Delhi sets the biggest stage for the biggest games

National Basketball Championships have been held in India before – 60 times before to be exact – but there is something special about the 61st. Something different. The cheers are louder. The lights are brighter. The passes are so crisp that you can hear them zoom by.

The best Indian players in the business are displaying their talents at the 61st IMG-Reliance National Basketball Championship in New Delhi with the biggest prize in Indian basketball at stake. There is no bigger stage for the biggest games in the country, and the national capital has stepped up to host this fierce competition. But what will make this championship truly memorable that it is the first year that the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is receiving full sponsorship for its events by the IMG-Reliance partnership.

As BFI’s secretary-general Harish Sharma said to reporters to Monday, basketball is indeed ready to take the next step and conquer India.

An electric atmosphere is greeting players and fans every day at the Talkatora Stadium and the Modern School at Barakhamba, where the games are being held. On Friday afternoon, Andhra Pradesh face a challenge from Chandigarh in a relatively quieter affair, but not lacking in drama and intensity. A trumpeting sound from the crowd screamed over the applause – it was no vuvuzela, but a cheaper and equally effective knock-off! At the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, the players rushed and hustled their sneakers over the squeaky bright wooden floor, looking like one of the best basketball-playing surfaces in the country. An LED screen atop the stands show the live action as it unfolds, and then show highlights from basketball around the world during the breaks, including from the international games and the NBA. Hip-Hop and Punjabi music blares during time-outs and quarter-ends. The AP-Chandigarh game enters crunch time, and the small crowd gets on their feet for the last few minutes. AP hold on to their nerves in their end, stretch out their lead, and pull off an impressive 15 point victory.

The crowd gets larger and louder as the sun goes down. atmosphere reaches fever pitch by the evenings, when the marquee teams like Indian Railways, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Services, and of course, the hosts Delhi take centre-stage. Railways, who are the two time champions in both the men’s and women’s divisions, are once again the favourites to find their way to the Indian Basketball’s Promised Land!

But the best thing about this kind of competition in India is the showcase of India as a cultural phenomenon itself. No matter where in India the players hailed from, they shared a common enthusiasm for basketball. On Friday alone, the Talkatora stadium bore witnesses to players communicating in Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and English. It’s a snapshot of the complete picture of Indian on one basketball court, communicated through dribbles, jumpshots, and hustle plays.

The Talkatora stadium itself has become a temporary temple of sorts to Indian basketball’s finest. Fans walk cardboard cut-outs of their basketball idols, getting am impression of the ones who are making a name for themselves in the sport across the country: players like Shiba Maggon, Sambajhi Kadam, Riyazzudin, Akanskha Singh, Anitha P., and many others.

On the court itself the action hasn’t disappointed. With quick, on-point passing, awesome athletic ability, and some dead-eye sharp-shooting, the Nationals are serving as the perfect platform for Indian basketball fans to catch a glimpse of their country’s elite.

The tournament moves on to the Quarter-Final stage from the 2nd of January, and the Finals are scheduled to be held on the 4th. The stage for the biggest teams has been set; now all eyes will be on the biggest teams to step up and claim it!

Delhi showcases its hoops spirit at the Mahindra NBA Challenge

Next to a dusty yet busy basketball court at the Bal Bharti School (Karol Bagh) in New Delhi, a bunch of young adolescents warm up enthusiastically to the beats of rap music from the PA system nearby. The song playing is perhaps rapper Eminem’s most motivated moment on wax, the inspirational ‘Lose Yourself’ from his move 8 Mile.

“You only get one shot, do now miss a chance to blow, cuz opportunity comes once in a lifetime.”

The fact that hip-hop music and basketball have been forever brothers-in-arms isn’t exactly breaking news; where there is a strong basketball culture, there seems to be a strong musical culture. Earlier this year, when the Sub-Jr. Nationals were taking place in Kangra, even the little mountain town reverberated with hip-hop beats on the loud-speakers. Any student present at the IMG-Reliance School Basketball league in Delhi would swear that not one game passed without a rap-musical break during a timeout.

Basketball is one of most competitive sports in the world, and perhaps, it is this competitive culture, where you face off your opponent not just to participate but to dominate, which helps the synchronicity of aggressive hip-hop with the game.

With the first season of Mahindra’s NBA Challenge taking place in New Delhi this year, a competitive spark and will to perform has been found in the young hoopsters, spreading across the nation’s capital, and beyond, like wildfire.

The Mahindra NBA Challenge, a multi-city, community-based, basketball league, was held in India for its first season last year in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ludhiana. New Delhi basketball players may have felt a little short-changed with the deal, unable to find a similar outlet for their passion for the game. So for its second season, the NBA gave the masses what it wanted, and in mid-November, the U-18 edition of the league tipped off in New Delhi.

