Why basketball just dribbles in Mumbai

To most Mumbaikars caught up in the cricket hoopla or recovering from the country’s hockey debacle, the Savio Cup and the Ramu Memorial mean nothing to them. Never mind that they are the country’s most prestigious basketball tournaments.

The multi-billion dollar sport, which has elevated players like Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan to super-stardom, still plays second, even third fiddle to other sports namely cricket, hockey and football.

According to Tushar Chavan, a national level basketball player – yes, there is a national team – one of the reasons for the game’s lack of popularity is lack of motivation. “Basketball is an energetic and creative sport. But it still needs the right punch from the authorities. Good coaches are a need of the day,” he says.

Space is also an issue. While most colleges and schools have a football field, basketball courts are seen as a luxury. There are a few exceptions - Don Bosco School (in Matunga), which is known for its ace football team and St Xavier’s College – to name a few.

“Basketball players aren’t given appropriate facilities and allowances. Most of the time, they have to pay from their own pockets. To top it all, players who are used to playing on concrete find it difficult when suddenly exposed to wooden courts which are comparatively smaller in size” says Chavan.

With lack of incentives, there’s also a dearth of coaches. According to Syeed Bijapuri, who coaches the teams of St Xavier’s College and St Mary’s ICSC, it boils down to money. “In the US, basketball players are paid far more than the leading Indian cricketers. But as of now, our mindset is not geared to basketball. We are not motivated to excel in basketball and this might be another reason for why we lag behind other countries,” he says.

It’s a challenging game – one that demands stamina, footwork, and a high fitness level. Players have to mentally alert through the game, which says Bijaouri can change “in a fraction of a second.” It’s not an easy game to master. “An individual needs some special skill and knowledge to play this sport. It can’t be played by anyone and everyone as in the case of cricket,” says basketball player Kavita Shetty.

What coaches are hoping to do is introduce the game to students while they’re still at school. “Indians are more inclined to mental growth than physical growth,” says Stanny Monteiro, a city basketball coach. “It is important to strike a balance between the two, and  this can be done at  the school level.”

In an attempt to popularise the game at the school level, the US Consulate General in collaboration with YMCA Bombay, organised basketball workshops for students, coaches and professional basketball players on April 14, which was conducted by US basketball coach JD Walsh (see panel interview).

He’s optimistic about the future prospects of the game. “Basketball is still at a nascent stage here. It just needs long-term planning. I had a pretty good discussion with the NBA about it. What is most essential is to identify and develop basketball coaches who can package the game well and get children hooked to it,” he says.