While BFI Yawns...

While the BFI (Basketball Federation of India) yawns, basketball players in India are struggling for their place amidst other sportsmen. We wait for the authorities to do something, and our wait continues… for they don’t give a damn. Perhaps they do. But I don’t see anything happening. The rims still hang loose, bribes still work, officials neither retire nor contribute; and hundreds of other problems continue to abound.

Everybody agrees that we have a wealth of talent. So then why aren’t we seeing any upliftment? There are innumerable reasons, some of which have been analysed by me below:

Firstly, we need proper governing bodies. There are many associations in our country, but most of them operate unprofessionaly. Politicians who have no interest in developing the game are given top positions in associations. They get honourable titles while the sport hampers. Ex-sports persons should be made officials rather than those who neither retire nor contribute.

Many say there is lack of funds to develop sports in India. But is that really the case? I would rather say there is money for sports, just not for basketball. There are thousands and lakhs for other sports and crores only for cricket!

Speaking of sponsors, does any brand have basketball on their radar except for Nivea and Cosco? Basketball aside, even the Indian hockey team is struggling to find sponsors. And that’s a thing to be ashamed of.

Ironically, the biggest problem is hidden in the solution itself: the players. We’ve got a wealth of talent. That our juniors and sub-juniors are as talented as anyone else in the world is clear. Not only in basketball, but in any other sport. The problem comes during the transition phase: when they have to get out of junior outfits and step into senior ones. During this little journey, thousands of champions stumble. And the excuses are: scared parents, academics, worries about future, et cetera, et cetera. For them, the game remains as an instrument of recreation only.

So ultimately, who is to be blamed for the downhill ride of the game? The authorities or the players? That’s for every sports-following individual in the country to decide. But what is unarguable is that the Government and its vehicles have to substantially increase their efforts to head Indian basketball in the right direction. Until then, we will wait…