“The response we have been getting in Delhi has been overwhelming,” says Troy Justice, NBA-India’s Director of Basketball Operations, “The players are really passionate, too. We set around an 80-team limit for the registration for this league, and even after all the slots became full, we kept on getting requests for nearly twice as many participants. It is so busy here that every weekend we are playing game after game all day in our various venues (Bal Bharti School and DPS-RK Puram). And people say that basketball isn’t popular in India!”

In the U-18 edition of the league, there have been further divisions into sections of Junior (U18), Youth (16), and for the first time, Sub-Junior (U14). Justice is most excited about the youngest participants, the sub-juniors, who are getting a taste of competitive basketball action early into their development.

“I have had a great experience when working with the sub-juniors,” Justice adds, “Those are some of my favourite games to watch, since these youngsters truly represent the future of Indian basketball.”

The sub-juniors participating have also been happy about this opportunity. “The tournament has been really good so far,” says 13-year-old Taksh Sharma from Mount Carmel School (Dwarka), “I have been playing basketball for one year, and I’m happy that this league has come to Delhi.”

Justice has been impressed by the talent he has been overseeing in Delhi. “I can tell that the players in Delhi have received good coaching,” he says, “There are many here with very high basketball IQ. Many of them, even at a young age, seem refined and experienced.”

One of Justice’s favourite squads is a team from Jammu, whose story is a true inspiration for hoop-heads: The Jammu squad, a group of close friends, travel 12 hours every weekend to New Delhi to take part in the league. And at the end of the day, they take another 12 hours to get back home in time for school on Monday!

As of now, Justice is dividing his time between Delhi and Mumbai every alternate weekend. The U-18 Mahindra NBA Challenge tipped off in Mumbai simultaneously with Delhi. In mid-January, both cities will host the senior, open version of the league.

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has also been actively involved in assisting the NBA with the implementation of these leagues. Justice has commended the professional attitude of the referees who have been assisting him, and especially for Indian basketball’s youth brigade, the trio of Shiba Maggon, Divya Singh, and Yuvika Sharma, who have assisted the NBA in various management issues.

A legendary Indian player, coach, and referee, Shiba has stated that being a part of this league has taught her a lot more about basketball “off the court.” “This has been a great learning experience for me,” she says, “The kids in Delhi are very enthusiastic about what has been happening, and I can see improvement in their game every week.”

Shiba has added that this improvement was especially visible amongst the sub-juniors, the youngest in action, as they are truly beginning to understand the spirit of basketball.

Both the Delhi and Mumbai leagues are now entering their final stages. On Thursday, December 16, DPS Vasant Kunj will host the All-Star games for all the different divisions (boys and girls for sub-juniors, youth, and juniors). The best of North Delhi and South Delhi will battle it out on the basketball court. The league will move to the Semi-Finals at DPS Vasant Kunj on Friday, and finally, the Finals, starting on 3 PM at the same venue on Saturday afternoon. A shooting contest will also be held between the games to top off the hoop festivities.

The All-Star Games and Finals for Mumbai will be held over this week, too.

With the success of this first-time event in Delhi, Justice is already looking ahead, hoping to smooth out all the creases for the future. “Right now, our biggest problem was a good problem – that there was too much interest!” he says, “As the NBA grows in India, this programme will grow bigger, too. Although the current infrastructure that we have cannot accommodate any more teams, we are looking to expand in the future and allow more and more players to play basketball.

For now, the participants in the Delhi league will be focused on their last few games: the All Star game, the semis, and the Final. This is their opportunity, their shot at basketball success, the time when the rap music blares and motivates them to dominate.

But more than anything, this is their one shot to just go out and play ball. Delhi and Mumbai have gotten their taste of the NBA Challenge, and the leagues in Bangalore, Ludhiana, and first-timers Chennai won’t be too far behind over this year.

Spanish NBA superstar Pau Gasol brings basketball to India

From World Basketball Champion to two-time reigning NBA champion, 30-year-old Spanish hoop legend Pau Gasol has a long list of achievements. Spain may be a basketball superpower today, but this wasn't always the case – Gasol was only the second ever Spanish player to make it to the world's top basketball league, the NBA, back in 2001. Ever since, more than half a dozen Spanish players have followed his footsteps. Spain's domestic league has also been improving over the past few decades, and this has reflected into international success.

Following their model, Gasol believes that it is possible for other countries to also become stronger in the game. "In Spain, it began with a competitive league in the country, and people started to have fun watching the game." He said, "Kids went out to watch their idols and watch a good national team. There is complete satisfaction in watching great players defend your country."

