GREATER NOIDA: Can you name any current woman basketball player from India? You can consider yourself a massive fan of Indian basketball if you can come up with at least one.
It wouldn't be wrong to conjecture that a majority of the nation's population will struggle for an answer, more or less explaining the current scenario of women’s basketball in the country.
However, those present at the ongoing Basketball Without Borders (BWB) 2018 Asia Camp provided a glimpse of how that can improve if they receive the right guidance and facilities.
The 18 Indian girls at this camp — besides nationals from Australia and China — are learning the nuances of the sport from former WNBA stars, including two-time champion Ruth Riley, who is also NBA global technical director.
The Indian girls have been impressive during the programme so far, showing some great technical skills and not getting intimidated by stronger, taller opponents. Ruth seemed particularly impressed by some of them; Khushi Dhongre and Siya Deodhar in particular.
The former Olympic gold-medallist felt that India’s situation can improve if such youngsters are polished properly.
“Siya is the most improved player at this camp. She gets better and better everyday. She's a great defender, good shooter, and can penetrate and pick. Khushi does it all too, and makes her teammates better with her presence. It has been fun watching them progress.
"If they keep working on their game, they have a good future ahead of them. India's ranking (45) only means that there is room for quick development. You invest in these girls now, and you will see tremendous growth.”
However, it is only after they leave the doors of NBA Academy India — the camp ends on Saturday — that a problem arises. The academy houses only boys. The women will have to go back to their previous infrastructure, which is below standard.
Ruth stressed on the importance of putting proper infrastructure in place for girls in the country, apart from underlining the need to provide them further exposure. “This (academy) has great facilities, where they can play. How many such facilities are there around the country? Infrastructure is needed.
"It is not just one thing. You have to build courts. You have to build a pathway. They need to start younger so that they develop at an earlier age. You have to provide opportunities for them to play five-on-five. It cannot be just development of skills. They should be able to compete in games as well.”
Unless facilities for women’s basketball improve in the country, it will be difficult for these players to take their game to the next level and test themselves against the best.
ashimsunam@newindianexpress.com