India win 2016 SABA Qualifiers in Bengaluru and qualify for FIBA Asia Challenge

Once again, Team India proved to be in a class of their own at the South Asian level. With three convincing victories from July 6-8, India steamrolled through opponents from Nepal, Maldives, and Bangladesh to a perfect 3-0 record at the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) qualifiers and clinched their qualification for the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. India hosted the qualifiers at Bengaluru's Sri Kantaveera Stadium this week.

Captained by big man Amrit Pal Singh with head coach Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph calling the shots from the sidelines, India showed no hitch or hint of letdown against teams from neighbouring nations. The three victories were notched up by an impressive average margin of 48 points each.

India's campaign to qualify for the FIBA Asia Challenge got underway on Wednesday, July 6 against Nepal, who eventually staked their claim as the second-best team at the tournament. India started in the best way possible, on a 17-0 run and holding on to a 23-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter. While Nepal showed considerable improvement in the second period, India did just enough after halftime to post an insurmountable lead and notch a 81-53 victory.

India had a major size advantage in Game 2 against Maldives on Thursday, and despite some inconsistencies and unforced errors, they again started off on fire (23-5) and held a comfortable 37 point lead at halftime. India remained on cruise control in the second half and a fourth-quarter flurry saw them extend the lead to a huge, 96-40 win.

India took no chances in the final win against Bangladesh on Friday, July 8, putting up their best defensive performance of the tournament en route to a 95-35 victory. India outscored Bangladesh by double digits in each quarter. Experienced guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi was India's leading scorer with 16.

Final Rankings

• 1. India [3-0]
• 2. Maldives [1-2] (+10)
• 3. Nepal [1-2](+6)
• 4. Bangladesh [1-2] (-16)

The trophies and medals were distributed by Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Transport of Government of Karnataka. The other chief guests included Pramod Madhwaraj (Karnataka's Minister for Fisheries & Youth Services) Priyank Kharge (Minister of Karnataka for IT & BT Tourism, K Govindaraj, MLC (Karnataka) & President of Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and Chander Mukhi Sharma, Secretary General of BFI.

India will be thrilled to see the team play in some international games and get a feel for the system and each other before the bigger upcoming international challenges. The likes of Amrit Pal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, and Yadwinder Singh will have to continue to be positive influences for the team, while the enigmatic point guard TJ Sahi returned to the squad in style. Youngsters like Arshpreet Bhullar and Ravi Bhardwaj made their national team debut, and India saw some impressive performances by Karnataka's Arvind Arumugam, too. The biggest name missing from this list is of Amjyot Singh, India's superstar forward who is currently playing in Japan and hopes to return to the national team by the time the FIBA Asia Challenge begins.

This was India's fourth win in the last five edition of the SABA Qualifiers. The 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge is set to be held in Tehran, Iran, from September 9-18. It is the second step in the qualification process for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, which will be the first continental cup that will see participants from both Asia and Oceania. The FIBA Asia Cup (starting in 2017) was previously known as the FIBA Asia Championship and the FIBA Asia Challenge (starting in 2016) was previously known as the FIBA Stankovic / Asia Cup.

Indian School Basketball League is set to tip off in 16 states across India in August 2016

After a gap of one year, India's biggest official school basketball tournament - the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) is set to make a return to 16 states around the country from August 2016. In a special press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) announced that this season's ISBL will play out approximately 1,856 matches over a 2-3 month period, culminating in a National Finals to be held in one of the participating states/cities. The 2016 season will only feature the ISBL; the Indian College Basketball League (ICBL) continues to face its hiatus for now.

In a press conference headed by President K Govindaraj, Secretary-General Chander Mukhi Sharma, and Senior Vice President Teja Singh Dhaliwal, the BFI announced that the 2016 edition will create a structured, self-sustaining, pan-India School League, which will serve as the platform to increase organised basketball participation at grassroots level and subsequently become a talent development/feeder system for the Indian National Teams. Eventually, the aim is for this league to also become a talent development platform for the future Professional Basketball League in India. This decision was taken after the Steering Committee of the BFI met on July 6 to finalize the details of the league.

Participating States in the 2016 ISBL: Punjab, Chandigarh. Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram.

In each state, 12 to 16 teams for each gender will be divided into four groups (in 2014, 24 cities took part). For some states, this year of the league will focus on teams from just one city, while others will bring in talent from many different cities in the state. Each team will play home-and-away system within their own group. The top 2 teams from each group will play a State Final, and the winner will eventually be invited to the National Championship. The prize money is set at Rs. 1 lakh in each participating state.

