Grassroots development: The BFI officials see the new league as a chance to take Indian basketball to newer heights.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Aadhav Arjuna, president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), is slowly and steadily putting in place a grassroots system required to make the sport a truly professional one. He is looking at the Indian men’s team competing in the Olympics in eight years.
Speaking to the media after BFI’s AGM here on Saturday, the 42-year-old said: “Our ambition is to ensure India takes part in the 3×3 format at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and be a top-3 team in Asia in four years. We are keen to take India in top-3 in Asia in 5×5 format and be in the Olympics in eight years.”
The professional league (men & women), which has been the talking point in basketball circles for a decade or so, is likely to begin in six to eight months.
“The tender process for 3×3 and 5×5 is midway and we are very happy with the support of corporate houses. Once the organising partner (for the professional league called the National Star Basketball League) is finalised (likely on June 25), the league will begin in six to eight months,” said Aadhav.
“We are firming up our grassroots structure. We have signed up with Manipal University and will sign an MOU with Corvuss American Academy in Mumbai soon. According to the MOU, we will select 30 boys and 30 girls in U-13, U-16 and U-18 categories from the Nationals and groom them in the academies we are setting up across India,” he said.
Aadhav added that the BFI has created a Talent Research Wing (TRW) similar to the ones existing in cricket. It will have prominent former players and coaches who will play a crucial role in developing academies and scouting for talent.
“TRW has Aman Sharma, SAI coach, who will also be the TRW Chairman; India coach S. Baskar who is with SAI and has been deputed to BFI. We also have Arnika Gujar Patil, a FIBA Instructor, and former India star Ramkumar,” he said.
Aadhav has a mountain to climb, but he is not in a tearing hurry to achieve his goals.