India men's national basketball team
The India men's national basketball team represents India in international men's basketball . It is controlled by Basketball Federation of India .[ 3]
A 1936 founding member of FIBA Asia ,[ 4] India has one of Asia's longest basketball traditions. Throughout its history, Team India qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship 26 times and is placed in the top five in appearances in this tournament. Further, India's basketball team won four gold medals and one silver medal at the South Asian Games and became the most successful team in the South Asian region. India have also won the SABA Championship six times.[ 5] Team India celebrated its victory at the 2014 Lusofonia Games after they finished the tournament with a 4–0 record as they beat 11–time African Champions Angola in the final.[ 6]
Its most famous moment came at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup with the win against home favorites and most successful Asian team China by seven points.[ 3] [ 7] This win has been labelled as the biggest basketball win in the nation's history. [ 8]
History
India appeared at the international stage for the first time ever at the Asian Games in the 1951 edition and the Asian Championships at the 1965 Asian Basketball Championship where it started out as moderately competitive. India became a regular at the event and had their most successful tournament in 1975 when the team even reached the final four.[ 9] [ 10]
Plagued by a lack of popularity and support for basketball at home, at times, India faded into oblivion and only had a handful of successful performances.[ 11] Its most noteworthy tournament appearance was at the 1980 Summer Olympics when the team got its chance to represent Asia due to the cancellations of some teams who took part in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics .[ 12] A few of the world's top basketball powers at that time (such as the United States and Canada ) withdrew from the tournament. India finished 12th out of 12 in the Olympics after getting knocked out in the preliminary round by losing all three of their matches and then losing all five of their matches in the Classification round.[ 13]
While the results did not go India's way one game in particular caught the attention of basketball fans worldwide. India played against the Australian Team , one of the world's top basketball teams. India, which was made up solely of voluntary basketball players competed against the elite team of Australia for almost the whole game until it finally ceded to the Boomers 75–93 after leading at halftime 41–37.[ 14]
Many Indian players also made headlines while in the Soviet Union as well. Ajmer Singh gained worldwide attention as he was amongst the top 10 shooters there and became the 10th best pivot player in the tournament there.[ 15] The late 90s saw the emergence of Sozhasingarayer Robinson , the first Indian basketball player who gained considerable international attention. Robinson led India to a surprising victory over South Korea , one of Asia's top teams.[ 16] In 2005, however, Robinson complained that the structure and support for basketball in India was still mediocre and government officials did not do enough to support the sport. As a protest, he retired from the national team.[ 17]
At the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship India was coached by former Sacramento Kings head coach Kenny Natt .[ 18] In 2012, former NBA D-League and U.S. college coach, Scott Flemming, took over the team. Under his supervision, the team won the South Asia Championship in 2014. India had two wins and finished 3 places higher (11th) in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship than in 2011 .[ 19] In 2014, the Young Cagers (as team India is often nicknamed) won the Lusofonia games with wins over Guinea-Bissau , Cape Verde , and Angola in the gold medal game. This was Team India's first title ever in a non-Asian competition. In the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup India pulled off the biggest win in their 80-year history by defeating China on their home court 65–58. The establishment of a professional league was a major step in continuing this recent success the Indian team had experienced.[ 20] [ 21] India continued their dominance in South Asia by winning further South Asian Championships in 2015 , 2016 , 2017 and 2021 .[ 22] [ 23] [ 24]
