IND - India bring in experienced coaching trio to lead national teams

NEW DEHLI (BFI) - The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has announced the appointment of three American coaches to lead India’s national men’s and women’s teams, and further the BFI’s grassroots growth of the game in India.

Former NBA player and coach Kenny Natt (pictured) is taking over as head coach of the men's senior team, while esteemed US college coaching veteran Pete Gaudet takes charge of the women's side.

Additionally, regarded strength and conditioning coach Zak Penwell has been appointed to support both the men's and women's national teams.

"We are excited beyond words to bring on board these three incredible coaches, who will play a critical role in helping us achieve our vision of growing basketball in India by developing and showcasing the best player and coaching talent in the country,” said BFI Chief Executive Officer Harish Sharma.

“The introduction of this wealth of basketball knowledge and ability is a watershed moment for Indian basketball.”

Natt served as an assistant to famed Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan for nine years, before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings.

He was the Kings' interim head coach during the 2008-2009 season and played in the NBA for three season in the early 1980s.

Gaudet has been in basketball for more than 40 years and coached both men and women at the highest levels of American college basketball.

He has held positions at West Point, Duke University - where, as an assistant to Mike Kryzewski, he won two NCAA Men's Championships and made seven Final Four appearances - as well as Vanderbilt and Ohio State.

Penwell, a graduate from US collegiate basketball powerhouse University of Connecticut, most recently worked with Scotland's Sportscotland Institute of Sport, where he worked with a variety of athletes from different sports.

As the BFI's Strengh and Conditioning coach, he will be responsible for developing and implementing specialised nutritional, strength training and conditioning programme for all of India's national men's and women's teams.

In addition to individual skill development and team coaching of the elite men’s and women’s players in India, Natt, Gaudet, and Penwell will play integral roles in the development of basketball coaching talent in the country, educating and mentoring Indian basketball coaches throughout the BFI system.

They will also be deeply involved in construction of the BFI’s and IMG Reliance’s overall basketball development plan for both the Youth and Senior Men’s and Women’s National Team programmes.

Both India's national teams have a busy summer ahead of them.

The men are to play the FIBA Asia Middle Asia sub zone qualifying tournament in New Delhi scheduled for mid-July in a bid to book their place at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship to be held in Wuhan, China from 15-25 September.

Meanwhile, the women's team has already qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship for Women to be held in Omura-Nagasaki from 21-28 August.

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