India is definitely not a force to reckon with in basketball given its 13th place finish in the FIBA Asian Basketball Championships in Tianjin, China last year.
India is definitely not a force to reckon with in basketball given its 13th place finish in the FIBA Asian Basketball Championships in Tianjin, China last year. And in a scenario where the national picture isn't all that bright, the domestic structure can least be expected to be promising. The scenario however is changing, according to national coach Aleksandar Bucan.
"Basketball in India lacks a professional set-up, financial security and quality tournaments. However, thanks to competitive tournaments like the Ramu Memorial and the Savio Cup, the local basketball scene is improving," Bucan told MiD DAY yesterday on the sidelines of the Ramu Memorial tournament at the Indian Gymkhana, Matunga. The Don Bosco Matunga-organised Savio Cup is another compelling watch, felt Bucan.
"The level of competition in both these tournaments is very good and this can be gauged by the decent crowds. There is no better promotion for a sport than a close match. I'm grateful to the organisers for putting up such a good show," added Bucan after watching Indian Overseas Bank beat Punjab 95-64 in a keenly contested men's match last night. In the previous game, ONGC beat Chennai Customs 84-62, while among the women Southern Railway got the better of Amchi Mumbai 61-58.
In fact, the 37-year-old Serbian has advised the Basketball Federation of India to take a cue from the Mumbai tournaments. "The BFI is doing a decent job in promoting the sport but even they will agree that there is a lesson to be learnt from these successfully run tournaments," Bucan said.
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