BANGALURU: After Basketball Federation of India slapped a one-year suspension on hoopsters Amjyot Singh and Palpreet Singh for indiscipline, the latter has been hurt by the basketball body’s move and considers himself to have become a “target”.
The ban also means that Palpreet, who was drafted by Long Island Nets in NBA G league in 2016, cannot be a part of the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta. Palpreet was found culpable because of a picture on social media — in which he was holding a beer alongside another teammate, Gurvinder Singh — which had a caption that abused the national basketball team.
However, Palpreet said that it was Gurvinder who had put up the post after the two had sat down for a few beers due to frustration caused by their CWG exclusion. “The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) considers that I have put up a picture on Snapchat with some anti-national words. But, the reality is different. That was put up by Gurvinder,” Palpreet told Express. “Yes, we were drinking beer together. He took a picture and put it on his account. Whatever he has written, I am not involved in it at all.”
However, it is not the first time that action has been taken against Palpreet. He had been asked to go home after failing to report during the initial days of a national camp in Bengaluru in February. His name was removed from the roster.
The forward seems to be utterly frustrated with how things are shaping up. “I have been hurt by how things have gone so far. Why are they (BFI officials) troubling me? If things keep going against me the way they have been, I will not be interested in playing for India in the future.”
ashim.sunam@newindianexpress.com