Basketball: BFI, ACG launch India's first pro basketball league for men and women
BFI-ACG Partnership to take Indian basketball to new level
While the focus of basketball lovers from across the globe is firmly locked on the ongoing NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers at present, a major development is happening in India, which could change the landscape of the sport in the country forever.
Basketball is not as widely followed as cricket in India, but it is certainly not a new sport to the country. It was introduced to the nation way back in 1930 by missionaries, and that led to the formation of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in 1950.
The formation of the BFI was seen as the first major step toward promoting the sport in the country, and allowed the Indian national team to participate in their first international tournament a year later at the 1951 Asian Games, followed by the FIBA Asia Championship.
Fast forward another 75 years, and the BFI are now set to take the sport to the next level in India, joining forces with ACG Sports Private Limited in launching the first-ever professional basketball league for men and women in both the 5x5 and 3x3 formats.
The league was designed with the goal of providing Indian basketballers with a pathway to pursue their passion on a pro level, by creating a league system that will allow the sport to enter mainstream media and attract players to it from across the globe.
Some of the plans intended for the league include the development of India’s first fully residential high-performance basketball centre, which will feature international coaches who will groom and mentor up-and-coming talent both on and off the court.
In the near future, a League Council will take over the league operations and set up scouting camps and player development initiatives, while their long-term ambition is to foster an inclusive and commercially viable basketball ecosystem in India.
How India’s basketball players have performed on the global stage
While India has participated in global basketball competitions over the years, they have struggled to find the same sort of success as they have in other sports, such as cricket, badminton and athletics.
Team India has earned medals at the South Asian Games, FIBA Asia Cup and the Lusofonia Games, but their lack of infrastructure and proper youth development have been a stumbling block in the nation being able to compete with the best in the world.
These issues have become clearly evident in the last 10 to 15 years, with the Indian national basketball team dropping from 50th in the World in 2010 to 82nd last year, which translates to a 64% dip in the ranking in less than two decades.
The newly formed league is expected to tackle these issues head-on, with the League Council expected to start overseeing standards and operations in the coming months. Detailed announcements of schedules, participation guidelines, venues and operational protocols will follow in a phased rollout.
