win capped a successful, undefeated run for the Indian team who defended their home turf in style to defeat the favoured African champions. India's Women's team - comprising mostly of under-21 players - finished with a bronze medal. Mozambique won Women's gold.

The Lusofonia Games are organized by the ACOLOP (Associação dos Comités Olímpicos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa). Because of Goa's historical Portuguese influence, India is an associate member of the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking countries) and participated in these games. 12 countries from four continents are taking part in nine different sports this year. The basketball tournament at the Games was held from January 23-27, featuring six teams in the Men's division and four for the Women. India entered the competition officially under the 'Goa-India' banner with Lusofonia rules requiring that a certain percentage of India's national team comprise of players from the state of Goa

Led by Head Coach Scott Flemming, India came into the Finals undefeated in the tournament and after already sneaking past Angola once in the group stage. Angola - ranked 15th in the FIBA World Rankings - are Africa's most successful basketball team and most recent FIBA Africa Champions. They sent a mostly Under-23 side for the Lusofonia Games, but India's performances was nevertheless extremely impressive. India are ranked down at 61 in the FIBA rankings and fielded a tweaked senior squad featuring a couple of Goa players to fulfill the tournament's criteria.

Both teams started slow on the offensive end in the Men's Final, and India - playing without veteran point guard Sambhaji Kadam was missed the finale to injury - held on to a slim four point lead at halftime. Angola came storming back in the third quarter to outscore India by 23-16 and take a three-point advantage going into the fourth. The final period, played in front of a large cheering crowd, saw India make a heroic comeback to take the lead and then hold to deliver a 77-70 victory. For a squad marred with a history of late-game nervousness, it was a remarkable, clutch performance. Guard Joginder Singh led India with 18 points while captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi added 17, including a last minute dagger three. Angola's star Edson Mdoniema was the leading scorer with 23 for the silver-medalists.

Earlier in the day, another strong African side Mozambique defeated Cape Verde 56-37 to win the Men's Bronze Medal.

India were placed in Group B for the Men's Preliminary Round along with Guinea Bissau and Angola. India started off the tournament with confidence as they blazed past Guinea Bissau in the first game, displaying incredible defensive intensity to hold their opponents to just 18 points in the first half and cruising to a 82-48 win.

India played Angola next, and continued their form to take a 15 point lead early in the game and an 18-point advantage at halftime. Angola began to chip away at the lead after the halftime break, and came within a single possession to India in the game's last minutes. Fortunately, India were able to hold on to their nerves and end with a 78-75 victory. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi scored a game high 23 points. Angola's leading scorers were the duo of Santos Hermeniecnldo (17) and Lucas Edmir (16).

The semi-finals were next, held on Republic Day in India, against Cape Verde. It was a see-saw battle as the two teams exchanged several leads and were tied at 43 by the end of the third quarter. India finally found their shooting touch in the crucial fourth period while staying sharp on the defensive end to run away to a 67-52 win. Angola won the Men's other semi-final over Mozambique.

In a rematch of the group stage, India once again survived to clinch the basketball gold in the Final. "This was an opportunity to do something that may never come around again for a long time," said India's Head Coach Scott Flemming, "We were able to win a gold medal competing in an international tournament in our own country. I am really proud of these players. It was a great team effort."

The Women's basketball tournament didn't feature a knockout stage, but was decided between the four teams (India, Angola, Mozambique, Macau) in a round-robin league. India's young side - playing without experienced senior players and led mostly by under-21 talents - were led by Head Coach Francisco Garcia.

One of the biggest bright young talents in India is Kerala's Jeena PS, and she showed why with a dominating 26 point performance in India's opening game win against Macau. India took a massive 39-10 lead early and never slowed down. Firing from all cylinders, India raced to an easy 110-45 victory. Priti Kumari (17) and Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi (16) added to India's scoring onslaught.

Angola and Mozambique were both finalists in the recent FIBA Africa Women's championship, and were both next on India's schedule. Dongue Leia of Mozambique scored 25 points to lead her team to an early lead over India which turned into a blowout by halftime. Mozambique came out as 92-46 victors.

India's final game was against Angola, and the young girls were determined to finish the tournament with a flourish. Led by Poojamol KS - who had a game-high 22 - India stayed neck to neck with Angola for the first three quarters, and were only down by one before the start of the final period. But Angola made all the right plays in the fourth to extend their lead and survive to notch a 66-58 victory. Merciana Fernandes scored 17 to lead the Angolan side.

Mozambique were the strongest women's squad and finished the tournament undefeated at top to secure the gold, while Angola got the silver medal and India had to settle for bronze.

