In 2011, Geethu was on the radar of three Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) teams. She attended tryouts at Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and San Antonio Silver Stars, but there was no further joy.
As Satnam Singh made news on Friday, far away in Kerala, Geethu Anna Rahul remembers how she narrowly missed out on becoming the first Indian to make it to top league in basketball.
In 2011, Geethu was on the radar of three Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) teams. She attended tryouts at Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and San Antonio Silver Stars, but there was no further joy.
"It was my dream to play in the WNBA, but it wasn't to be. But I am thrilled that Satnam Singh has made the cut. It's a very big day for Indian basketball," says the 30-year-old Geethu, who hung her boots a couple of years ago.
Busy tending to her four-month-old son Aaryaan Koshy, Geethu says, "The other day, I was wondering if my son will grow up to be the first Indian to play in NBA. I am tall (6'2") and my husband, Rahul, is taller. And Aaryaan is a big baby. It's natural to hope so, right?"
However, Geethu is glad that Satnam has managed to do so. "He owes it to his hard work as well as the system. Ever since the NBA set shop in India, things have looked good for basketball in the country.
"Sometimes, I wonder how my career would have panned out had I trained for a year or two under a coach in the United States. But I am happy the present lot of youngsters is benefitting from the system," she says.
According to the former India skipper, Satnam's NBA debut will not solve the great puzzle that's the Indian market.
"I hope so see a change in the mindset of the people. As a country, we have to realise how big it is to play in the NBA. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) needs to do more. There can't be (administrative) issues all the time. All this hampers the progress of our athletes. I hope things will change for the better now," she adds.
From setting many a court on fire during her school and college days in Kerala's Kottayam district to winning a truckload of accolades for employers Southern Railway, Geethu was the face of the sport in the country. She made the big leap by representing the Ringwood Hawks in The Big V, a senior basketball league in the Australian state of Victoria.
Geethu, who has moved from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram, wants Satnam to work harder and make this opportunity count. "I wish him luck. I hope he makes it big," she says.
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