RAISING THE HOOPS - FOR RISING HOPES

Five years back when PROJECT SUMPOORNA - to promote basketball in Tumkur [read rural areas] started - there wasn't much of activity. But suddenly in the last one year, things are happening. A couple of hoops have been raised [basketball courts] but with the rising hopes these would not be enough. More and more children want to play basketball. AND THEY WANT TO LEARN THE GAME!

The crowds at SUMPOORNA are a testimony to this. The whole of last year was HOUSE FULL. We have begun the work to make additional TWO COURTS. But the future is going to be much larger than a few basketball courts. An opportunity exists for basketball promoters like never before. AND THIS KNOWLEDGE CAME TO US - because we are always looking to discover HOOPS in odd places.

When we were invited as AMBASSADORS OF BASKETBALL by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Yenigadale [Chintamani - 100 Kms from Bangalore] - we suddenly realised the potential of HARDLY BEING USED BASKETBALL COURTS. After that we offered our services to JNV Doddaballapur [40 Km from Bangalore] and Urdigere [70 Kms from Bangalore] - and we were welcomed royally. In 3 day camps - battle lines for tournaments were drawn up. LEARNING BECAME SUPERSONIC - and passions were raised. Children who had never touched the ball - wanted to shoot 3 pointers - wanted to dunk and wanted to ---- do all those things that CRAZY BASKETBALL PLAYERS DO! Their hopes had been raised and now nothing shall stop them from playing basketball.

AND NOW Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan is constructing new residential schools for girls in extremely remote areas - I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY which won't come again. We [SUMPOORNA and NBA] can catalyse this momentum - the pieces are in place. I suggest we use JNV COURTS [which every district has] as the starting places where the children of KASTURBA GANDHI BALIKA VIDYALAYAS can initially be trained. After a 5 day training programme [ in which JNV CHILDREN too can join in] - A HOOP IS RAISED IN THEIR SCHOOL.

AS the programme gets under way, we can then train FIVE STUDENTS from each school at SUMPOORNA campus for learning how to play matches. And then can begin the inter-school which should raise THE HOPES of every school. These five students also become the flag bearers of a basketball revolution never seen before. Support can be provided wherever necessary and a shoe-string budget can raise HOOPS made of local materials.

INDIA can adopt an innovative method of sports promotion. The one thousand crores plus that we will spend on Commonwealth games cannot create such a movement. It would need missionary basketball soldiers to lead - and SUMPOORNA is in the process of creating at least ONE THOUSAND AMBASSADORS of basketball this year. YOU TOO ARE INVITED. I shall raise your hopes as I raise the hoops.

Almost one year back, I had met two representatives of NBA in the office of Director, SPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA, BANGALORE and they were worried that not enough infra-structure [INDOOR BASKETBALL COURTS] was in place. And even what was available - was not proper. I think to expect India to put in place similar infrastructure as in USA would be impossible. Let us accept what we have - clay courts, RCC courts and whatsoever - even these are not used. Let us first bring the crowds to these existing courts - and that is possible when children in schools are motivated to play the game.

When I put two wooden shooting boards onto two cement posts [NOBODY KNEW WHY THESE WERE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE] - a basketball movement began in KORATAGERE [100 Kms from Bangalore]. Hundreds gathered for the training camps. I travelled every week for the next three months to embed the virus of basketball in them. It takes only so much - the gruelling driving that I did during those days are MY GOLDEN MEMORIES.
If a challenge comes again to serve the `children of my nation' and serve `the game of basketball' I shall drive even longer distances with a smile on my lips.