Basketball has a history in India, although the game never really took off, unlike in the west. Basketball is a serious game in schools and colleges but when it comes to the international arena, Indians rarely find a mention of their team winning anything. It’s not that the Indian basketball team hasn’t played internationally but Indian’s haven’t registered any major win so far.
Despite all that, basketball in India has its own story to tell and this article will try its best to explore it. If you were trying to piece together the past, present, and the future of this game in India then you have come to the right place. While you’re here why not checkout online jackpots India, which has some very interesting and similar content to offer?
Let’s begin the journey. Shall we?
The Past
The first national men’s championship was organised in 1934. In those days there was no women’s team. This championship was played in the capital city of Delhi and took place before the inception of Basketball Federation of India that came into being in 1950.
Soon after this tournament, in 1936 the first Indian national men’s team was named as Cagers. After the forming of this team, the players have won many international games and have made the country proud. Unfortunately, the blind eye of media towards this game has put it in a dark place for long now.
The Indian basketball team qualified for the first time in 1980 for the Olympic. Desperate to take this game into the mainstream, the team performed dismally and failed to win even a single game. The Indian basketball team was rock bottom at the far end of the tally. Till now India hasn’t returned to the Olympic so far.
The Current State
Currently, the Indian basketball team has both the men and women’s team. The players have shown promise and many have performed exceptionally well both domestically and as well as internationally. In fact, the National Basketball Association of America has also recognised the potential of the Indian basketball talent and has committed to developing the game in India. The partnership has been formed between Mahindra that will set a recreational league for 14 to 18-year-olds for this sport.
The game of basketball in India hasn’t seen the type of growth the west has witnessed. The dearth of sponsors has been an Achilles heel for this sport in India. But with the advent of newer technologies and change in taste of Indian audiences, there’s some hope left for this game.
If the investments in this game by corporates increase then there will be an exponential growth in this sport. For once, we can hope that basketball in India will rise and shine and will make this country proud. For that to happen people like you and I need to take some steps and popularise such games that need and deserve more attention.
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