Hoopdarshan 106: Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak on Mizoram hoops and North Park University

Earlier this month, Mizoram teenager Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak, announced his commitment to the North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, becoming the latest in the line of student-athletes from the NBA Academy India to take their talents to the USA. In Episode 106 of Hoopdarshan, Chhakchhuak joins co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss what made him choose North Park, the growing popularity of Mizo Basketball, and how he plans to elevate his game to the next level. 

A resident of Aizawl, Chhakchhuak first participated in the 2017-18 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme before joining NBA Academy India in 2018 as a part of the Academy’s second class of student-athletes identified through the ACG-NBA Jump programme.

 Kaushik and Karan close this episode with a little preview of the NBA Conference Finals, with a couple of big questions for the two series that loom ahead.

 

Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Zarkawt BCA win season 5 of Mizoram Super League in Aizawl

2018 was the year of Zarkawt BCA in the Mizoram Super League. Two editions of India's most-fanatically-supported basketball league were held in the calendar year, and both times, it was Zarkawt who emerged as champions. Their most recent victory came as they closed out their opponents Tuikual South BC 2-1 in the three-game Finals series, winning the clincher in Aizawl 82-68 on Friday, December 14 at the Hawla Indoor Stadium. Mizo superstar Lalrina Renthlei was again named leagued MVP.

The MSL Finals were held in Aizawl from December 10-14. Zarkawt dominated Game 1 to win 100-77; Tuikual South bounced back in a close Game 2 finish, 95-93; and Zarkawt clinched the series in Game 3, 82-68.

Season 5 of the MSL tipped off on October 23 this year and featured six teams: Tuikual South BC, Zarkawt BCA, Vikings, Zarkawt Serpents, Khatla TBA Basketball, and Bethlehem Basketball Club.

Hoopdarshan Episode 71: Mizoram basketball superstar Lalrina Renthlei on the MSL and hoops in the North-East

With the finals of the fifth season of India's most-extra basketball event - the Mizoram Basketball League (MSL) - in our sights, Hoopdarshan welcomes Mizo basketball's biggest star and last season's MVP Lalrina Renthlei as our special guest for Episode 71. In a wide-ranging interview, Renthlei speaks to hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about the MSL's growth, basketball in the North-East, toggling between pro basketball and snooker, and his ambitions to play for India's national team.

Lalrina Renthlei (27) is the biggest star out of Mizoram basketball. He is the top player of the MSL, and was famously the first Mizo to dunk int he league. Earlier this year, he became only the second Mizo player to make India's national team probables in 13 years. He also played in the 3BL league for Bengaluru and took part in the Hyderabad World Tour Masters. Aside from basketball, Renthlei is an accomplished snooker professional as well.

Episode 71 also rounds up recent Indian basketball news, with shout-outs to Tim Hardaway, Sanjana Ramesh, Amjyot Singh, and the NBA/WNBA inspirations of India's top players.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan