When 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar signs a 10-day contract with the Kings on Thursday, he will become the first player of Indian descent on an NBA regular season roster, but will increase the number of countries and territories represented in the league to 38.
Bhullar’s name is also one slightly familiar to the Kings’ head coach because he’s played this season with George Karl’s son Coby in the NBA D-League on the Reno Bighorns.
“I can’t deny I know very little about him other than he’s strong,” Karl said. “Their season has been an interesting season. I’ve watched some of their games. My son is playing for their team now.
“He adds an interesting dimension to the game. Our game is becoming an international game and India is becoming maybe one of the greatest, biggest, largest democracies in the world. I think it’s a good story and hopefully we’ll find some minutes for him.”
The 22-year-old Bhullar has reportedly shed more than 50 pounds since weighing in at over 400 for his stint with the Kings in the 2014 Las Vegas NBA Summer League. He has spent this season with the Bighorns, averaging 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots in 25.8 minutes per game.
Bhullar is expected to be on the roster for the Kings next home game Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. He will replace David Wear, whose 10-day contract expires Thursday.
Raised in Toronto by Indian-born parents, Bhullar played on an AAU team with NBA players Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. He was a walk-on at New Mexico State, helping the team to consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A monumental year for Indian basketball grew even more historic on Thursday night in New York.
Satnam Singh Bhamara, a 19-year-old from the small village of Ballo Ke, Punjab, became the first Indian-born player ever selected in the NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks chose the 7-foot-2, 290-pound center with the 52nd overall pick in the 60-pick draft.
Upon hearing his name called, Singh hugged his two cousins in attendance, walked down from his seat in the Barclays Center stands and greeted Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum with a hug on stage. He walked off with tears in his eyes.
“It was awesome. He just made history, made us all proud,” said his cousin, Sunny Singh. “He put his country on the map, opened the doorways to all the kids in India that want to play basketball.”
The groundbreaking news comes less than three months after Canadian-born 22-year-old Sim Bhullar – a giant himself at 7-foot-5, 360 pounds – became the first player of Indian descent to sign an NBA contract and appear in an NBA game.
Satnam Singh said he met Bhullar, who went undrafted last June, in Sacramento and spoke to him in the days leading up to the draft. “He said, ‘Just play hard and work hard over there,’” said Singh.
His eyes still red while making the rounds with media in the minutes that followed, Singh could hardly put the moment – the culmination of a surreal journey that began when he arrived in the U.S. in September 2010 – into words.
“I feel good,” he said. “I feel excited I am now with a team that I can get a lot better [with] the next couple years.”
Singh still struggles with English, but he’s come a long way after not speaking a word of the language five years ago. At 14 and already 7 feet tall, Singh left India for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., as part of a scholarship program with 28 other Indian student-athletes.
Basketball was a natural fit considering the size that runs in his family. His father, Balbir Singh Bhamara, is 7-2, and his father’s mother is 6-9.
Balbir Singh was a farmer in Ballo Ke, which sits just east of the Pakistan border, and Satnam reportedly expected to do the same. By this past season, he’d grown into an impact center for IMG’s post-graduate basketball team, averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for a team ranked No. 2 nationally.
“I don’t think anyone expected him to be here, and he just put in the work,” Sunny said. “He struggled with English. He couldn’t really do [well] in classes at IMG, so he didn’t have the opportunity to go to college, but he kept working hard at his craft, basketball-wise. He made it. It was really difficult, but he made it.”
Satnam said his exposure to NBA basketball began about 10 years ago, when he watched Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on TV. He said he modeled his game off of Dwight Howard, Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming.
Now he has a chance to be like Yao in an even greater sense.
“I think [India] will be the next China, especially with him getting drafted,” Sunny said. “He’ll be like the next Yao Ming of India. I think India needed him to open up all the doorways for the kids out there. It is big out there, but the kids don’t have the opportunity, and I think him being here will give them the opportunity.”
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A monumental year for Indian basketball grew even more historic on Thursday night in New York.
Satnam Singh Bhamara, a 19-year-old from the small village of Ballo Ke, Punjab, became the first Indian-born player ever selected in the NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks chose the 7-foot-2, 290-pound center with the 52nd overall pick in the 60-pick draft.
Upon hearing his name called, Singh hugged his two cousins in attendance, walked down from his seat in the Barclays Center stands and greeted Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum with a hug on stage. He walked off with tears in his eyes.
“It was awesome. He just made history, made us all proud,” said his cousin, Sunny Singh. “He put his country on the map, opened the doorways to all the kids in India that want to play basketball.”
The groundbreaking news comes less than three months after Canadian-born 22-year-old Sim Bhullar – a giant himself at 7-foot-5, 360 pounds – became the first player of Indian descent to sign an NBA contract and appear in an NBA game.
Satnam Singh said he met Bhullar, who went undrafted last June, in Sacramento and spoke to him in the days leading up to the draft. “He said, ‘Just play hard and work hard over there,’” said Singh.
His eyes still red while making the rounds with media in the minutes that followed, Singh could hardly put the moment – the culmination of a surreal journey that began when he arrived in the U.S. in September 2010 – into words.
“I feel good,” he said. “I feel excited I am now with a team that I can get a lot better [with] the next couple years.”
Singh still struggles with English, but he’s come a long way after not speaking a word of the language five years ago. At 14 and already 7 feet tall, Singh left India for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., as part of a scholarship program with 28 other Indian student-athletes.
Basketball was a natural fit considering the size that runs in his family. His father, Balbir Singh Bhamara, is 7-2, and his father’s mother is 6-9.
Balbir Singh was a farmer in Ballo Ke, which sits just east of the Pakistan border, and Satnam reportedly expected to do the same. By this past season, he’d grown into an impact center for IMG’s post-graduate basketball team, averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for a team ranked No. 2 nationally.
“I don’t think anyone expected him to be here, and he just put in the work,” Sunny said. “He struggled with English. He couldn’t really do [well] in classes at IMG, so he didn’t have the opportunity to go to college, but he kept working hard at his craft, basketball-wise. He made it. It was really difficult, but he made it.”
Satnam said his exposure to NBA basketball began about 10 years ago, when he watched Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on TV. He said he modeled his game off of Dwight Howard, Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming.
Now he has a chance to be like Yao in an even greater sense.
“I think [India] will be the next China, especially with him getting drafted,” Sunny said. “He’ll be like the next Yao Ming of India. I think India needed him to open up all the doorways for the kids out there. It is big out there, but the kids don’t have the opportunity, and I think him being here will give them the opportunity.”
How desi giants Satnam Singh and Sim Bhullar crossed paths in the D-League, and their trailblazing road ahead
– by Karan Madhok / @hoopistani
Something unusual thing happened on a usual Friday night in early February in Frisco, Texas. An NBA D-League game was scheduled in town, as the hometown Texas Legends welcomed Toronto’s Raptors 905 to the Dr Pepper Arena for just another regular season game on their schedule. But the six thousand plus fans in attendance sensed something special about that night, and when the two teams hit center-court for the tip-off, the two giant young men competing for the jump-ball knew that there was much more than the possession of a basketball at stake.
On February 5, 2016, Sim Bhullar of the 905 and Satnam Singh of the Legends started against each other in a historic D-League contest. The game marked the first (and so far, only) time that two players of Indian-origin faced off against each other in an official NBA-affiliate contest. On one end was the 7-foot-5, 160 kilogram Bhullar, an Indo-Canadian who became the first Indian-origin player to play the NBA last season. On the other was the 7-foot-2, 130 kilogram Singh, who became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA in June.
