TimesofIndia.com in Singapore: First impressions of the school as Villamar International School spoke on Tuesday morning NBA The Rising Star Invitational Tournament has been formed.The Korean team looks physically imposing. The Australians bring size and speed. The Japanese team is full of confidence and their system has produced players like Hachimura and Yuki Kawamura. Around OCBC Stadium, the difference in basketball culture cannot be ignored.Among them stood the only representative of India. from a school in Chennai.For a week, some of the brightest young talents from across Asia have come together. Some people come here with an established system. Others bring decades of basketball tradition with them.Villamar arrived with something else: expectations. Not necessarily from tournaments. But coming from a country still looking for its first breakout moment in basketball.The journey to Singapore started a few months ago. Velammal has emerged as district cluster champion before defeating some of the strongest school teams in the country.These performances eventually attracted the attention of the Basketball Federation of India, which recommended the Chennai school for the competition.“We came here to win,” Kushal Singh told Timesofindia.com before the team’s first game.“Every team is here to win. But we want everyone to play a tough game. We want them to know that we can play basketball too. Indian basketball is not slow. We can compete and we can challenge the good teams.”“We want to make history here.”
Kushal Singh
A dream that survives familiar advice
Long before Singapore and the NBA, Kushal One has become accustomed to hearing the questions raised by most Indian athletes who dare to choose a sport other than cricket. Why play basketball? Why not study? What about the future?People suggested he become a doctor, engineer or lawyer. They feel that basketball is not worth gambling for a lifetime. His parents didn’t think so.“People told them, ‘Let him study. You are not serious about his future,'” Kushal said. “But my parents always told me, ‘Go play. We’ll take care of everything.’ They always pushed me.’The former NBA Academy India prospect has never hidden his ambitions. “My ultimate dream is to be the first Indian to represent the NBA.”Kushal smiled when asked which round of the draft he expected to go to. “Any round. I just want to get picked.”Next to him is point guard Fyodor Prem Athithan, whose basketball roots run deeper. His mother, Malavizhi, is a former basketball player and his father, Prem, is a college-level football player. The game always revolved around this soft-spoken boy.
However, his dream was different from Kushal’s.“My goal is to play for India and help India win Olympic medals.”
A coach who keeps playing.
For Shamsher Basha, the leader of this team, basketball is a journey that spans more than two decades.He watched the seniors play and learned the game at Cheyyar before moving to Chennai and progressing under the guidance of coach TNR Chandran. get some inspiration tamil naduAs the most successful coach, he eventually began coaching himself.Sixteen years later, he continues to work with young players.Several of his students have represented India and Tamil Nadu over the years. Others found opportunities abroad and at university.However, Basha believes the real challenge for Indian basketball lies much earlier.“The biggest difference is fundamentals,” he told Timesofidia.com. “In a country like Japan, the basic knowledge taught in schools is very solid. In India, the fundamentals are not very strong yet. “Infrastructure remains a challenge. The same goes for nutrition. But perhaps the biggest struggle is a change of perspective.“Indians don’t pay enough attention to sports,” said Basha. “In countries like Japan and China, parents are very interested in sports. In our country, many people think sports are a waste of time. Because of this mentality, coaches face a lot of difficulties.”
Shamsher Basha, Kushal Singh and Fyodor Prem Artison
A glimpse of the next phase
Back in Concourse 3 of OCBC Arena, Velammal looked comfortable for nearly two quarters against Indonesia’s Jubilee High School.The scoreboard moves back and forth. They were in the lead early in the first half and looked capable of keeping up the pace.Kushar’s offense was ruthless and he hit three-pointers at will. Point guard Fedorbi Isiah Thomas contributed 15 points and 4 assists. He glides up the field with ease, reads passing lanes well and makes timely interceptions while controlling the tempo.
Kushal’s attack
Then the game changed.As the pace picks up, the advantages become apparent.“We scored well in the first quarter and took the lead, and we also took the lead in the second quarter.” Basha said after the game.“In the third quarter, we lacked physical strength. So, they used fast breaks and offense. They scored easily, including three-pointers and free throws. Our kids were very tired,” he added.The absence of Justices Ilesanmi Kayode, Gabriel Atem and Kuru due to visa issues made matters more difficult.“If those players come, we will definitely be the winner of this game,” Bazaar said. Unfortunately, they were unable to obtain a visa. “The final score was 95-61.
Team photo after the game
For Bashar, however, simply sharing the stadium with teams from Indonesia, Australia, South Korea and Japan represents an opportunity his players would be hard-pressed to find back home.“We never thought we would be participating in this competition, so being selected itself makes us very happy,” he said.“The students get great opportunities. We get to meet people from Korea and Japan, make friends, and even watch NBA players. Sitting at home, we would never have these experiences.”Basha believes that more games of this nature can help bridge the gap that Indian basketball continues to face.“Indian basketball will definitely grow if more such tournaments are held. Playing against foreign players and traveling abroad gives us valuable experience,” he said.The players also left Game 1 with something more important than disappointment: perspective.“We know other countries are better at basketball, so we have better competition,” Kushal said.“Back in India, we were number one, so we could compete with any team there. Now that we’ve seen that level of competition, we as a team understand what we need to do, what we’re good at, what we’re not good at.”“We can improve and give these teams better competition next time we come back. These teams are good at basketball, so we can see where we stand as individuals. We just have to come back better.”For Fyodor, lessons came in different ways.“It was a very good experience,” he said. “They ran a full-court press. In India, there’s no full-court press, just zone. Here, there’s full-court pressure, so next time we should be able to handle it better and make the right plays.”
The dream still exists
On the opening day of the game, Hachimura expressed his hope to inspire more Asian players to enter the NBA.“I’m thinking about all of Asia,” the Los Angeles Lakers forward said.The road remains long for Indian basketball.But this week inside OCBC Stadium, that distance will become more understandable.One teenager dreams of helping India win an Olympic medal; another dreams of hearing his name called on draft night. Other people’s dreams are more or less the same.For a school from Chennai, representing India on a bigger stage and still finding its place in basketball, that dream remains reason enough to keep going.