"India needs to involve the youngsters to experience the excitement of basketball," he continues, "Basketball is an attractive game. To promote the game here, they have to start with the youngest children, and give them the infrastructure, resources, and opportunities to play. Furthermore, India should continue working with school kids, create competitive school and grassroots leagues around the country."

The NBA has been investing a lot of effort into developing the game in India – just two weeks ago, NBA all-star Dwight Howard was also in India encouraging youngsters to take up the game. Gasol believes that the NBA should continue these efforts. "NBA should continue creating attention for the game, so that younger players can have a chance to see us and start to think of basketball as a real career option. This will encourage their parents to allow their children to participate, too. As the game grows, the NBA can show our other companies and partners that they should continue being involved with basketball here."

Gasol's trip to India, from August 23-28th, has primarily been a journey to promote the social service and community involvement aspect of NBA in India through the ‘NBA Cares' programme. He visited several schools and held workshops in Mumbai and Delhi with young children to promote healthy living through basketball. "The community in India should see that the NBA is involved in a positive way," he says, "It is not just about the sport but also about social work."

While in Mumbai, Gasol was present on August 25th with Ruzbeh Irani, Executive VP, Corporate Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra, & Mahindra, Akash Jain, NBA Director of International Development in India, and Harish Sharma, Basketball Federation of India (BFI) Secretary General, as they announced the expansion of the Mahindra NBA Challenge to a total of five Indian cities next year, adding Chennai and New Delhi to the yearly roster and retaining the programmes at Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ludhiana.

Gasol also took a tour of Mumbai and conducted two clinics during his stay there. He conducted a clinic at the Mastan YMCA in hoop-crazed Nagpada on August 25th and at the St. Dominic Savio High School in Andheri East on the 26th.

In New Delhi, Gasol continued the NBA Cares events, teaching basketball drills and entertaining children at the Father Agnel's School and at the Delhi Public School (DPS) at Mathura Road on August 27th. The NBA's Director of Basketball Operations (India) Troy Justice and Indian basketball's legendary player and coach Shiba Maggon also assisted Gasol in his clinics

Another special feature of Gasol's visit to India was that he brought along the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy, one which he won with the Los Angeles Lakers for the second year running in June. This was the first time that this trophy was brought to Indian soil, and it garnered as much attention as the superstar player himself! Gasol unveiled it during his clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi much to the delight of the young NBA fans in the crowds.

Gasol will be skipping the FIBA World Basketball Championships set to tip off in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 28th. He was the Most Valuable Player of the championships when he led Spain to a victory in 2006. Although he won't play this time, he will be heading to Turkey to watch his team perform during the latter stages of the tournament. "I have been playing a lot of basketball over the last few years and I believe that my body needs a rest, physically as well as mentally. I will be able to return to the court for the beginning of the NBA season with more energy."

With his international achievements, Gasol is not only an ambassador to India for the NBA but also for global basketball. "I have seen the game grow so much already. So many countries play the game well now, and so many more countries are getting harder and harder to beat. I find it amazing to see countries that I strong basketball teams out of countries I would have otherwise never expected to be competitive at the highest level. It is rewarding to see the game improve like this."

"The more international basketball gets, the better! It's a sport that teaches good values and a healthy lifestyle!"

Indian Coaches to be trained at GMU

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With the recently announced IMG Reliance partnership with the BFI, India seems to be taking some positive strides in developing basketball facilities, infrastructure, and player development, but even the best players will be lost without the right direction. With this in mind, the BFI has also collaborated with jdBasketball and the George Mason University(GMU) to welcome 10 Indian coaches to Vermont, USA, for intense training courses, from July 2-12.

American basketball coaches JD Walsh, Craig Esherick, and Bob Baker have visited Indian in November 2009 and April 2010 to hold coaching clinics and camps for players and coaches. Now, Walsh (who has been at the forefront of promoting basketball training in India for over three years now), Esherick (former head coach of Georgetown University), and Baker (Head of Sports Management at GMU) are set to go through on and off court training that will include discussions of coaching philosophy, nutrition, strategy as well as marketing and organization.

The list of coaches, selected by the BFI, are some of the biggest names in Indian basketball, many of whom are past or present coaches of junior and senior national teams and have represented India as players in the past.

The coaches invited are:

Abdul Hamid Khan.
Aparna Ghosh
Bijender Hooda
Prasanna Jayasankar
Rajesh Patel
Rajinder Singh
Ram Kumar
Shiba. Maggon
Divya Singh
Gour Raghavendra Singh
Yuvika Sharma
Vinod Vacahni

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