Gallery
Competitive record
Summer Olympics
FIBA Asia Cup
Year
Rank
PF
PA
PD
1960
did not enter
1963
1965
7th place
7
4
3
491
542
-51
1967
6th place
9
5
4
709
797
-88
1969
5th place
8
4
4
748
720
+28
1971
6th place
8
3
5
563
632
-69
1973
6th place
10
3
7
744
902
-158
1975
4th place
8
5
3
754
728
+26
1977
7th place
9
7
2
957
776
+181
1979
5th place
7
3
4
539
604
-65
1981
5th place
7
3
4
521
511
+10
1983
6th place
5
2
3
298
310
-12
1985
10th place
6
3
3
585
459
+126
1987
6th place
7
2
5
518
608
-90
1989
6th place
6
2
4
472
520
-48
1991
13th place
7
2
5
575
596
-21
1993
did not enter
1995
13th place
8
4
4
537
558
-21
1997
11th place
6
3
3
433
409
+24
1999
did not enter
2001
8th place
6
1
5
406
508
-102
2003
8th place
7
2
5
551
678
-127
2005
12th place
7
3
4
545
578
-33
2007
15th place
7
2
5
468
627
-159
2009
13th place
5
2
3
371
415
-44
2011
14th place
5
1
4
283
310
-27
2013
11th place
8
2
6
532
641
-109
2015
8th place
9
3
6
669
789
-120
2017
14th place
3
0
3
186
249
-63
2022
16th place
3
0
3
169
305
-136
2025
to be determined
Total
26/30
178
71
107
13,624
14,772
-1,148
Asian Games
Asia Challenge
SABA Championship
Commonwealth Games
South Asian Games
Lusofonia Games
Other tournaments
William Jones Cup
Honours
Intercontinental
Continental
Head coach history
Results and fixtures
Win Loss Fixture
2024
2025
Team
2024 roster
Roster for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in February 2024.[ 31]
India men's national basketball team roster
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Santosh Pondicherry Somasundaram
Pradeep Tomar
Legend
(C) Team captain
Club – describes last club before the tournament
Age – describes age on 23 February 2024
Past rosters
1980 Olympic Games : finished 12th among 12 teams[ 32]
1997 Asian Championship : finished 11th among 15 teams
Pankaj Malik, B.S. Gowtham, Gagnesh Kumar, Ashok Kumar, N. Appla Raju, Parmindar Singh, Nishant Kumar, Virendar Joshi, Jaldeep Dhaliwal, D. Swaminathan, Srikant Reddy (Coach: Major N.K. Singh)
1999 Asian Championship : not qualified
2001 Asian Championship : finished 8th among 14 teams
Vinay Kumaryadan, J.Murli, B.J. Jadeja, Mohit Bhandari, S.Sridhar, Parmindar Singh, Ranjeet Singh, Austin Almeida, Sozhasingarayer Robinson , Suresh Ranot, M.S. Sabeer Ahamed, Des Raj (Coach: Keshav Kumar Chansoria)
2003 Asian Championship : finished 8th among 16 teams
Sambhaji Kadam, Gagnesh Kumar, Mihir Pandey, S. Gopinath, S.Sridhar, Parmindar Singh, Muraleekrishna Ravindran, Trideep Rai, Sozhasingarayer Robinson , Riyaz Uddin, Snehpal Singh, Des Raj
2005 Asian Championship : finished 12th among 16 teams
Sambhaji Kadam, Shiv Kumar, Mihir Pandey, Anoop Mukkanniyil, Yadwinder Singh, Rajanna Sanjay Raj, Muraleekrishna Ravindran, Trideep Rai, Sozhasingarayer Robinson , Riyaz Uddin, Talwinderjit Singh, Jagdeep Singh (Coach: Jay Prakash Singh)
2007 Asian Championship : finished 15th among 16 teams
Sambhaji Kadam, Shiv Kumar, Ravikumar Krishnasamy, Anoop Mukkanniyil, Roshan Thankachan Padavetiyil, Rajanna Sanjay Raj, Muraleekrishna Ravindran, Trideep Rai, Dilawar Singh, Riyaz Uddin, Lokesh Yodav, Jagdeep Singh (Coach: Aleksandar Bucan)
2009 Asian Championship : finished 13th among 16 teams
Sambhaji Kadam, Talwinderjit Singh, Hareesh Koroth, Harpalsinh Vaghela, Sunil Kumar Rathee, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi , Prakash Mishra, Vineeth Revi Mathew , Abhilek Paul, Jayram Jat, Dinesh Comibatore, Jagdeep Singh (Coach: Aleksandar Bucan)
2011 Asian Championship : finished 14th among 16 teams
2011 Asian Championship roster
2011 India National Basketball Team roster
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Captain
Club denotes current pro club
2013 Asian Championship : finished 11th among 15 teams
