"F23BC" - A semi-professional Indian Basketball team

It’s an exciting time to be a Basketball fan in India. Clearly, Basketball has increased in popularity and more people are taking up the sport than at any time in India’s Basketball past. The future looks bright as gradual improvements are made, and increased exposure of the sport should lead to better individual players and better performances for Indian teams. Technology plays a big role, as information is easily accessible worldwide via the Internet. Basketball as a sport has always had a strong appeal with young people around the world.

I became involved with Basketball when I was 11 years old growing up in the USA. I played High School and AAU Basketball heavily, tons of street ball and pickup. I graduated from the University of Kansas, where Basketball’s inventor James Naismith was the first coach, and where Basketball is nearly a religion. I coached for 4 years at a High School and also for an AAU summer team. I attended many Basketball coaching clinics, and tried to learn from some of the game’s top coaches, such as Roy Williams, currently the Head Coach at the University of North Carolina, whose Basketball camp I attended first as a player, as later as a volunteer Coach/counselor.

In 2009 I came to India, the birthplace of my parents , and started volunteering as a Coach after I realized there was a lack of Basketball Coaching and organization in that area. In 2010, I returned and organized some workshops for area high schools and refereed as a tournament. In 2011, I established my Private Academy for Basketball and organized clinics, tournaments, and a 10 team/8 week league. I became the first person ever in the history of sports in that region to Coach a sport for students at all 3 major High Schools, as well as for 3 Major Universities, which I accomplished in three months time.

Going into 2012, I’m happy to announce a new initiative I have planned: to start a Semi-Professional Basketball Team that will apply for entry into some of the top Basketball tournaments in India. Here are some of the details.

The tentative name for the team is Formula 23 Basketball Club or F23BC.

I would act as the team’s General Manager and Coach.

The team would receive funding from sources in the USA and Canada which would provide top quality Team uniforms, Jordan Brand team shoes, and players would receive a stipend payment for participation in tournaments.

We’re looking for players who:

Have a strong background in Basketball

Are between the ages of 18 – 35.

Are able to participate in Tournaments during the year.

Some priority will be given to players who are 6 foot 4 inches and above.

Indian-American/Canadian players are welcome to tryout for the team.

High level players in India can try out.

We would target 4 – 5 tournaments a year for our team to participate in.

One tournament would be in Chennai, one in Mumbai, and the others in Delhi.

If travel can be arranged, we’d like to eventually arrange a trip to USA/Canada for an exhibition tour.

I’ll be in Delhi in late December and we’ll arrange a tryout session at that time. Players who cannot attend the tryout session but who are interested, or who want more details can contact me or my assistants Abu Bakr, who is a student and Basketball player at Hansraj College, Delhi University and Aukif Khan, who trained at Ludhiana Academy and now studies at SSM Engineering College.

If Players are able to submit a resume or some information about their playing background and experience, as well as video of themselves playing it would be of great assistance. Once again, we are looking to enter the top Basketball tournaments possible in India, so we are looking for players who play the game at a high level. We look forward to contributing to the growth of Basketball in India.

General Manager/Coach – Shahid Bhat

http://www.facebook.com/KashmirHoops

Email: [email protected]

Assistant – Abu Bakr

Email: [email protected]

Assistant – Aukif Khan