Francisco Garcia, the Coach of India's Women, said, "We played good matches against Macau and Angola. I think against Mozambique we should have been tougher, but overall, really happy with the team’s performance because we were close to the silver medal and we were the youngest team in the competition."

The Basketball Federation of India's (BFI) CEO congratulated both the squads for their performance. "The hard work and training has paid of for Team Goa-India. They have made the country proud and have given India a new milestone in the game of basketball to remember."

Photo Credit: Ekalavyas.com

Get detailed results of the tournament via the BFI website here. More in-depth match reports and interviews with Coach Scott Flemming and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi can be found on Ekalavya Posts.

India's participation in the tournament provided the teams with some much needed practice and exposure. This year, while Men and Women Under-18 teams will play in the U18 FIBA Asia Championships, the Senior squads may also have a chance to participate in the basketball tournament at the 17th Asian Games, set to be held in Incheon, Korea from September 20 - October 3.

Lusofonia Games Basketball Final Standings

Men

• 1. India
  
• 2. Angola
  
• 3. Mozambique
  

Women

• 1. Mozambique
  
• 2. Angola
  
• 3. India
  

Basketball Tournament at Lusofonia Games begins: India's rosters, schedule, & preview

And just when we least expected it, India's back on the scene for some international basketball action!

In what is a new addition to India's basketball calendar, the men and women senior teams will be participating as hosts in the basketball tournament at the 3rd Lusofonia Games. The Games are being held from January 18-29th, with the basketball tournament scheduled from January 23-27th. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is also providing technical support at the event.

The Lusofonia Games are organized by the ACOLOP (Associação dos Comités Olímpicos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa). Because of Goa's historical Portuguese influence, India is an associate member of the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking countries) and will participates in these games. 12 countries from four continents are taking part in nine different sports this year.

The basketball tournament is slated to be held at the Goa University Complex in Taleigao. India's Men's Head Coach Scott Flemming recently commented that the new basketball arena here is the best he has seen in India. Flemming will lead the Men's team and Spanish Coach Francisco Garcia will be at the helm of India's Senior Women. Both squads trained with the probables over the last week at the Don Bosco High School in Mathunga, Mumbai.

On Wednesday, BFI announced the final rosters for both teams representing India. India is entering the competition under the 'Goa-India' banner with Lusofonia rules requiring that a certain percentage of India's national team comprise of players from the state of Goa.

Here are the teams participating in Lusofonia Games basketball tournament:

Men

Group A: Cape Verde, Mozambique, Macau (China).
Group B: India, Angola, Guinea Bissau.

Women: India, Angola, Mozambique, Macau (China).

India's basketball teams for Lusofonia Games

Men

• Amjyot Singh (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Amrit Pal Singh (ONGC)
  
• Riken Pethani (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Joginder Singh (Services)
  
• Pratham Singh (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (ONGC)
  
• Yadwinder Singh (ONGC)
  
• Narender Grewal (Services)
  
• Palpreet Singh (Punjab)
  
• Sambhaji Kadam (Services)
  
• Daley Fernandes (Goa)
  
• Lambart Godiho (Goa)
  
• Head Coach: Scott Flemming
  
• Coach: Prasad Rama Linga
  

Women

• Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi (Railways/Tamil Nadu) 
• Stefy Nixon (Kerala) 
• Jeena PS (Kerala) 
• Smruthi Radhakrishman (Railways) 
• Poojamol KS (Kerala)
• Neenumol PS (Kerala) 
• Sharanjeet Kaur (Chhattisgarh) 
• Priti Kumari (Madhya Pradesh) 
• Ishwari Pingle (Tamil Nadu) 
• Shireen Limaye (Maharashtra) 
• Nelvie Mendes (Goa) 
• Kezia Fernandes (Goa) 
• Head Coach: Francisco Garcia
• Coach: Divya Singh

,
Lusofonia Games Basketball - India's Group Stage Schedule

Men

• January 23 - 6:00 PM - India vs. Guinea Bissau.
  
• January 25 - 6:00 PM - Angola vs. India.
  

The two best teams from each group will qualify for the Men's Semi-Finals, which will be held on January 26th. The Finals are scheduled on January 27th.

Women

• January 24 - 4:00 PM - India vs. Macau (China).
  
• January 25 - 4:00 PM - India vs. Mozambique.
  
• January 26 - 2:00 PM - Angola vs. India.
  

The Women's competition is only a round robin, so the team with the best record after three games each will win the gold.