2013 FIBA Asia Championship roster
India National Basketball Team: 2013 FIBA Asia Championship roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Age – Date of birth
Height
Club
PG
4
Sambhaji Kadam
33 – (1980-03-15 ) March 15, 1980
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Services (amateur)
G
5
Narender Kumar Grewal
25 – (1988-06-25 ) June 25, 1988
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Services (amateur)
F
6
Pratham Singh
22 – (1991-01-10 ) January 10, 1991
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Tamil Nadu
F
7
Vinay Kaushik
21 – (1991-08-30 ) August 30, 1991
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
F
8
Arjun Singh
21 – (1992-06-08 ) June 8, 1992
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
N.W. Railway
F
9
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
21 – (1991-09-13 ) September 13, 1991
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
ONGC
C
10
Amritpal Singh
22 – (1991-01-05 ) January 5, 1991
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Punjab Police (amateur)
PG
11
Joginder Singh
25 – (1988-05-27 ) May 27, 1988
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Services (amateur)
C
12
Satnam Singh Bhamara
17 – (1995-12-10 ) December 10, 1995
7 ft 4 in (2.24 m)
IMG Academy
F
13
Amjyot Singh
21 – (1992-01-27 ) January 27, 1992
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Punjab Police (amateur)
F
14
Yadwinder Singh
26 – (1986-12-30 ) December 30, 1986
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Indian Railways (amateur)
C
15
Rikin Shantilal Pethani
22 – (1990-12-02 ) December 2, 1990
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Tamil Nadu
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
2014 Asian Games : finished 12th among 16 teams
2014 Asian Games roster
India men's national basketball team - 2014 Asian Games roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Age – Date of birth
Height
Club
G
4
Joginder Singh
26 – (1988-05-27 ) May 27, 1988
1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Indian Air Force
PF
5
Narender Kumar Grewal
26 – (1988-06-25 ) June 25, 1988
1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Indian Air Force
PG
6
Akilan Pari
25 – (1989-07-20 ) July 20, 1989
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Income Tax
SG
7
Prakash Mishra
32 – (1982-05-08 ) May 8, 1982
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Indian Railways
PF
8
Himal Chadha
15 – (1999-08-04 ) August 4, 1999
1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Indian Army
PF
9
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
23 – (1991-09-13 ) September 13, 1991
1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
C
10
Amritpal Singh (C)
23 – (1991-01-05 ) January 5, 1991
2.07 m (6 ft 9 in)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
PF
11
Prasanna Venkatesh Sivakumar
21 – (1992-09-25 ) September 25, 1992
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Indian Overseas Bank
C
12
Palpreet Singh Brar
20 – (1994-01-03 ) January 3, 1994
2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)
Punjab
F
13
Amjyot Singh
22 – (1992-01-27 ) January 27, 1992
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Indian Overseas Bank
PF
14
Yadwinder Singh
27 – (1986-12-30 ) December 30, 1986
1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
C
15
Rikin Shantilal Pethani
23 – (1990-12-02 ) December 2, 1990
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Indian Overseas Bank
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
Club – describes last club before the tournament
Age – describes age on 19 September 2014
2015 FIBA Asia Championship "finished 8th Among 16 qualified teams in Asia "
2015 FIBA Asia Championship roster
India men's national basketball team - 2015 FIBA Asia Championship roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Age – Date of birth
Height
Club
F
3
Vinay Kaushik
24 – (1991-08-30 ) August 30, 1991
1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Income Tax
G
4
Rajesh Prakash Uppar
24 – (1991-01-20 ) January 20, 1991
