Basketball camp for the first time in the region at Nitte varsity

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 4, 2015 : Speaking to media, at Nitte campus August 3, MLC and Basketball Federation of India president K Govindaraj said the coaching camp, which began from August 1, would go on till August 20. The selection for final 12+4 will be held on August 21 and 22, followed by final coaching camp from August 30 to September 21.

 

 

 

It is the first time, Basketball Federation of India has chosen Nitte University at Nitte in Karkala as the coaching camp for Indian Men’s National basketball team for the 28th FIBA Asia Championship which will be held at Changsha in China from September 23 to October 3.

At least 25 members have participated in the camp. Players like Prasannavenkatesh Sivakumar (Tamil Nadu), Yadwinder Singh (Uttarakhand), Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (Uttarakhand), A Arvind (Karnataka), Aravind (TN) and Gurvindar Gill (Punjab) and Vinayak Kaushik have already joined the camp. Two players are playing from Japan and attempts are being made to determine the availability of Satnam Singh, who has been selected for NBA. Sebastian of Kerala and Ramkumar of Railways would work as coaches during the camp.

MLC  K Govindaraj commissioned the wooden flooring of the basketball court in B C Alva Memorial Indoor Stadium on the campus. He mentioned that there was good scope to develop basketball in Dakshina Kannada. The research and talent unit of the federation is conducting residential camps for basketball in Bengaluru. It was started last year and 20 players from across the State can participate in the camp, but they should have a minimum height of six feet, he said. Govindaraj also hinted at conducting National women’s basketball training camp in Nitte.

Nitte University Chancellor N Vinay Hegde said that the education institution had spent around Rs 14 crore in past two-three decades to develop sports utilities. The work on international state-of-art cricket ground with turf, football ground and hockey ground would be finished by December. Later an international standard swimming pool will be built. Indoor stadium has been developed at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore.  Dakshina Kannada District Badminton Association president Naveen Shetty and others were present.

Further, Basketball Federation of India president K Govindaraj was unhappy with the Central government for not giving permission to conduct basketball training camps.  He said politics is extended in sports too.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) is not releasing coaches to train players.  He said that though recognition from international basketball federation has come there is no national recognition, it’s all politics. A  letter to the ministry two months ago regarding the problem and personal representation to the Sports minister on June 16, is yet to  solve problems.