In a press release, the BFI announced that creating a hierarchical system of basketball participation that starts with the school leagues will be key to the long-term growth of basketball across India. To ensure the sustenance of the leagues, it is imperative to start small, focusing on the high basketball potential cities, perfecting the operations while showing its value and potential to the community, and then slowly transitioning to pan India leagues which include newer basketball cities. The leagues will also serve a vital role in development of school basketball infrastructure and ancillary basketball disciplines as programs will be implemented to develop all areas of the game through this platform.

The 'bottom up' approach is of course different from the UBA Basketball League, who brought together interested players from All India College Championships to a quick launch and are already in their third season. The BFI, who have recently barred UBA players from participating in official national/international basketball events, are taking the big picture, long-term approach to build their way up to a professional league in India. But the start-stop nature and unreliability stemming from BFI's recent conflicts have slowed this process even further. Hopefully, the launch of this massive grassroots programme that the basketball in India is back on the mend from the ground up.

In the press release, the BFI also announced the implementation of the new FIBA Competition System, and the tentative schedules for future national basketball championships. The 33rd Youth National Basketball Championship will be held in Hassan (Karnataka) in November 2016 and the 67th Senior National Basketball Championship will be in Pondicherry from January 7-14, 2017.

Five decades of Kerala basketball veterans come together for REBOUND 2016 in Kochi

More than 200 veteran basketball players from five decades of basketball in the state came together for a massive mix of hoops and nostalgia last weekend in Kochi. The city's Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium hosted REBOUND 2016, the first-of-its-kind veteran basketball event, in Kochi on July 2-3. REBOUND 2016 featured basketball matches, visits by legendary players of the state, three-point and free-throw competitions, and a special dinner event for the guests.

2016 is also the 125th "birthday of basketball" after the game was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. This REBOUND platform marked the beginning of a deliberate action plan to help the sport progress in the state and country.

Attendants and participants at REBOUND 2016 included Unwin J Antony, Mohammed Iqbal, CV Sunny, Sunny Thomas, VV Harilal, TK Sheshadri, Leelamma Thomas, Jeena PS, Giji Biju, Ancy Mathew, Molly Mathew, Sheebama, Renny Harilal, Emily Mathew, Indulekha, and also coaches like Bevin Chacko, Prem Kumar, PC Anthony, and Dimal C Mathew. Arguably the most popular person in attendance on day 1 was hon. High Court Justice AM Shafeeque, former basketball player, was also in attendance.

On Sunday, July 3, SFS Tigers anchored by former international Unwin J Antony took the Men's title, defeating Eastern Bulldogs in an exciting final 31-29. In the Women's section, the Dynamos led by Jenna PS and Leelamma beat the Choice Mermaids 25-11 to win the title.

REBOUND also congratulated Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph and CV Sunny for being named coaches of India's national team at SABA Qualifiers in Bengaluru.

India to host South Asia Qualifiers for 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Bengaluru: Full Roster and Preview

Over the past year and a half, Karnataka's capital city Bengaluru has also become the capital of Indian Basketball, as the new executive committee of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has shifted the federation's head office down south from New Delhi. Now, once again, Bengaluru is set to play center-stage and host, as the city's famous Sri Kantaveera Stadium will host the South Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup from July 6-8. India's senior men's basketball squad, the defending champions of these qualifiers, will set out to defend their title in a round robin league format against Nepal, Bangladesh, and Maldives.

India's 12-man roster for these qualifiers has also been announced, which will be captained by Punjabi big man Amrit Pal Singh and coached by Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph. The detailed anouncements regarding this regional competition were made by BFI President K Govindaraj at a press conference held on Sunday, July 3rd at the Karnataka Olympic Association building within the Kanteerava Stadium complex in the city.

After the round-robin tournament, the team with the best record at the end of this championship will progress from the South Asian region to the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge scheduled for 9th to 18th September in Tehran, Iran. A round robin tournament is when each team will face every other team in the tournament once, and the final standings will be based on win/loss statistics. The South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) serves as a sub-zone qualifier for the FIBA Asia Challenge.

The 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge is the second step in the qualification process for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, which will be the first continental cup that will see participants from both Asia and Oceania. The FIBA Asia Cup (starting in 2017) was previously known as the FIBA Asia Championship and the FIBA Asia Challenge (starting in 2016) was previously known as the FIBA Stankovic / Asia Cup. These changes were decided on at the second meeting of the 2014-19 FIBA Asia Central Board which took place in New Delhi on 30th-31st January 2016.

