Basketball league in limbo

Basketball aficionados are tired of waiting for the Indian Basketball League (IBL) to take shape. Since two years there has been talk of a league being put in place, along the lines of the popular Indian Premier League, but nothing has come of it.

“The league will help spot and groom talent. In a vast country like India, we need to develop a club culture. Once clubs sprout in different parts of the country we will have a good professional club culture,” Aleksandar Bucan, coach of the National team. 

However, the huge expenses involved is delaying the start of the IBL. “Starting and running the league will cost us at least $2m. We are looking to sign a 4 to 5 year contract with main sponsors. Though we have been in talks with many Indian and multi-national companies, nothing has been finalised,” admitted Basketball Federation of India general secretary Harish Sharma.

Also infrastructure for the sport does not meet professional standards. “We hope to start the league in at least six cities — Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Ludhiana, Delhi and Jaipur. Infrastructure cost is likely to be Rs5 crore per city.

We have been asking state governments to upgrade their infrastructure but only Karnataka has done something,” Sharma added.

There is no lack of talent here. According to Bucan: “We will be able to field at least 8-10 teams comprising at least 10 good players each.” However, the recession could further delay the start.