IND - FIBA and BFI set course for basketball in India
NEW DEHLI (Development) - While the FIBA/NBA joint project Basketball without Border has successfuly started in New Dehli, top leaders from FIBA, FIBA Asia and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) held marathon meetings over the past two days in New Dehli with local and national sporting and public authorities. President Bob Elphinston, Secretary ...
NEW DEHLI (Development) - While the FIBA/NBA joint project Basketball without Border has successfuly started in New Dehli, top leaders from FIBA, FIBA Asia and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) held marathon meetings over the past two days in New Dehli with local and national sporting and public authorities.
President Bob Elphinston, Secretary General Patrick Baumann, FIBA Asia Secretary General Dato Yeoh Choo Hock met with the full Board of BFI under the leadership of President Gill and Secretary General Sharma to discuss the state of basketball in the country before meeting with the Vice-President of India, Mr. M.H. Ansary, the Mayor of Dehli, Ms Arti Mehra, the Government Secretary For Youth Affairs and Sport, Mr. Sudhir Nath, the Director General of Sports Authority for India, Mr. Sayan Chatterjee and the Chief Minister of Dehli Ms Smt Sheila Dikshit.
In all the discussions particular focus was given to a 10 years development program accompanied by the need for new indoor facilities, for enhanced quality coaching structures and for better integration of sport at schools, while capitalizing on the growing popularity of the basketball in India, especially amongst girls.
The establishment of a permanent basketball academy in New Dehli after the 2010 Commonwealth Games was also submitted to the authorities for their consideration as part of the legacy of the Games.
In a separate meeting with the Indian Olympic Committee and its Secretary General and IOC member Randir Singh, potential synergies between basketball and the programme of the National Clubs Games were discussed and will be further examined in a meeting in Beijing during the Olympic Games.
The nationwide programm may reach out to as many as 24,000 basketball teams in the lead up to the 2010 Games.
At the reception evening hosted by BFI for the Basketball without Borders camp, it was announced the India will be hosting the 1st FIBA Commonwealth Basketball Championship for Men in 2010 with 8 teams.