India’s men’s national basketball team did not only go to the Philippines to compete in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ Quezon City window.
They weren’t here just to fight against the world no. 27 Tall Blacks and no. 33 Gilas. They also wanted to get a model of how basketball is run here in the Philippines.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“In India, we only have a national championship. I am happy that we will have the INBL,” said India head coach Veselin Matic, who has been in the game as a head coach since 1988.
“We are promoting the league. We are bringing basketball to another level.”
Unlike past Indian teams, Matic brought a young team to the Qualifiers.
The youngest is 18-year-old Pranav Prince. Also in the lineup are 20-year-olds Sahaij Singh Sekhon and Rajeev Kumar; 21-year-olds Princepal Singh, Prashant Singh Rawat, and Arvind Muthu Krishnan.
Matic did this to give them exposure before the launch of the India National Basketball League.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“We are confident as a young team because there’s a league starting in India,” said Rawat, who averaged 7.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in three games played.
“There will be a lot of opportunity for the young players and we are excited to play in that league.”
“The federation is organizing an INBL league which will launch soon. We will have more games to play and, hopefully, we will be better in the future,” added Sekhon, normed a team-high 9.7 points with 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals during the window.
Even the veterans of the team are looking forward to the INBL, believing that it will change the game.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“We are going to start our new league, the INBL,” said 30-year-old Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.
“I can say, definitely, basketball will change in India.
“Once you have a league, players from other countries will come and we will have a better experience and a better game. It will be a good thing for India and our young players,” continued the 6-foot-5 banger, who put up numbers of 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in the competition.
For his part, Matic knows that it will be a long process before India becomes part of Asia’s upper echelon.
But having experienced success with Iran, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria in the past, the 61-year-old Serbian knows that it’s his time to give back to the support by elevating India’s game.
“We are happy that we are coming to a country like the Philippines which has basketball as a religion. Christianity is one part, basketball is another part,” said Matic, who was part of FR Yugoslavia’s coaching staff that won the 2002 World Championships.
“My mission is to bring basketball to the next level in India. I know we will not be champions with India but it’s about creating something new.”
