Chief National basketball coach Veselin Matic at Alappuzha.
| Photo Credit: Stan Rayan
India could have slipped badly in FIBA’s world basketball rankings within the final 10 years however National chief coach Veselin Matic believes that the nation has shiny youngsters who’re capable of helping the nation climb up once more. But the nation must be affected person.
From 53 in 2015, the Indian males at the moment are at 82 whereas the ladies have additionally slipped greater than 10 rungs to 79. While different nations have invested closely in basketball and led to main modifications, India has not given the game the large push.
“India is not even investing 0.1% of what Philippines is pumping into basketball,” stated Matic, who might be finishing his fifth yr because the National coach this month, in a chat with The Hindu on the sidelines of the coaches’ clinic on the Alappuzha YMCA.
“In the Philippines, basketball is religion but they had worked for 50 years. They have a professional league, college league and high school league and they have four to five top-level air-conditioned arenas, we don’t have anything. In China, basketball is a top sport and billions are invested into it.”
In distinction, after a long time of ready, the Indian League INBL ran for only one season and gamers haven’t had a league for greater than a yr. That additionally impacts the nation’s world rankings.
When the Indian professional league returns, Matic feels that it ought to have international gamers.
“Other countries have six local players and four foreigners in their league. Australia (which now comes under FIBA Asia like New Zealand) has allowed one Asian player in its league. India also can do that, have an Asian player and an OCI player apart from two other foreigners. Allow two foreigners on the court for limited time, say 25 minutes. You can make such rules for your league,” stated the Serb who had been the National coach for Iran and Syria earlier.
“And maybe, with the presence of the OCI players there will be pressure on the Government to accept these OCI passports and include them in our national team.”
Young gamers must be inspired and given publicity.
“College basketball, the main force of the country, is not properly organised. And when you go for the senior Nationals, you will not see youngsters playing … every player is around 30. Only now, some teams have started including young players, like (Harsh) Dagar, Kushal (Singh), (Sahaji) Sekhon after they played for the National team. Before that, anyone who is around 20-21 will not be in the team. That will not move Indian basketball forward. It is important to have a regulation, how many senior players should be in the team (in leagues and nationals) and how many other youngsters can play.
“And our players don’t have exposure, we only go for the organised competition where we must go or FIBA will suspend you.”
The Basketball Federation of India is now headed by a former participant who understands the state of affairs effectively.
It is now time for the game’s high bosses to get issues transferring… and transferring quick too.