Bhullar won the tip. All six thousand eyes in attendance turned with curiosity to this contest of desi giants. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away in India, many eyes were watching to see how these two trailblazers could chart the course for the future of Indians in basketball.
The similarities between Bhullar (23) and Singh (20) begin with their physical stature. Both are strong 7-foot-plus centers, brown-skinned behemoths on court with natural defensive instincts and a soft touch. Both young men are December babies, born three years apart. And both can trace their roots to small pinds in Punjab, villages in India’s north-western state that gave birth to a larger-than-life hoopin’ gene-pool.
Bhullar’s parents, originally from a village near Amritsar, immigrated to Canada in the late 1980s. Bhullar was born in Toronto, and as he grew in age and size, he also grew in basketball stature. Sim and his younger brother Tanveer (also a seven-footer) played in the Kiski School and Huntington Prep School before both (separately) headed to New Mexico State to play college ball. Bhullar’s impressive two seasons with the Aggies inspired him to declare for the 2014 NBA Draft. He wasn’t drafted, but he did get signed by the Sacramento Kings, run by the NBA’s only Indian owner, Vivek Ranadive. Bhullar played most of his first professional season with the D-League squad Reno Bighorns, but made history when he signed a 10-day contract with the Kings in the regular season to make his NBA debut. This season, Bhullar got traded to his hometown D-League squad – the 905 – where he became a regular contributor.
Singh’s humble story began in the Ballo Ke village, also in Punjab, where his father is a farmer. Despite his growth spurt, it seemed that Singh was also destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, before he was discovered and recruited to the Ludhiana Basketball Academy. Singh’s dominance for Punjab at the youth level caught the attention of the IMG Academy in Florida, USA. Singh spent the next five seasons playing for IMG while also featuring for India’s national squad during this holidays. He declared for the NBA draft last summer, and the Dallas Mavericks made him their 52nd pick in June. Singh has since played with the Mavericks’ affiliate Legends in Frisco.
Both players still have a lot more developing to do to find a steady place for themselves close to the world’s best basketball league. Bhullar, older and more experienced, improved this season, starting 27 of 39 games and averaging 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Singh, still a work-in-progress, stumbled at this new stage, only playing 19 games for the Legends and starting two. In less than eight minutes of action, he averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
One of Satnam Singh’s starts, however, was on February 5th, where he got up for a jump-ball against one of the few men in the world bigger than him, another lion of Punjab, Sim Bhullar.
Bhullar starred in the matchup, going for 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while Singh’s 6-point, 6-rebound night came from a season-high 22 minutes. The two players interacted before and after the game, no doubt brought together by their shared heritage and a shared sense of responsibility.
Another D-League season is over, and neither the Legends nor the 905 qualified for the playoffs. Now, as the fanfare settles down, where will the future take Bhullar and Singh? Both of them have to put in the work in hopes for a significant jump in their ability and production to not only stake their place on their respective D-League rosters but also raise their ambitions to make it to the NBA. For Bhullar, the hope will be to secure a full entrée after last year’s appetizer. For Singh, history beckons as he is close as any Indian citizen has been to play in the NBA.
On that Friday night in February in Frisco, it may have been just a D-League jump-ball. But as the ball went up, so did the hopes and dreams of Indian basketball. The only thing bigger than the two giants is the impact their careers could have globally, particularly to the fanbase across the oceans in India and to the Indian diaspora worldwide.
In Sikh and Hindu culture, there exists a mysterious nectar called ‘amrit’. It is a drink that can bestow immortality, turning men into Gods. In Sikh culture specifically, the amrit is the holy water used in the Amrit Sanchar baptism ceremony to induct one into the powerful religious fraternity of the Khalsa. It represents strength, brotherhood, and eternity.
Few battlegrounds better represent the Khalsa spirit than the basketball court. And with some of India’s finest basketball talents rooting from the home of Sikhism – Punjab – it’s quite natural that one of the country’s most dominant young players is now seeking the amrit for Indian Basketball immortality, too.
That young man would be 24-year-old Amrit Pal Singh. Born in the tiny village of Fattuwal in West Punjab, Amrit Pal was helping his father plough a rice field in 2010 and hadn’t ever heard the word ‘basketball’. Six years later, he became one of India’s top players, helped India defeat China, and earned a professional contract to play in the Japanese D-League.
Now, after his meteoric rise, the 6-foot-10 center Amrit Pal continues to look ahead to become the greatest player he can possibly be.
“I want to keep representing India at the highest level and I dream of making it to the NBA,” Amrit Pal said from his camp at ONGC Dehradun, the Oil-and-gas giant where he works and plays basketball in the off-season, “And I know I have to work very hard to accomplish that.”
Amrit Pal and his Punjabi international teammate Amjyot Singh became the first Indian players to play in Japan’s Summer League last season (Hyogo Impulse), and their performances earned them contracts to the Japanese D-League’s best team, the Tokyo Excellence. In their first season for the Excellence, Amrit Pal and Amjyot played a major role in the frontcourt to help the team secure a third-consecutive D-League title earlier this year.
“Japan was amazing,” Amrit Pal said of his first season in Tokyo, “Once I got adjusted to the food and the language, everything became easy. Our team finished third in the D-League season, but in the knockout stage, we made it to the Finals and defeated the top-ranked team to win the title.”
Amrit Pal and Amjyot received great encouragement from their team management and coaches in Tokyo, and Amrit Pal remains confident that they will be offered another contract with the Excellence before the next season starts in September. With a change in the Japanese basketball structure, the Excellence will now play in the ‘B’ Division in Japan, right below the top tier.
Returning to India in April, Amrit Pal admitted to struggling at first to the conditions. “In Japan, the infrastructure is fantastic,” he said, “I got used to playing in indoor courts which were air-conditioned. But coming back to outdoor courts in India was difficult, especially when the weather was too hot. I struggled for the first 10 days but eventually was able to get back into my groove.”
And indeed, he was back to his best soon enough. Amrit Pal joined ONGC to win All India Basketball tournaments in Chennai and Kerala, winning both tournaments and earning the ‘Best Player’ mantle in the latter. The grind won’t stop for the immediate future either: Amrit Pal and ONGC will soon move to camp in Delhi for a tournament looming ahead in Coimbatore.
Gone are the days when Amrit Pal was a novice to the game, required to both learn basketball and dominate it at the same time. Today, he serves as one of the young veterans of Indian hoops, and his experience in Japan has given him a new perspective on how the game can improve in India, too.
“We need to bring more positivity into the team culture in India,” he said, “In Japan, mistakes don’t lead to discord, and instead, every player is made confident in their abilities. Together, that is what helps make us into a strong team unit.”
“Of course, we also played a disciplined offensive and defensive system in Tokyo, too. It’s difficult to learn these systems for teams in India or the national team because we have so little time. With more practice time together and more international exposure to gain experience, the Indian team could form a stronger system, too.”
Amrit Pal’s basketball journey began under the tutelage of the influential coach responsible for many of India’s finest players – Dr. S Subramanian. Subramanian helped mold the talents of Amrit Pal, Amjyot, star point guard TJ Sahi, Jagdeep Singh Bains, and of course, India’s first NBA draft pick, Satnam Singh.
Now, Amrit Pal dreams of following Satnam’s footsteps to earn an NBA jersey one day, too.
“Hopefully, if I can take India to a higher level, I will garner the attention and scouting I deserve. Hopefully, one day, I can reach the NBA.”
It’s a dream that will never die, and if it comes true, Amrit Pal would’ve achieved immortality for the sport for his country. His amrit, his magical nectar, would be the game of basketball itself.
Varanasi, many believe, is the oldest living city in the world, a civilization in perpetual existence for thousands of years. While the outside world was destroyed and rebuilt, Varanasi’s essence remained the same. Devotees begin their day early in the morning, at the crack of dawn, with blessings from the Ganga, moving on to yoga by the ghats, a cup of chai at the Chowk, visits to the Sankat Mochan and Vishwanath temples, Ganga Arti at Dashashwamedha Ghat in the evening, and a final ring of the bell to call it a very early night.
The city’s personality is a dual acceptance of discipline of ritual and a creative expression of one’s free-soul, what locals call being ‘mast’. And it is this balance that eventually produced the most unlikely by-product of this ancient city. Not its saris, its carpets, or paan. Not the ghats, lassis, or educational institutions. But a culture of basketball like no other.
Specifically, one particular house of hoops – the Singhs – an incredible family of five sisters who have made an indelible mark in contemporary Indian basketball. Varanasi’s Singh Sisters – Priyanka (36), Divya (33), Prashanti (30), Akanksha (27), and Pratima (26) – have made basketball a family business. Divya, Prashanti, Akanksha, and Pratima have all played for the Indian National team, and two of them have even been national captains. Priyanka played for the UP State team. And Divya, now, is blossoming into one of India’s finest young basketball coaches.
Prashanti, sister number three and a national team regular, credits the energy of her hometown to her family’s basketball success. “The vibration in Varanasi is very different,” she says. “You step into the city – people come from across the world and feel different there. There are cultural differences and difficulties everywhere, but there is a positive feeling here. It’s a simple place. People are sensitive and focused because there aren’t many distractions.”
“There is no nightlife, so we have early mornings! For Indian sportsperson, this is required: to be a morning person. The lifestyle of Varanasi both mast and disciplined. It’s an amazing place, and in our case, it really helped.”
Unlike a lot of stories of Indian athletes, the Singh Sisters had no pedigree of sports in the previous generation. Their father is a Senior Branch Manager at Allahabad Bank in the Shivpur area of the city and the mother a former teacher turned housewife. The sisters, however, took advantage of the Udai Pratap (UP) College to hone their basketball skills, in a golden era for the city when one coach, Amarjeet Singh, at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center helped briefly make Varanasi into the basketball capital of the nation.
Prashanti also credits the intellectual culture in the city for making the sisters into cerebral as well as physical players. “This city,” Prashanti says. “It’s not fashionable, but it’s intellectual. People may look simple, but they are intelligent.”
“All of us [sisters] have a strong academic background because of our father, who attended IIT Kharagpur. We had no sports background, even though we had the physical ability, a natural built from our village ancestors. But basketball requires more than that; it’s not an easy game. It’s a game that requires quick decision-making. Only physical ability doesn’t help, this is a smart person’s game. We always had to focus on intelligence and academics, and that helped us a lot.”
Like the devotees by the ghats, the sisters followed their own ritual in the city. Basketball practice in the morning, school, and more basketball practice repeated with absolute discipline to perfect their basketball skills. But basketball is more than a game of discipline; and it took a dash of local creativity – that mast personality – to turn these players into star athletes for India and at the international level.
Will the future generations in the city, and around the country, follow the Singhs’s examples? “People are definitely very interested in helping the sport in the city, but nothing is happening yet,” Prashanti says, “Despite this being the Prime Minister’s constituency, sports here is ignored. We have to improve infrastructure and we need a good indoor court in this city. Basketball is a global, A-grade sport. We deserve more.”
You can follow writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
Divya Singh’s typical week is busier than your typical week.
When the 33-year-old isn’t coaching India’s best youth basketball players, she is living the life as one of the four sisters of India’s most popular basketball family, the Varanasi’s Singh Sisters (the youngest of whom – Pratima – was engaged to star Indian cricketer Ishant Sharma recently). When she isn’t busy with personal or professional business, she is putting up shots on the court every morning, keeping her own skills sharp. When she finds time on the weekends, she’s flying to Mumbai to talk NBA on national TV for Sony SIX’s ‘NBA Around The Hoop’.
And as she shifts with sublime ease from one role to another – player to coach to TV personality – she continues to evolve as a trailblazer in sports and a role-model for youth athletes in the country.
Divya credits her work ethic and professionalism to lessons she picked up during a Masters in Education course in Delaware, Ohio, from 2008-10. “I’ve worked closely with NBA programmes since,” she says. “My work culture has been affected from working in the USA. My degree had a focus on Sports Management, which helped me a lot. I’ve been able to shift into coaching and management after my playing career and understand how they are different.”
The course in Delaware was a fork-in-the-road moment for Divya, who until then, was one of India’s finest basketball players in her prime, and a former captain of the women’s national team. But at just 26, she decided to pause her playing career to pick up coaching, managing, and teaching skills. It was a scholarship opportunity she couldn’t say no to, and ever since her return to India in 2010, Divya has made the transition smoothly from full-time star player to a promising young coach.
“I was playing at my peak before 2008,” Divya says, “I was top scorer at nationals for a couple of years. Playing basketball was more important to me than coaching. But the US trip taught me a lot of things. When I returned, I was invited to help out with coaching with a Junior National camp in Trichy, and I’ve been focusing on rising as a coach ever since.”
Since then, Divya has coached as a head coach or assistant at the Asian Games Senior Women’s team, the South Asian Games Senior Women’s team, U16 Boys at the 16 FIBA Asia Championship, and the Lusofonia Games. She has been an assistant to national coaches Pete Gaudet and Francisco Garcia.
“I’ve continued playing a little, too,” she adds, “I played for an NBA event in Delhi. But only once, since you can’t play six or seven hours a day, it’s hard to be back on the court full-time. I have other coaching responsibilities, now.”
Divya’s unique approach as a player, coach, and leader has led her to plotting more ambitious projects for Indian basketball in the future. She is already involved as one of the coaches at the DIME Initiatives Basketball Academy in Greater Noida. Now, Divya is hoping to start her own academy in Muzaffarnagar in her home state, Uttar Pradesh
“I want to improve basketball at the grassroots level,” says Divya, “There is a shortage of uniformity of the basic skills in basketball coaching in India. We’ll hunt for talent, put players in hostels, and plan to have children stay and study there. There is a lot of untapped talent in Uttar Pradesh, players who are strong and athletic. I learn from my experience as a youngster in Varanasi: when you have a proper coaching centre, young kids will definitely raise their game.”
With her handprints all over the rise of basketball in India, hopefully Divya is able to inspire a whole new generation of change-makers like herself in the future of the sport.
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
The average NBA fan sees the world’s most famous basketball superstars.
Individuals that marshal millions of social media followers. Men of power who can change the landscape of the entire league with one offseason business decision. Jerseys that sell worldwide and athletes that become household names.
But beyond the glitz and the glamour at the top, the reality for a majority of the athletes in the NBA is very different. Most of the basketball players in the league are just that: basketball players. For them, surviving the game is a daily grind. Each small contract can make or break a career, with hundreds of athletes competing for the few limited spots per team. An uncertain future could see them demoted to the humbler D-League or lose a career in the game altogether.
A year ago, Punjab’s very own Satnam Singh was picked 52nd by the Dallas Mavericks and thus made history by becoming the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA. By breaking through such an important threshold, Satnam appropriately received worldwide media attention and his large, 7-2 frame was immediately burdened by the hopes of the world’s second-most populous nation.
But when the dust settled, reality kicked in. He may be a trail blazer for Indian basketball, but to the NBA, the 20-year-old Satnam Singh is just another tall basketball player, hoping to secure a future in the game, realise his full potential and make an impact for an NBA team.
Soon after he was drafted last year, Satnam stumbled, stuttered, and took baby steps forward for the Mavericks’ 2015 Summer League team in Las Vegas. He eventually secured a contract with the Mavericks’ D-League associate Texas Legends. His 2015-16 season was a work-in-progress, as he only played 19 games for the Legends and started two. In less than eight minutes of action, he averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
When the Summer League returned for the 2016 season, Satnam was again named in the Mavericks’ roster for tournaments both in Orlando and Las Vegas. Unfortunately for Satnam, he only got to play limited minutes in both the Summer League events, although the experience would have definitely boosted his comfort at this level going ahead.
In Orlando, the Mavericks finished fifth in the standings with a 2-3 record. Satnam played in three games and started one. He averaged a total of 5.6 minutes per game while averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 rebound per contest.
In Las Vegas, the Mavericks finished 12th in the standings with a 3-3 record in the league stage. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Round 1, but were beaten by eventual champions Chicago Bulls in Round 2. Satnam again only played three games while his averages were similar: 5.8 minutes, 1.3 points, and 1.3 rebounds per game.
Despite the limited opportunity, Satnam spoke to Basketball Insiders about feeling a lot more comfortable in his second Summer League experience and understanding the pace of the game better. He also spoke about spending ample time in the gym and on the practice court to work on his jump-shot, his endurance, and other aspects of his game.
Satnam’s journey seemed to reach its first zenith when his name was called by Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum on 2015 Draft Night. But since then, the young Punjabi has had to learn the harsh lessons of the grind involved in making a basketball career. Making his way from the unknown village of Ballo Ke to the NBA Draft, Satnam has already achieved more in a decade than most people could dream of in their lifetimes. For him to achieve another basketball zenith – play in an NBA game – he’ll have to continue the grind against difficult odds and make history one more time.
YOU can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
For India – and the rest of the world – the state of Punjab has been a gift that keeps on giving. Butter Chicken, the sweet nectar of the gods, the Golden Temple, the most famous gurudwara in the world, every bhangra breakdown moment at a swagged-out Punjabi wedding, folk music evolving into neo-Punjabi hip-hop, beautiful textiles and arts and crafts, a “bread-basket” of farming, some of India’s finest athletes, sweet lassis, and Patiala pegs, too.
But one of Punjab’s lesser known – and yet, dominant – exports over the majority of the past century has been basketball. The state has emerged as the frontrunner in producing some of India’s finest players, and the efforts of the legendary Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) in recent years has added more wheels to the Punjabi hoops express.
Over the last few years, a descendant of Punjabi immigrants to Canada – Sim Bhullar – became the first person of Indian-origin to play in the NBA, and a child born in a small Punjabi village – Satnam Singh – became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA.
Now, another Punjabi with aspirational hoop dreams – Palpreet Singh – is hoping to follow in their footsteps and keep India in the international basketball conversation.
After securing his spot in India’s national team a few years ago, the 6’9” Palpreet (22) got the biggest break of his young career when he won the first-ever ACG-NBA Jump Programme. The programme is a first-of-its-kind talent search programme to find the best young basketball player in India. After scouring through multiple cities over several months, ACG-NBA Jump held a final with 32 of the best players in Greater Noida, from whom Palpreet shined brightest and emerged as national champ. With his victory, he won an opportunity to be trained by NBA level coaches and participate in the 2016 NBA Development League tryouts.
Palpreet spent the first half of 2016 working with coaches in India to get his skillset ready for the NBA D-League. In early July, he headed to the USA to continue his training. He began training at the John Lucas Academy in Houston (Texas) and later, took part in the NBA D-League National Tryouts in New York City in mid-August. He remains on the grind now, still in New York City, where he is practicing with the New York Athletic Club. Palpreet has signed an NBA Development League contract and is now eligible for selection in the NBA D-League Draft.
“This opportunity only comes to a few people, I don’t want to lose it,” Palpreet told NBA India over a phone interview recently. “This is a special chance and challenge for me, I want to make the most of it.” Commenting on the specific areas of his game that need improvement, Palpreet said, “I’m concentrating on improving my footwork. How to move faster. That’s an area of emphasis for me.”
The story of Palpreet’s rise to prominence began in his home district of Sri Muktsar Sahib in south western Punjab. His raw talent and potential carried him over to Ludhiana, the city, which has become Punjab and India’s model basketball nursery, where he was briefly roommates with Satnam Singh! Palpreet’s big international breakthrough came with India’s junior squad at the 2012 FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Mongolia. Over the next three years, he played for India’s senior team and secured a backup spot behind our current superstar Punjabi frontcourt of Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh. He was part of the Indian squad that defeated China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.
Now, Palpreet awaits the results of his hard work. If he gets drafted, he could become the second Indian citizen after Satnam in the NBA D-League. The road ahead for this young talent, another one of Punjab’s finest exports, appears bright and exciting. He could possibly become Indian basketball’s next big thing, but we will just have to wait and watch.
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
About a decade and a half ago, five young small-town Indian girls – all sisters – saw a few boys shooting around on their local basketball court. The eldest rebelled against the social and cultural norms and joined the boys on the court. One by one, the other sisters followed. Neighbours chastised their mother for letting her daughters play the “boys’ game”. Onlookers complained that they would rather see the girls being sheltered than flaunting their hoop skills. Their father wondered what their future could be in this strange, unfamiliar game.
Undeterred by the outside noise, the girls played on. Their passion soon silenced all critics. All five sisters went on to dominate hoops in their city and state. Four of the five became stars for the Indian national team. One of them clinched the national record for most medals in National Basketball Championships.
We’re speaking, of course, of Varanasi’s ‘Singh Sisters’ – Priyanka, Divya, Prashanti, Akanksha, and Pratima – who shattered cultural stereotypes to become Indian basketball superstars. One of these sisters is Prashanti, who has won a record 22 medals for Delhi at the National Championships and is the only Indian player to represent the country in the Commonwealth Games, two Asian Games, and seven FIBA Asia Championships.
“We were young, and when we were first playing basketball, we didn’t realize that the whole society was against us,” Prashanti told me in a phone interview from New Delhi. “We had the support of our coach Amarjeet Singh and our mother, both of whom believed that girls could prosper in a sport like basketball just like boys. There were two or three girls, who were better than me when we were growing up, but they were forced to quit the game because of family or society pressure. People were offended that girls were wearing shorts and playing outside. We had no basketball role models, no clue what the future would hold. But fortunately, we were able to make it and do well for the national team.”
Prashanti said that the attitude towards her and her sisters began to change when she made it to India’s squad for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. From that point on, the highs kept on coming: Prashanti followed elder sister Divya to become the captain of the women’s team and became one of the most capped players on the international stage.
Her most memorable moments came when she was able to provide match-wining performances for her country. She specifically remembers the 2011 FIBA ABC in Japan when she helped India defeat Malaysia to qualify for Level 1 of the tournament. Her personal highlight was the 35-point performance in India’s upset victory over Korea Samsung at the 2011 William Jones Cup in Taiwan. She also played a role in India’s best-ever FIBA ABC finish – fifth place at the ABC in Thailand in 2014 – in an overtime win over Kazakhstan.
“It’s not about the points I scored, it’s about being a match-winner,” said Prashanti, “That’s why these games were the biggest. I remember them because they brought improvement to the national team.”
In recent years, the rift between the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Indian government has caused some obstacles to the game. Prashanti was part of the squad chosen for the South Asian Games in Guwahati, but local troubles meant that FIBA had to de-recognise the event’s basketball tournament.
Despite the recent roadblock, Prashanti remained confident about the sport in India, and especially its scope for women.
“If the same effort is put in the women’s game in India as for the men, there will be much more success for us, because the competition is lesser worldwide,” said Prashanti, “In India, there are about twenty employers for men’s basketball and just two for women. If we add more domestic teams, we can definitely get a podium finish at FIBA ABCs. If there is a domestic league and more tournaments for women, then there will be more participation, and more quality will come forth.”
“The future is bright, but the system has to put in some effort. Basketball is a popular, global sport. If India can provide international level competition and professionalism, the women’s game here will skyrocket.”
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
“At home, there was an atmosphere of nothing else but basketball,” Pratima said. “From class six, I started playing and going to the ground. Basketball became a family business.”
The ground that Pratima referred to is the hallowed UP College Basketball Court in Varanasi, one of the most iconic basketball nurseries in India. The sisters she mentioned are Priyanka, Divya, Prashanti and Akanksha, who together with Pratima make up the famed ‘Singh Sisters’ of Varanasi. All of them have played at the Uttar Pradesh state level and the four youngest sisters – including Pratima – eventually hooped their way into the Indian national team. Pratima, now 26, was schooled in the game, and her early lessons paved the way for a successful national and international career.
The UP College court was a “five to seven minute Scooty ride,” from the Singh sisters’ home in Varanasi. Like her sisters before her, it became Pratima’s daily ritual to show up at the court. In 2003, she helped UP state to a silver medal in the Sub-Junior Nationals, her first major basketball tournament. From then on, she decided to get even more serious about the game.
Pratima enjoyed success for UP at the Youth and Junior levels, before moving to Delhi for college after her sisters, where she now lives and has become one of the centrepieces of the Delhi state team. A 5’8” forward, Pratima plays deeper in the post than her other current sisters on the squad, Prashanti and Akanksha. “My game is mostly rebounding and working in the post,” she said. “In India, I’m tall enough to play in the inside. Abroad I have to shoot, too. I can be made to play both forward positions.”
Pratima has a fixed role for India’s Senior Women’s team, too, but unfortunately, she and many other star national players have faced a limbo from international basketball over the past year. The conflict between the two executive committees of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) limited some of the exposure for the Women’s national team. Their most recent opportunity, the South Asian Games in Guwahati, was thwarted when FIBA cancelled the tournament. Pratima hasn’t had a chance to represent the national team at the competitive level since she helped India’s 3×3 squad win gold at the FIBA Asia 3×3 tournament in Doha three years ago.
“Indian Women need more exposure to play basketball abroad, and more practice, to rise up to the level of our competitors,” said Pratima. “A great example is Geethu Anna Jose, who was an awkward player when she was younger, but when she returned from her pro stint in Australia, her game and fitness improved considerably. We have seen the same improvement in male players like Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh who have played in Japan. More players need this experience. It is not an impossible task, and with some initiative, we can get there.”
Pratima, who recently got engaged to Indian cricket star Ishant Sharma, is not letting the lull in international basketball action come between her education of the game. She is currently the chief sports advisor at the Genesis Global School in Noida and has plans to open a sports academy for kids looking to learn basketball, cricket, football and more.
“We have a problem of infrastructure in India,” she said. “From my end, I want to address that problem. I want to provide passionate children with all the facilities, infrastructure, training, and then see how well they can do in their sport.”
And in this way, hopefully, a whole new generation will be schooled in the game, too.
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
Several years ago, three young Sikh boys, from various parts of Punjab and Chandigarh, crossed paths at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA). All three teenagers were tall, had nimble footwork, and – behind the silences that covered their nervous faces – they had a shared ambition to become the best basketball players they could possibly be. They shared dorms together, practiced against each other in the sweaty confines of the Guru Nanak Stadium, and toughened each other up.
One by one, each of the three teens made their debut with the Indian national basketball team, and each, in their own way, eventually enjoyed a major breakout on the international basketball stage.
A few years later, the youngest of those three boys – Satnam Singh Bhamara – would make history by becoming the first Indian national to be drafted into the NBA. Satnam would later be assigned to the D-League team Texas Legends and, a year later, wait to begin his second season in the NBA’s Development League.
Now, if fate and preparation can bear their fruits, Satnam may not be the only Indian in the D-League. After recently signing a contract that makes them eligible for the upcoming D-League draft, two more of the LBA’s graduates from India – Amjyot Singh Gill and Palpreet Singh Brar – may help achieve a Ludhiana reunion in North America.
While they can trace their basketball origins to the same academy, Palpreet Singh and Amjyot Singh have since taken distinctly different paths to their D-League opportunity. Originally from Sri Muktsar Sahib in south Punjab, Palpreet (21), a six-foot-nine power forward, enjoyed his big international breakthrough for India’s U18 team at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Mongolia. Ever since then, he became a regular in the Indian national squad, usually playing backup minutes to Amjyot. Earlier this year, Palpreet’s fortunes turned when he was chosen from dozens of finalists from across the country as the winner of the ACG-NBA Jump talent scouting programme. For the next few months, NBA coaches helped Palpreet prepare for the D-League open tryouts this summer in New York, and after impressing some teams, Palpreet signed a D-League contract.
Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Amjyot, meanwhile, improved dramatically after his early years as a teen at the LBA. Originally from Chandigarh, Amjyot (24), also a six-foot-nine power forward, soon became one of India’s frontcourt lynchpins. Over the last few years, he has staked his claim as one of the country’s best players, and has been part of India’s historic campaigns at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup, the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, and the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge. Amjyot also played professionally in Japan’s D-League to win a title and is part of an internationally successful FIBA 3×3 squad. His head-turning performances caught the attention of NBA scouts and, just about a week ago, it was revealed that he had signed a D-League contract too, in anticipation for the draft.
The six-round NBA D-League draft, set to be held on October 30, will feature more than 200 draft-eligible players. Out of these, Amjyot and Palpreet will be fighting to be among the top 130 odd players who usually get drafted. If they get drafted, they will have to report to the team within a day or two for a training camp, where they will be assessed on physical, health, and various skill parameters. How well they do between their draft preparation and the camp will determine if they are eventually offered a contract with one of the D-League’s 22 teams.
No player of Indian citizenship has yet played in the NBA. If Amjyot and Palpreet can join Satnam in the D-League, there will be three Singhs in the NBA’s periphery, drastically improving the chances of an Indian earning a call-up to the NBA if either of them can prove their worth.
Half a dozen years ago, Satnam, Amjyot and Palpreet were just three young kids with unformed bodies, raw talents, and a shared burning ambition. Today, they carry on their backs the hopes of an entire basketball nation. After coming so improbably far in their basketball journeys, nothing in the future ahead seems impossible.
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
I wait patiently on the other end of the line, and overhear Arvind Arumugam confidently relaying instructions to his office colleagues- “Put the date as 17th, not 16th.”
“It’s cheque clearing day,” he explains to me.
The Vijaya Bank clerk is in office on a Saturday. It’s hard to imagine Arvind ‘Vince’ Arumugam in formal attire, tattoos carefully hidden in the folds of his full sleeve shirt. It’s a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a common duality surrounding basketball players in India. During weekdays (and alternate Saturdays in Arumugam’s instance) they are your typical office goers— but come evenings and weekends, the shirt, trousers and shoes get traded for snazzy kicks, dry fit shorts and reversible, sleeveless jerseys.
***
Born and brought up in rural Mandya district in Karnataka, three hours away from India’s Silicon Valley of Bengaluru, Arumugam has come a long way from the shy, skinny teenager he once was. The now 25-year-old power forward has no sporting lineage to speak of, but took to hoops relatively early. “Basketball was very popular in our school and I used to watch my seniors play every evening. The courts were so crowded that we barely had any place to dribble the ball.”
He learnt the basics of the game from school coach Kumarswamy and soon found himself on the U-13 and U-16 Karnataka state teams. Yet Arumugam was unsure about his future as a baller. “I mostly came off the bench and by 10th standard I started losing interest.”
Arumugam moved to Vijaya Bank, his dream club, in 2012 and promptly rewarded himself with a tattoo of the Vince Carter elbow dunk.
As he slowly began focusing on studies, two unlikely transformations made him reconsider his priorities. First, a growth spurt in the 12th standard that had him shoot up from 5ft 8in to 6ft 5in within a year. Second, the transfer of firebrand coach Anpur Ravi Prakash to the Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports (DYES) in Mandya.
“He is my Godfather,” Arumugam says simply. “He told me to aim higher, ‘Aim to play for India and then you will make it to the Karnataka team’.”
The hard taskmaster put Arumugam to work, improving his footwork, agility and ball-handling.
In 2008, still only 18, Arumugam debuted in the senior Karnataka team and began believing in his unique abilities. “[Basketball Federation of India & Karnataka State Basketball Association President] Govindaraj supported me a lot. He encourages kids from rural backgrounds to play for Karnataka. He said I was meant for big things.”
After first joining Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Chennai on a sports quota, Arumugam moved to Vijaya Bank, his “dream club”, in 2012. He then promptly rewarded himself with a tattoo of the Vince Carter-elbow dunk from the legendary 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. “It’s not that I used to watch many NBA games, but Carter stood out for me with his in-game dunks.”
Emulating his idol, Arumugam brought his own range of high-flying moves in the post. He got his first India camp call after the 2010-11 Senior National Championship in Delhi, with then Coach Kenny Natt impressed with his athleticism and repeat jump ability. He couldn’t make the cut though, and got another opportunity under new Coach Scott Flemming. But still adjusting to life outside his small town of Mandya, Arumugam left camp without informing anyone.
After begging Coach Scott for a second chance, Arumugam finally made his long awaited India appearance in the 2015 South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Qualifiers in Bengaluru. This was followed by the 28th FIBA Asia Championship for Men later that same year. Arumugam had limited minutes, but the experience of battling against Iran’s talismanic ex-NBA centre Hamed Haddadi was an eye-opener.
India finished in the top eight in Asia, a first in twelve years, with Arumugam scoring in double digits on two occasions- against Malaysia and Qatar. Not one to rest easy, the Karnataka star is looking to improve his outside shot and ball handling skills, so crucial for an undersized forward to succeed at the higher level.
He hopes to compete in a Basketball Federation of India backed pro league one day. “It is great to see Indian players [like Satnam Singh, Amjyot Singh & Amritpal Singh] go abroad. They will return to the national side during the Asian Championships. But it will be better still if there is a pro league in India, as it will allow basketball to get a huge local following.”
With his recent engagement to fellow international women’s basketballer Sruthi Menon, Arumugam appears to have achieved that elusive balance between his personal and professional lives.
***
We have been on the phone for over an hour now, and it’s time for Arumugam to return to Dr. Jekyll mode.
“It is a huge deal for someone from a small town to make it in a big city like Bengaluru,” he says in parting, almost to himself.
It’s a rare moment of introspection for Arumugam. With three national player-of-the-tournament awards, he has made his mark among India’s finest talents. Oddly though, as his fame grows, the connection with his Air Canada counterpart refuses to fade away.
“Even now newspapers carry reports calling me ‘Arvind Vince’- my name on Facebook.”
Maybe master and prodigal son will meet someday.
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A number of oppressors and invaders charging into India have had to beat a hasty retreat, with their tails between their legs, by the ever-reliable defense of the brave Sikh warriors. Even when being outnumbered, these bravehearts made a mockery of the odds and prevailed because of their tenacity and courage.
Speaking of warriors, thirty kilometres from Amritsar lies the small village of Rasulpur Khurd, the birthplace of a hardwood warrior named Yadwinder Singh.
There are players in basketball towards whom our eyes instinctively gravitate. These athletes have a commanding presence on the floor, with a palpable aura which infuses their teammates with strength and drains their opponents’ will. They make a name for themselves by doing the grind work: hustling, setting screens, boxing out, playing help defense, and doing all those little things which make a difference to the final outcome.
Anyone watching the Indian national basketball team in action for about two minutes will observe a force of nature in play which is not captured within the confines of the box score. If you see an opponent of the Indian team looking harried, dishevelled and disgruntled beyond measure, chances are he’s made the on-court acquaintance of Yadwinder Singh.
“For me, representing India is a matter of huge pride for me. All I want to do through my presence on the court is to help India win and climb the rankings. That is all that matters to me,” said Yadwinder.
Yadwinder, or Yadu as he’s affectionately known, played basketball for the first time at the age of 16. Thanks to a dedicated coach in Fateh Chand, who’d even pick him up and drop him home from practice, Yadu matured on the court at a quick pace and got through the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA).
The LBA has served as a fountain of talent for Indian basketball by producing a number of stalwarts, with over forty players having gone on to represent India at various levels including Jagdeep Singh, Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Singh, Satnam Singh, and Palpreet Singh Brar to name a few. At the beginning, Yadwinder and Jagdeep formed the first batch of the academy which started it all.
“I and Jagdeep came up together under Dr. Subramanian. We were like his sons. Under his guidance, we made it to the Indian team. He was strict, but he loved us a lot. Whatever I’ve learned, I’ve learned from him,” said Yadu.
Yadwinder is one of those players whom you’d give an arm and a leg to have on your team. You’d also give all your limbs to not play against him since Yadwinder imposes his will on the court against opponents of all shapes, sizes and wingspans. A consummate teammate, who burns the candle at both ends of the floor with equal hunger, Yadu has been an integral part of the Indian national team for over a decade since his debut in 2003.
Standing at 6ft 6in, Yadu is currently the most experienced player in the Indian team, having representing India for over 13 years, with a brief hiatus in 2008. As Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Vince Carter and many others have shown, being 6″6 allows you to be devastatingly athletic and versatile across the floor.
Yadu took that athletic frame, ripped it whipcord-taut and made hustle play his calling card. “Playing good defense wins championships,” said Yadu, echoing many great coaches. “The Indian team has a lot of able scorers in Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Amjyot, Amritpal, Palpreet and many others. I feel that the best way I can contribute is through my defense on the court.”
Yadu considers his signature move to be “Doosri team ki naak me dum karna (Being a pain in the neck for the opponent).” He observed and idolized Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace and Dennis Rodman, and their influence is clear to see. The hallmark of his brilliance lies in his consistency. Shooters get cold spells, play makers can be contained, scorers have off nights, but the glue guys who do the unglamorous work, make their influence felt every single game.
Yadu moves across the floor with the effortless grace of a predatory eagle gliding down on its prey with a singular goal: to harry and feast on his opponents. He attacks the opposition in unrelenting waves on both ends, each time leaving them a little more battered than last and you can see them visibly discombobulate over time.
Over time, he’s transitioned from being the young Turk to a veteran leader of the team on and off the court. “We can’t, nor should we, play forever. Once age catches up, we should make the way for the next generation. I look to help and mentor the younger players as much as I can so they can continue our work. If we see a promising young kid playing in schools or playgrounds who doesn’t have a kit, we take it upon ourselves to get them shoes and gear. We can afford it now and these kids will be the future for the country after we are gone,” said Yadu.
After retirement, Yadu hopes to contribute to the game by coaching if an opportunity arises. When asked if there’s anything he’d want people to know, he laughs and says, “Sab jaante hai (everyone knows). The people who understand and follow Indian basketball, know all there’s to know.” And those who are catching up could do well to start here.
Image courtesy Yadwinder Singh
You can follow the writer SIDDARTH SHARMAon Twitter @sidbreakball.
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NBA.COM Staff“Criticism is music to my ears,” says Akanksha
Akanksha Singh, who is also known as ‘Bacchi’ (little girl), has been making it a point to seize every opportunity presented to her. Her hoops odyssey began in the heartlands of the populous eastern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh — with a spot on the bench in the U-17 Gorakhpur District team competing at the School Nationals.
Akanksha was just 11-years-old then.
Now 27, an established international player, head of the sports department at Bennett University, Greater Noida and an inspiration to countless young Indians, she was really only a ‘bacchi’ when her whole world changed.
Grand things were expected of her, having grown up in a family of achievers under the legacy of her elder sisters – Priyanka, Divya and Prashanti – who have all played either at the national or international level. “I obviously felt a lot of pressure, but drew inspiration from my sisters. I’ve always tried to perform as well as them if not better.” In particular, she recalls a game in the 2007 FIBA Asia U-18 Basketball Championship against Kazakhstan, where she took the team’s scoring into her hands and came up with a win, propelling her side into elite level A. “That is when I really got the confidence that I can excel at the highest level.”
That tournament was also extra special for it happened to be her international debut. “The first time I held my India jersey,” she pauses briefly, “…the feeling is inexplicable. Even today, every time I think about it, I’m filled with immense pride and joy.”
At 5ft 6in, ‘Bacchi’ was supremely talented as a point guard, despite her relatively short stature. She treated every bit of criticism about her size and game as music to her ears, always pushing herself to improve. “When I started playing, there were at least 1000 others who were competing at the same level. I never started playing because I wanted to go pro. I was just enjoying myself on the floor. I used to scream at people to run after a loose ball, shout at someone for making a mistake and be upset with myself when I missed shots. So when I look back now, of how I was at that age, I think it was right to be that way, to be so passionate about something.”
“My passion has brought me this far leaving everyone behind.”
Over the years, Akanksha was mentored by Divya and Prashanti, who captained the Senior Indian team on different occasions. Akanksha, in turn, took up the mentorship role of the fifth and youngest of the ‘Singh sisters’ – Pratima.
“When I played with Divya and Prashanti, I didn’t get many minutes, but every moment was filled with learning. Now, playing alongside Pratima and watching her improve, especially as a scorer, I’m really proud and glad to have mentored her.”
The success of the ‘Singh sisters’ for Delhi and India may well be unmatched. But just when Akanksha was entering her prime, catastrophe struck in the form of injuries. And like many before her, she had to will herself to fight through them. She considers it a humbling experience. “I used to be very impatient, I needed things fast. So for someone who lived at breakneck pace, all of a sudden life changed completely. Everything was frozen in time when I was bedridden. I felt cold. I couldn’t be without playing. I stopped using social media. I didn’t want to hear about people playing basketball. The pain I was going through and the thought of a comeback from that injury was dreadful. It’s something no player would want to experience in their lifetime, but it was important for me to go through it. Most players will want to forget their injuries and recovery periods, but I want to remember it because not being able to move a muscle helped me think and taught me patience. It completed me as a person and a player.”
When asked about her return she had this to say: “There is no question, I still want to play. No sportsperson will say they want to retire. I want to get back to my old self. I’m yet to play the best game of my life. I want to play that game and then retire. Like Kobe’s last match, I want to go out Mamba style.”
What next? “I want to give something [to the next generation], something that I didn’t have, something that would have made me a better player than I am today if I had it to start with. I want to open new doors in basketball for the young kids by way of better training and facilities. I’ll head an institution that will improve the grassroots [situation] and take great care of the elite basketball players in India.” She also aims to inspire future ballers through a movie releasing next year, loosely based on her own life.
Phew! That’s a long to-do list.
Injuries may have slowed Akanksha Singh down, but in terms of her aspirations, she continues to race ahead.
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If Indian basketball had a Hall of Fame like the one in Springfield, Indian women’s team captain Anitha Pauldurai would deserve a prominent section in it, with shrines dedicated to her unique legacy. She’s won multiple gold medals at the national, international and Asian level since she made her debut for the senior Indian women’s team in 2001. And she’s still going strong.
Anitha has played in eight Asian Basketball Confederation Championships since 2001, the most by any Indian woman. Showing remarkable consistency, Anitha has averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the five ABC championships since 2007. Injuries have dogged her entire career, as in addition to recent back spasms, she’s been managing ACL tears in both knees for over a decade. “These days the body is not accepting the demands I place upon it, so I rely on experience and power,” said Anitha. After getting married in 2013, she returned to training just three months after giving birth to her son in 2014. She credits her parents and her husband Karthick Prabhakaran for their unwavering support enabling her quick return to action. “After watching Mary Kom’s movie, people are finding it more acceptable for women to come back to their sport after giving birth.”
Anitha finds a way to impact the outcome of every game she plays with her fiery determination. She usually maintains a high true shooting percentage by willing herself to the free throw line come what may. Her accurate jumper ensures that the defense has to respect her range, and her own well-being is the last thought on her mind as she wades into the thick of the opposition for a high-percentage look. She often pays the price for her forays into the paint at the hands of our bigger opponents, “That is my problem, I don’t think about getting hurt on the court,” said Anitha. Short of dismemberment, you can’t stop her from bouncing back up as the team from Korea found to their dismay in the 2011 William Jones Cup.
In many ways, this match was a perfect microcosm of Anitha’s career. She absorbed hard fouls throughout the game and bounced off the floor seemingly as much as the ball itself. In the fourth quarter, with her team’s back to the wall, Anitha’s resilience really shone through. She scored over 10 points in the final quarter, and with India leading 55-50 in the final few minutes, she was hammered on three layup attempts. She converted two and added one from the line to put India up 60-56. At this point, she was fouled hard again and was visibly bleeding from the nose. Like the true warrior she is, Anitha addressed the injury on the bench, marched out on the court and calmly sank two free throws as India won 63-59, conjuring up memories of her idol Kobe Bryant walking back to sink two freebies after tearing his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors on 12 April 2013 . She finished with a game-high 24 points along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals while shooting 50% from the field. This game was also notable for Prashanti Singh’s downtown flurry as she dropped 16 points in the contest.
Anitha has represented India in eight Asian Basketball Confederation Championships since 2001.
Over the years, Anitha has captained India multiple times, including the third 3×3 Asian Beach Games, 2012, where the team won the gold with a win over China. In the 2013 FIBA Asia 3X3 Basketball Championship in Qatar, Indian women again went undefeated en route to winning the gold with a 13-point average margin of victory, all the more remarkable as these games are played to 21 points or till 10 minutes. They won the gold at the 3×3 South Asian Beach Games as well, with Anitha contributing heavily in all competitions. “I’ve been told by teammates and opponents, that no one has an answer for me in 1-on-1 battles,” said Anitha, exuding confidence which made her who she is.
At the domestic level, she formed one half of one of the most formidable duos in Indian basketball, with her partnership with Geethu Anna Jose in the national and Indian Railways team. That lethal combo helped Indian Railways win the National Champions’ title from 2004 to 2013. “I and Geethu were unstoppable together. I really miss her on and off the court.”
In 2012, Anitha and Geethu got the call to play in a professional league in Thailand, as the duo played for Sripatum University team in Bangkok for a month. Their team finished third in the tournament as they became the only women from India to play abroad in a professional basketball league.
For almost her entire career, Anitha’s played the John Stockton role to Geethu’s Karl Malone avatar. Unlike Stockton, Anitha plays the 2 or 3 position, but still racks up numbers across the board. In the 2009 FIBA Asia Women Championship in Chennai, Geethu finished as the leading scorer in the tournament and Anitha led India in assists.
Employed with the Indian Railways, Anitha reports for duty and juggles her training schedule along with the duties of motherhood as she nears the end of a storied career. “I’m not looking at the end of my playing career as a separation with the game. I plan to be a part of it and give back through coaching the next generation of players for India.”
Her consistent performances over the years will ensure that her legacy will live on through the indelible imprint she has left on the sport. The one honor she’s shooting for is the Arjuna Award, which Geethu won in 2014. That would indeed be a fitting exclamation mark for one of India’s most unique basketball legacies, which began at the start of the millennium and is still going strong.
You can follow the writer SIDDARTH SHARMAon Twitter @sidbreakball.
All images are courtesy Anitha Pauldurai
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The cameras flashed away, multi-coloured beams of light formed overlapping arcs on the plush carpeted floor. Soon the lights dimmed and focused on a giant projector screen up front. The audience, which included the who’s who of Bengaluru’s sporting community— international cricketers, billiards’ world champions, entrepreneurs and media professionals — hushed in anticipation. A confident voice boomed on the microphone, “And the nominees for Karnataka’s Coach of the Year are…”
Raviprakash C Anpur grew up in the Chitradurga-Davanagere belt of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, a region known more for its benne (butter) masala dosa than its hoops talent. He was introduced to basketball at age 15 during the Hindu festival of Dussehra, when sports competitions are traditionally held across India’s many smaller towns and villages. “Just the entire experience was awesome. Large crowds with the players right in the heart of them. The sheer size, presence and personality of some of those players astounded me,” said Raviprakash over a phone chat.
Soon after this Dussehra experience, Raviprakash started playing basketball with his friends. “I was a left-hander and my local coach thought that, that would make it hard for defenders to guard me. Just his vote of confidence meant a lot.”
Coach Raviprakash with arguably his finest trainee- current senior India player Arvind Arumugam
Within a year, Raviprakash bagged a scholarship to the Sports Hostel, Dharwad. But it was at the sidelines that he discovered his real calling. “After my second year, coach H B Wadakannanavar asked me to assist in instructing the juniors. I got a kick out of improving their game.” The seed had been planted. Raviprakash decided to become a professional coach at the unusually young age of 23.
Learning from legends
In 1994, he enrolled for the one year diploma course at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, India’s most sought after coaching university. The head of the basketball department was none other than Dr Sankaran Subramanian, the future coach of the legendary Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA). It was the same LBA that would go on to produce multiple international basketball players from Punjab, including Satnam Singh, the NBA’s first Indian draft pick. “Dr Subramanian’s passion was remarkable. He was a strict disciplinarian and tactician, constantly trying to learn something new. Very thorough, yet could readily admit if he did not know something.”
After graduating, Raviprakash was hungry to learn more from “actual coaches”. He travelled across the country, meeting the likes of Jharkhand’s JP Singh, Punjab’s Harjinder Singh and Chhattisgarh’s Rajesh Patel. It was Patel though — the brain behind the storied Bhilai basketball factory — who impacted Raviprakash the most, with his unconventional yet undeniably proven ways.
Finding his ‘home’
It was time for Raviprakash to put his learning into execution. But like a sculptor yearning for a perfect block of stone, he struggled to find willing talent. He went through the motions — getting transferred across five different places within Karnataka — before landing in Mandya, an agro-industrial town a couple of hours away from Bengaluru.
Mandya’s sports hostel had some of the finest handpicked young female athletes, lured by the assurance of concessionalised education, free accommodation and food. Additionally, the local Vivekananda Basketball Club saw footfalls from countless impressionable and naturally gifted boys.
In 2006, a Basketball Federation of India ‘Coaches Clinic’ conducted by Serbian Zoran Lukic, awakened Raviprakash to the importance of time management, structured sessions and spacing. Finally, in addition to his sharpened coaching tools, Raviprakash also had a vast blank canvas on which to create his masterpiece.
The Midas touch
Between 2008-14, Raviprakash mentored five players who would go on to become future international stars. For all of them, he emphasised the fundamentals while also identifying key individual areas for growth.
With Arvind Arumugam, it was his power play. With Bhandavya HM Gowda, her shooting. With Anil Kumar, it was his confidence while with Sandhya CR it was about winning her trust. And with Supritha CN, Raviprakash helped her overcome her small-town inferiority complex.
“In grassroots coaching, I have found that the most important thing is to show involvement, not necessarily basketball knowledge.”
Raviprakash’s involvement in his players’ personal lives often bordered on the extreme and some of his closest friends advised him to maintain an arm’s length. But Raviprakash did not pay heed.
Going above and beyond
“You have to understand the background of some of these players, especially the girls. Most come from poor, tribal or broken families. Their parents are unable to care for them or know what’s right for them.”
Coaches in India have to be sensitive to a confluence of factors — right from language barriers, financial background, culture, religion, and gender. “I have lost a number of players due to restrictive social mores. For example, once girls hit marriageable age, parents are like, ‘You are a woman now so start acting like one and stop playing sport.’”
Another issue he grappled with was the near zero participation in open selection tryouts to his sports hostels. The reason: physical education instructors at local schools didn’t want to lose their star athletes. “They cared more about their own coaching record than securing the long term future of the kids.”
In 2014, Raviprakash moved out of Mandya, along with some of his best girl players, to Moodabidri, a small town nestled in the middle of the Western Ghats. “Currently, sports hostels have a rule barring girls from continuing beyond 10th standard. So I convinced the Alva’s school in Moodabidri to launch a basketball programme for girls upto 12th standard. That way I could coach my girls for another two years.”
The additional time spent together helped, culminating in seven of Raviprakash’s girls winning gold at the 2015 National School Games held in Vishakhapatnam.
The 2016 Karnataka Coach of the Year nomination followed as a result.
Raviprakash didn’t win that night, but true to form, the 47-year-old sees no cause for disappointment. “My players have made it. That’s my biggest award.”
