CHENNAI: Usually, one may see Karnataka hoopster Sanjana Ramesh on the court sporting number 24 or 30 on the back of her jersey. Except on Thursday, where the 24-year-old Bengalurean had number 25 on her back. "That is my father's birth date — June 25," Sanjana said, as tears swelled in her eyes.
A month ago, after winning a state-level basketball meet in Bengaluru, Sanjana learnt that her father and renowned professor Dr Ramesh G had passed away. Her father worked at the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru as a visiting faculty, before working as a consultant for Jain University. "I think about him every second of every day," she said. "He gives me advice off the court on how to eat and when to sleep, and how that plays a prominent role in my career. There is a 24-hour rule we have set. It's like feel bad about the game for 24 hours, and then move on. Look at the next best thing. So, he really shaped my life a lot that way," she said.
Captaining the Karnataka side — which advanced to the quarterfinals of the Senior National Basketball championship after their 88-52 win against Delhi — she said she was trying to do everything her father wanted her to do. "I'm resting well, talking to my teammates, helping the next generation players to come up. I'm trying to honour his memory by wearing his number and playing with it on my chest," she added.
Sanjana's 2025 marked her first India appearance at a senior level in a FIBA Asia event (FIBA Asia Cup). She has represented India in U16 level (FIBA Asia Championship Division B in 2017) and South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Women's Championship earlier in 2025. "It (Asia Cup) was a big learning experience because India had not participated in this tournament in quite some time. We had a young squad, it is a squad I played with in U16 category. We weren't sure of how were were going to do, but we just put a lot of heart in it," she said.
In 2018, she became the second Indian-born female player to receive a North American Division I college basketball scholarship, signing for Northern Arizona University women's basketball team. "Basketball in US is very physical and that is one thing that I have learnt. You put 100 per cent effort every second you're on the court. You don't play around 40 minutes like how you do in India, rather you play maybe 20 minutes and then you get a break it is very intense all the time," she said.
Two years on from her graduation, Sanjana, as state-team captain, is trying to inculcate the lessons she learnt there into the team. "I would try to talk a lot when I'm playing defence. I also keep my teammates accountable. We don't talk a lot as Indians, so, I'm trying to change that," she said.
The aim for the Chennai-born Bengalurean is to improve her physical strengths, in the lead up to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. "Physical strength is where we are lacking more compared to other teams in Division B and Division A. Another thing I am working on is my skills. I train at the ACG Basketball High Performance Centre in Bengaluru and they really focus on building your skills. That has actually translated in my game already," she said. Every game going forward in this meet will be crucial for Sanjana. Winning the title would be a soothing and apt balm to her agony.
Select results: Group A: Karnataka 88 bt Delhi 52 Group B: Tamil Nadu 118 bt Gujarat 39 (Aahana George 18) Men: Group B: Uttar Pradesh 80 bt Delhi 77; Punjab 81 bt Chandigarh 74. Quarterfinal lineup: Women's: Karnataka vs Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra vs Tamil Nadu, Railways vs winner Gujarat vs Rajasthan (Pre-quarterfinal 1), Kerala vs winner of Delhi vs Puducherry (Pre-quarterfinal 2) Men's: Rajasthan vs Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka vs Delhi, Railways vs winner of Services vs Telangana (Pre-quarterfinal 1), Tamil Nadu vs winner of Punjab vs Kerala.
