Indian Basketball: Total Story

[mvblair]

I wrote this in a visitor message to Yudihstir, but I wanted to post it here as well:

As far as sponsors go, I think that the best hope for India is if the NBA gets more involved. Domestic sponsors will want to see immediate revenue in India, but the NBA can provide long-term development revenue. Now, I don't want to see the NBA get more powerful in the basketball world (I don't want to see the NBA in Europe or China), but I really think it's a viable option for India, especially because David Stern is interested.

[FEIFEI]

Sloke,

Thank you very much for brining the point up. "Young Cagers" is the other name for the Indian National team. So it consists of the regular players playing under a different name. As its the NT so no imports.

Is it the best combination? By far, NO.

Its most likely only those I have mentioned would be doing everything, one more addition to would be Jagdeep Singh.

Apart from these nothing much is to be seen.

Thank you.

Yudhistir

P.S: Robinson, won't be in it as he is out with Knee injury.

Nice post!
We want konw more about India basketball,but can you give me more news about your NT???

[yudhistir]

the writer of this article confused how he can have contracts with two teams at the same time !

This was funny.

Nice post!
We want konw more about India basketball,but can you give me more news about your NT???

* Samba Kadam: 5' 10", Point Guard, 29 Years.
Lead 2007 ABC in Assist per game

* Talwinderjit Singh:6' 1", Point Guard, 23 years. Mentioned Above.

* Riyazuddin: 6' 2", PG/F, 27 years. Mentioned Above.

* Vishesh: 6' 3", PG/F, 21 years. Mentioned Above.

* Trideep Rai: 6' 4", Forward, 26 Years. Mentioned Above.

* Anoop: 6' 6", Forward, 23 years.

* Jagdeep Singh: 6' 7". PF, 24 years.
Very promising player, attended NBA BWB in China. This is what I was able to find about his international games:

Commonwealth Games

Barbados 96 bt India 55 (Riyazuddin 19, Jagdeep 7 pts+8 rbs)


Malaysia International Cup:

Chinese Taipei 115 bt India 95 (Trideep Rai 30, Jagdeep 28)

Jones Cup:

Samara 107 (Ulyanko 17p, Mikheev 13p) bt India 76 (T. Singh 12p, Riyazuddin 11p, Jagdeep Singh 10p)

Korea 92 (Joo Tae-Soo 24p+13rb, No Kyoung-Suk 21p+5rb+4s) bt India 73 (T. Rai 22p, Jagdeep Singh 14p+9rb, Talwinderjit Singh 12p)

Others

Kuwait 72 (Osamah Mubarak 23, Saqer Hasan 18) bt India 68 (Trideep Rai 20, Jagdeep Singh 13)

Kazakhstan 97 (Anton Ponomarev 29, Yevgeniy Issakov 17) bt India 74 (Jagdeep Singh 11, Lokesh Yadav 10)

India 72 (Riyazuddin 17, Jagdeep Singh 16, Trideep Rai 15) bt Indonesia 66 (Youbel Sondakh 14, Welly Situmorang 13)

Taiwan 82 (Yen Chen 24, Su Chie 13) bt India 74 (Jagdeep 25, Vijobi 19, Talwinderjit 14)

*Vineeth Mathew : 6' 10", Forward, 27 years.

*Vijobhi: 6' 5", Forward, 24 years.

Rest of the squad I don't think holds anything. So.......

Here's a dunk contest in Mumbai ( I know its lame, buy HEY a dunk is better then no dunk)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4moADtYuE

Thank you.

Yudhistir

[onono1]

Nice posts. Interesting, basketball in india has just reborn at least in this forum. Goodluck to you guys.

[yudhistir]

Below is the final squad thats for the championship:

Sambhaji Kadam
Talwinderjit Singh
Trideep Ra,
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
Hareesh Koroth
Riyazuddin
Mihir Pandey
Jayram Jat
Jagdeep Singh
Vineeth Ravi Mathew
Sanjay Raj
Harpalsinh Vaghela

Head Coach: Aleksandar Bucan; Assistant Coach: Mohit Bhandari; Physiotherapist: Sudhir Singh Rathore; FIBA Referee: Amarjot Singh Mavi.

[lovejones]

Hi guys. Here's an article written by Rick Olivares (Filipino) on India's Young Cagers. The author is in Jakarta writing about Smart Gilas and their experiences growing up as a team. Smart Gilas is the developmental national team of the Philippines composed of college players. The other national team of the Philippines is the PBA Powerade Team which is made up of professional players.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
India's Young Cagers: The Young and the Restless
by Rick Olivares
http://bleachersbrew.blogspot.com/



JAKARTA, INDONESIA -- Aleksandar Bucan is a long way from Serbia. After plying his trade in his native country where he played for Partizan, Radivoj Korac, and Zemun and coaching in Europe, the Belgrade native now finds himself in India coaching its basketball national team.

On the way to the Britama Arena, he sits quietly thinking of the storm that is coming. His Young Cagers are truthfully that both in name and in age.

India is far from a basketball country. The sport is so far down the line of priority that Bucan wryly notes that “we just have scraps.”

The roster of the Young Cagers isn’t even the best of India. Many of its best players play for the corporations that employ them. So they are part time hoopsters and part time white-collar workers. Government support is a pittance and when the national team is training, their allowance totals a measly $9 a day.

“What can you do with $9?” says Bucan throwing his hands up in exasperation. “No one will be motivated to play.”

But how is one motivated when there is no professional league. There are no proper basketball courts and facilities to train. For many of the cagers, the FIBA Asia Champions Cup is one big adventure until they figure out that it’s time to get a real job.

