Preeti Tulachan, member of the Prime College team that won the Morgan Cup title earlier this week, says she learnt basketball after joining college a few years ago. [break]
The bright side of basketball for her is that she might get a chance to go abroad to play games. “U-18 boys´ team is leaving for India this week. We are told that the girls´ team will get an opportunity to go abroad next year,” she said.
At a time when basketball lacks sponsors, the involvement of colleges has been crucial in the development of the game. “Private colleges are our only sponsors,” said Helga Rana Rayamajhi, vice president of Nepal Basketball Association (NeBA).
Basketball is not just a game but much more. It has helped many students get scholarships in the higher secondary and undergraduate levels. “We recently provided scholarships to 56 SLC graduates sponsored by Higher Secondary Schools Associations Nepal (HISSAN),” said Rayamajhi.
“During our days, we used to get scoffed at for playing basketball. But now you get scholarships,” added Rayamajhi.
It has become a matter of prestige for colleges to hold games and win titles. And in this run, they have provided a good platform for the youngsters to explore their ability. “The youngsters are eager to show their skills and establish their identity,” said Narendra Thapa, senior vice president of NeBA.
Sharing his experience, Thapa said, students nowadays inquire before joining colleges if there is a basketball court or not.
The new generation has improved a lot in basketball, says former basketball player and coach of Prime College Bikash Shahi. “They have developed good strategies and improved their speed a lot,” said Shahi, comparing the present state of the game with that of a decade ago.
The reason for this is “more game and more exposure”, argues Shahi.
NeBA conducted 79 tournaments in collaboration with private colleges last year. It has held nine annual national championships till date. The list of games is on the rise.
NeBA recently introduced U-19 championships, which is in its third year, and U-16 championships running in the second year. Three-on-three championship was added this year and mini basketball championships for 9-12 age group children is in the offing, said NeBA officials.
Nepali basketball team´s debut in the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) was laudable for their exemplary performance despite their third place playoff loss to the hosts Bangladesh. Nepal had earlier defeated the hosts in the group stage and dominated the match with the Maldives only to lose in the last quarter.
The foundation for the competitive display by Nepali team was laid long before the SAG. There is a lot more we can expect from basketball if the current trend is supported with additional inputs from other sectors as well.
However, basketball is yet to cross the boundaries of the Kathmandu Valley and very few cities like Dharan, Pokhara and Chitwan.
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