Apart from the new names joining the two teams to fill in the Goa quota, it seems that India is sending mostly full strength squads for both Men and Women divisions. Senior Men regulars like Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Amjyot Singh, Amrit Pal Singh, Yadwinder Singh, and the veteran Sambhaji Kadam will be joined by several rising talents like Palpreet Singh and Narender Grewal. The Women's squad is much younger, without the dominant veterans like Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Prashanti Singh, or Akanksha Singh. Instead, it'll be up to a more youthful crop of talent led by Jeena PS, Poojamol KS, Smruthi Radhakrishnan, Sharanjeet Kaur, and Shireen Limaye to lead the way.

India shouldn't have any trouble against Guinea Bissau in the Men's team first game, but they will be challenged by Angola, who are Africa's most successful team and current FIBA Africa Champions. From Group A, India will probably face the toughest challenge from another African side, Mozambique.

Angola and Mozambique were the finalists in the most recent FIBA Africa Women's Championship, too, and both are ranked above India's Women in the FIBA World rankings. The game against Macau is winnable for India, but they will have to play at a much higher level to defeat the African nations.

BFI announces India's Senior basketball team probables for Lusofonia Games

Because there is some historical Portuguese influence - particularly in the state of Goa - India is an associate member of the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking countries). Together with other nations of the CCLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) like Portugal, Brazil, and many more. Every few years, the ACOLOP (Associação dos Comités Olímpicos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa) holds the Lusofonia Games. This year, the 3rd Lusofonia Games, are scheduled to be held in Goa from January 18-29th.

12 countries from four continents will take part in nine different sports. One of them is basketball, and the hoops tournament at the Games will be held from January 23-27.

The Games were originally planned to be held in 2013, but was postponed and moved to January 2014 dates.

The countries participating in the Lusofonia Games are: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea, India, and Sri Lanka.

India, as hosts, will be looking to defend their home turf in both the Men's and Women's divisions in the basketball tournament at the Games. In preparation, the BFI has announced 17 probables for each team to undergo a training camp from January 10-18 at the Don Bosco Matunga in Mumbai. Several names announced in the list of probables were Goan, leading to the BFI denying allegations of a Goan quota for the final teams. The popular Savio Cup basketball tournament will also be taking part at the venue during this time, so a lot of probables will also be actively participating and gaining exposure in one of India's most prestigious club championships.

India's foreign coaches Scott Flemming (Men) and Francisco Garcia (Women) will be leading the two squads. Indian international star Divya Singh will be playing the role of Assistant Coach for the Women's team this time. Women's superstars Geethu Anna Jose and Anitha Paul Durai haven't been selected for this camp, probably to rest them and give an opportunity to younger Women's stars.

Here are India's probables for the Lusofonia Games Basketball Tournament:

Men

• Amjyot Singh (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Amrit Pal Singh (ONGC)
  
• Riken Pethani (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Joginder Singh (Services)
  
• Pratham Singh (IOB/Tamil Nadu)
  
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (ONGC)
  
• Yadwinder Singh (ONGC)
  
• Narender Grewal (Services)
  
• Palpreet Singh (Punjab)
  
• Sambhaji Kadam (Services)
  
• Vinay Kaushik (Delhi)
  
• Prakash Mishra (Railways)
  
• Loveneet Singh (Punjab)
  
• Basil Philip (Kerala)
  
• Daley Fernandes (Goa)
  
• Lambart Godiho (Goa)
  
• Amish Jain (Goa) - Stand-by
  
• Head Coach: Scott Flemming
  
• Coach: Prasad Rama Linga
  

Women

• Poonam Chaturvedi (Chhattisgarh)
• Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi (Railways/Tamil Nadu)
• Stefy Nixon (Kerala)
• Jeena PS (Kerala) 
• Smruthi Radhakrishman (Railways) 
• Poojamol KS (Kerala) 
• Neenumol PS (Kerala) 
• Sharanjeet Kaur (Chhattisgarh) 
• Priti Kumari (Madhya Pradesh) 
• Ishwari Pingle (Tamil Nadu) 
• Shireen Limaye (Maharashtra) 
• Sangeeta Kaur (Chhattisgarh) 
• Anjana PG (Kerala) 
• Madhu Kumari (Delhi) 
• Nelvie Mendes (Goa) 
• Kezia Fernandes (Goa) 
• Michelle (Goa) - Stand-by
• Head Coach: Francisco Garcia
  
• Coach: Divya Singh
  

Outside of Brazil (who will probably not sent a strong team for this) and perhaps Macau, there isn't likely to be any other big challenge to India in the basketball tournament, so the Young Cagers could seriously be aiming for a medal finish.

The other sports at the Lusofonia games in Goa are Athletics, Football, Judo, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, and Wushu. Also, if you're into that sort of thing, the mascot for the Lusofonia Games in Goa is 'JOJO The Majestic Rooster'. Yup.