That the team advanced to the quarterfinals is victory in itself and Bucan is willing to swallow his pride at the coming beaten by Iran that has been making a name for itself in Asia as a basketball power. “But it is opportunity.”

He commends the Philippines for its love of the game and has plenty of good words for its head Coach Rajko Toroman. “Step in the right direction for Filipinos. In India…” His voice trails off. “It is opportunity.”

On the way to Britama Arena, forward Trideep Rai has his feet perched atop the high seats of the bus. He smiles at his teammates and tells a joke.

Bucan closes his eyes and lets out a sigh that no one hears.

Against Iran, its dangerous forward Nikkah Bahrami fakes Rai out of his Air Jordans then throws up a three-pointer that is all net. With 1:17 left in the first quarter, Iran is up by 20. Rai has a sheepish grin then looks at Bucan. Bucan cocks an eyebrow and gestures to his player. “That’s why you shouldn’t stay too far from your man.”

With point guard Talwinderjeet Singh taken out by the tight guarding His opposite Mahdi Kamrany, India’s offense goes south quick. Center Jagdeep Singh who his oft the beneficiary of drop passes by Tal cannot buy a shot.

Iran’s high-flying American reinforcement Jackson Vroman and Bahrami take apart the Indians’ defense.

Bucan takes a seat, folds his arms, and leans back. “It’s for experience, he would later say.

His Iranian opposite Mostafa Hashemi meantime remains standing. He has not sat down all match long as if his team was far behind. It’s Iran 44 India 20 with 5:15 left in the second quarter.

With 2:03 left in the second quarter Talwinderjeet fouls out. He throws his headband on the bench in disgust and mutters in his native tongue. Bucan looks at him.

Hashemi pulls out Vroman not even bothering to send 7’2” Priest Luaderdale into the game. “We’ve got two more matches,” blurts out Vroman on his way back to the bench.

Iran leads by 26 at the half 50-24 and they don’t even bother to go to the locker room at the half. They know it’s over.

Jagdeep Singh refuses to give up. He talks trash to Iran’s 6’11” Hooman Razaee who points a finger at him. “Don’t do that to me again or else…” he warns the Indian about his roughhousing. Singh looks back and on the next possession buries a turnaround jumper with Razaee all over him. He beats on his chest.

On the next trip back, Iran buries India with an artillery barrage from medium and long range.

Bucan’s Young Cagers in the meantime are no longer laughing. They’re sucking in air and looking bewildered. Rai would later exclaim, “When people ask me what I do, I say I play basketball for national team. Then they ask, ‘We have national team?’ So I say yes and they look at me like I am joking.”

But no one on the team is laughing and outside the rain is coming down in Jakarta.


India's campaign in the 20th FIBA Asia Champions Challenge Cup:

lost 63-88 Al Arabi Qatar

beat Al Wasil UAE 82-76

lost to Zain Jordan 59-90

lost to Satria Muda Britama Indonesia 59-79

lost to Mahram Iran 73-97

[yudhistir]

Jones,


Thank you for the article.


Yudhistir

[stuart]

The roster of the Young Cagers isn’t even the best of India. Many of its best players play for the corporations that employ them. So they are part time hoopsters and part time white-collar workers. Government support is a pittance and when the national team is training, their allowance totals a measly $9 a day.

“What can you do with $9?” says Bucan throwing his hands up in exasperation. “No one will be motivated to play.”

But how is one motivated when there is no professional league. There are no proper basketball courts and facilities to train. For many of the cagers, the FIBA Asia Champions Cup is one big adventure until they figure out that it’s time to get a real job.

The best players play for corporations and cannot be called for national duty? I guess that makes sense - the companies can afford to pay them better than $0.75 a day ($9/12)... crazy. When I find the time tomorrow, I am going to post these crazy facts on the frontpage.

Stuart

[kashmirbasketball]

Update on some developments on basketball in India

Kansas City, USA basketball coach Shahid Bhat recently traveled to Kashmir to conduct basketball clinics at Delhi Public High School and well as to volunteer coach at the 2nd JD Walsh Basketball School event in Kashmir. Mr. Bhat coached for 4 years at The Barstow School in Kansas City, MO after attending the University of Kansas where he studied Psychology. The University of Kansas is often referred to the birthplace of basketball, with the sports inventor, Dr. James Naismith having been a physical education instructor there, as well as the school's first basketball coach. His grave is located 5 mins from campus. Mr. Bhat has twenty years playing experience, covering youth basketball, high school varisty, elite AAU competition and NAIA level college basketball. His mission is to promote basketball in India and offer top level coaching in the sport. His methods involve all aspects of skill development, basketball specific speed and strength conditioning,, as well as psychological strategies for the athlete.

[yudhistir]

That was a quite a image.

[yudhistir]

Thats written by JD walsh, he has quite active in India and has conducted successful camps in lots of cities.

[playin2winnow]

this league is a sleeper, but shouldnt be strayed away from. . .coming up big and fast!

[Porush]

Amazing thread

Hey Yudhishtir thanks for the valuable information .

[No ads please, put it in your signature if you wish]

[raichu08]

In 2000 robinson was a part of the ABC (Fiba Asia) All stars and did not play a single minute.

Speaking of which, Where is the 7'4 mohammed islau din? I remember the guy, along with Robinson Participated in the slam dunk contest in abc all star game 2000. Fans were going wild after he made a kobe bryant between the legs dunk. Islau din and Robinson were defeated by pba player don camaso (now of the brunei barracudas).

[Smart Gilas Tissue Paper]

very nice