India has won three of the last four editions of these qualifiers, with Bangladesh scoring a victory in 2013 when India did not participate.

Tentative Fixtures (Subject to Change)

• July 6: India vs. Nepal - 5 PM
• July 6: Bangladesh vs. Maldives - 6.30 PM
• July 7: Nepal vs. Bangladesh - 5 PM
• July 7: Maldives vs. India - 6:30 PM
• July 8: Maldives vs. Nepal - 4:30 PM
• July 7: India vs. Bangladesh - 6 PM

"From accommodation to the indoor playing facility, all the arrangements have been made for the players and coaches to ensure a successful conduct of the event," said Govindraj, "Additionally, entry is free because we want to encourage youngsters to come and watch the matches."

India’s training camp had begun at Kanteerava, Bengaluru on 22nd June with 30 players, and the final selections were made on 26th June. The Indian squad will feature a mixture of youth and experience, and captained by center Amrit Pal Singh, who has returend from winning Japan's NBDL championship with Toyko Excellence. Also returning to the Indian team is guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, ONGC veteran forward Yadwinder Singh, high energy point guard Talwinderjit Singh 'TJ' Sahi, and guard Arjun Singh. Other familiar faces are guard Akilan Pari, centre Rikin Pethani (both Income Tax, Chennai), Basil Philip (Central Customs & Excise, Kochi), power forward Arvind Arumugam (Vijaya Bank, Bengaluru) and center Aravind Annadurai (Indian Overseas Bank, Chennai). Promising shooter Arshpreet Bhullar (Punjab) and big man Ravi Bhardwaj (Chandigarh) will make their senior team debut at this tournament. Missing from this tournament will be India's star player Amjyot Singh, who is currently in Japan.

Team India for SABA Qualifying Round 2016

• Arshpreet Singh Bhullar (Punjab)
• Arjun Singh (ONGC)
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (ONGC)
• Amrit Pal Singh (ONGC) - Captain
• Basil Philip (Customs and Central Excise)
• Rikin Pethani (Income Tax)
• Aravind Annadurai (IOB)
• Arvind Arumugam (Vijaya Bank)
• Ravi Bhardwaj (Chandigarh)
• Akilan Pari (Income Tax)
• TJ Sahi (Punjab)
• Head Coach: Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph
• Assistant Coach: CV Sunny

Hoopdarshan Episode 32: Akanksha Singh speaks up for basketball in India

In Episode number 32 of India's finest basketball podcast Hoopdarshan, star international point guard Akanksha Singh joins hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to speak up for the problems in Indian basketball. One of Varanasi's famed 'Singh Sisters', Akanksha candidly discusses how the BFI split is hurting Indian players, the growing popularity of Women's basketball in India, and dealing with her creepiest fans.

Born in Varanasi, Akanksha Singh (27) has already enjoyed a run as an experienced veteran point guard for India and Delhi state and represented the country regularly in international contests at the FIBA Asia or South Asian stage. Aside from our interview with Akanksha, Kaushik and Karan also recap the NBA Finals in great detail, give their hot takes about the NBA Draft, and look forward to free agency.



Hoopdarshan aims to be the true 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 

Federation-League Basketball Drama: BFI won't allow UBA participants to represent India in national / international teams

In a division that recalls the BCCI/ICL Cricket rift almost a decade ago, playing or taking part in 'unauthorized' basketball events in India is going to cost you an opportunity to represent India's national teams. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) sent a circular last week clearly stating that any players, coaches, officials, and technical staff taking part in any unauthorized basketball events in India will be ineligible to participate in national/international events in any capacity. These 'unauthorized events' include the rapidly-growing UBA Basketball League, which features several players with international experience or on the cusp of the national team.

The BFI, who are the governing body of basketball in India and are affiliated with FIBA (the international basketball federation) sent the circular titled 'Non-Participation in Unaffiliated Events / Competitions / Leagues' to all presidents/secretaries of affiliated BFI units around the country on June 26. The circular clearly warns the presidents/secretaries from ensuring that their players/officials do not participate in any unaffiliated basketball events in the country:

Therefore it is requested to all of you that please ensure no player, coach, official, or technical staff of your state should participates [sic] in any unaffiliated basketball events / competitions / leagues etc. If any player, coach, official, or technical staff participate [sic] in any unauthorized/unapproved event, he/she will not be eligible to participate in any National and/or International Event, in any capacity (as per the FIBA Statutes & Internal Regulations "Players who participate in professional leagues must be registered with organizations which are affiliated to a national member federation; otherwise they will not be able to participate in the Competitions of FIBA.") Under the FIBA Statutes & Internal Regulations, Rules and Regulations pertaining to National Events fall under the responsibility of the Basketball Federation of India. Hence it is requested to you to please ensure that any player, coach or official do not [sic] participate in any unauthorized event/competition/league.
If any event/competition/league (including the UBA) is authorized by the BFI, it will be communicated to you immediately.

The circular was sent from the desk of BFI President K Govindraj and signed by Secretary-General Chander Mukhi Sharma.

The BFI is not wrong in following the rules of the FIBA Statutes: the UBA, which has completed its first two seasons over the last two years, hasn't yet been authorized, and thus, will be considered unaffiliated for BFI or FIBA events.

But it is the BFI's decision to authorize the UBA, and if they refuse to do it, several young players, coaches, referees and more will be effected. There is little money in basketball in India. The BFI itself has failed in launching their own professional basketball league. The UBA's existence has made it possible for players etc. to seek professional basketball opportunities and make a deserving salary from the game. But now, seeking that salary will effect their chances at the ultimate goal: representing their state or their country at official national and international events.

UBA's Season 3 is set to begin on July 15, and the league will feature several experienced or promising male players in Indian basketball. Players in the national team circuit like Narender Grewal, Joginder Singh, Akilan Pari, Vinay Kaushik, and Gurvinder Singh Gill played in Season 2 of the UBA League, while big name coaches like Prasanna Jayasankar, Shiba Maggon, and more took charge on the bench. Some of these players, like Joginder and Narender from Services, were invited to the BFI's national coaching camp before the circular went out, but either chose to not join the camp or were told by their units not to. The BFI circular takes a stand that if any others participate in Season 3, they will not be allowed to return to participate national/international events for India.

Joginder Singh, who was India's starting point guard for our memorable triumph over China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup, played for the Hyderabad Sky in the UBA's second season. He refused to comment on the BFI's latest circular, but he did show concern for his future. "I just want to play basketball," he told me. "But if circumstances stop me from playing, then what can I do?"

The BFI had released a similar circular a year ago when the UBA League had first launched, but this time around, they have clarified the definition of 'unaffiliated events', and directly addressed the UBA.

A professional basketball league could revolutionize hoops in India. The BFI's much-anticipated league continues to be delayed, and with no professional options, I do not blame players from seeking to play for short-term, smaller leagues like the UBA. The UBA Basketball League isn't perfect, but it is certainly a good option and it fills in an extremely important void in Indian basketball. It is a pity, then, that players making the most of this opportunity will be penalized or forced to choose between country or a pro-league.

Indian official Naresh Aneja nominated by FIBA for Rio Olympics Basketball Event

Despite our far-fetched dreams, India's basketball teams won't be playing in the Olympics anytime soon. But the good news is that there will certainly be a major Indian presence at basketball biggest international stage in Rio de Janeiro next month.

Naresh Aneja, one of the most respected basketball referees and commissioners in India and worldwide, has been nominated by FIBA (the world's governing body for basketball) to be one of eight jury members who will represent FIBA at the Rio Olympics 2016 in Brazil, announced the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The duties of a jury member will be to supervise officials and to provide oversight to officiating and refereeing.

The composition of the jury pool is as follows: 2 from FIBA, 2 from Europe, 1 from Asia, 1 from Oceania, 1 from Africa and 1 from the Americas.

“This is a big honor for me,” said Aneja. “I hope I can meet the expectations that FIBA has for this event.”

This is the third prominent time that an Olympic basketball event will see Indian participation. The Indian men’s team had participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics and three decades later, Snehal Bendke was a woman’s referee at the 2012 London Olympics.

Aneja is a basketball veteran who played for Delhi for 14 years and was selected for the All-Star Junior Indian Team. He has been awarded 2 medals by the President of India: The President’s Medal for Meritorious Services and the prestigious President’s Medal for Distinguished Services.

His career in officiating began in 1978. He has refereed at 14 national finals. In 1998, he took the International FIBA Referee Test and then went on to be a referee at senior men’s, women’s, U-18 and U-16 men’s games. Due to a 50-year cap on the age of active refereeing by FIBA, he undertook the FIBA Commissioner Exam, and went on to provide his expertise at the Asian Games and the FIBA Asia Championships. He has played a role in 3 Asian Games, 3 World Junior Championships and various Asian Championships. Aneja has also been asked by FIBA Asia to conduct referee clinics at various countries and has also been nominated to be a referee supervisor in the FIBA Asia Men’s, Women’s and Junior Championships.