1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Vijaya Bank
G
7
Siddhant Sanjay Shinde
24 – (1991-06-15 ) June 15, 1991
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Customs
G
9
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
24 – (1991-09-13 ) September 13, 1991
1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
C
10
Amritpal Singh
24 – (1991-01-05 ) January 5, 1991
2.07 m (6 ft 9 in)
Tokyo Excellence
F
13
Vikas Kumar
26 – (1988-11-13 ) November 13, 1988
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Haryana Police
F
14
Yadwinder Singh
28 – (1986-12-30 ) December 30, 1986
1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
F
15
Arvind Arumugam
24 – (1991-01-28 ) January 28, 1991
1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Vijaya Bank
F
22
Amjyot Singh
23 – (1992-01-27 ) January 27, 1992
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Tokyo Excellence
G
66
Akilan Pari
26 – (1989-07-20 ) July 20, 1989
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Income Tax
C
69
Akashdeep Hazra
19 – (1996-07-01 ) July 1, 1996
2.13 m (7 ft 0 in)
Indian Railways
F
96
Gurvinder Singh Gill
19 – (1996-01-21 ) January 21, 1996
2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Punjab
Head coach
2016 FIBA Asia Challenge "finished 7th Among 12 qualified teams in Asia "
2017 FIBA Asia Cup [ 33]
2017 FIBA Asia Cup roster
India men's national basketball team – 2017 FIBA Asia Cup roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Age – Date of birth
Height
Club
Ctr.
PF
6
Aravind Annadurai
24 – (1993-07-05 ) July 5, 1993
2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Indian overseas bank
G
7
tanmay shende
18 – (1999-07-22 ) July 22, 1999
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Vijaya Bank Bangalore
G
8
Rajvir Singh (basketball)
21 – (1995-10-25 ) October 25, 1995
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Punjab Police
G
9
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
25 – (1991-09-13 ) September 13, 1991
1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Adelaide 36ers
C
10
Amritpal Singh (basketball)
26 – (1991-01-05 ) January 5, 1991
2.10 m (6 ft 11 in)
Sydney Kings
C
15
Rikin Pethani
26 – (1990-12-02 ) December 2, 1990
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Income Tax Chennai
F
22
Amjyot Singh
25 – (1992-01-27 ) January 27, 1992
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Punjab Police
PG
24
Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi
17 – (1999-12-07 ) December 7, 1999
1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Indian overseas bank
G
46
Prasanna Sivakumar
24 – (1992-09-25 ) September 25, 1992
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Indian overseas bank
C
52
Satnam Singh Bhamara
21 – (1995-12-10 ) December 10, 1995
2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
Texas Legends
F
77
Muin Bek Hafeez
21 – (1996-03-16 ) March 16, 1996
1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Indian overseas bank
PG
99
Talwinderjit Singh
30 – (1986-10-20 ) October 20, 1986
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Head coach
Philip John Weber
Assistant coach(es)
Steven Philip John Klei
Sebastian Padipurakkal Joseph
Baskar Sappaniambalam
Legend
(C) Team captain
(NP) Naturalized player
Club – describes last club before the tournament
Age – describes age on 8 August 2017
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification
India men's national basketball team roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Age – Date of birth
Height
Club
Ctr.
SF
4
Arshpreet Bhullar
22 – (1996-10-02 ) October 2, 1996
1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Pune Peshwas
PG
23
Shahab Jamal
21 – (1995-09-25 ) September 25, 1995
1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Pune Peshwas
PF
6
Aravind Annadurai
24 – (1993-07-05 ) July 5, 1993
2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Indian Overseas Bank
C
10
Amritpal Singh
26 – (1991-01-05 ) January 5, 1991
2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Sydney Kings
C
13
Jagdeep Singh
31 – (1986-01-10 ) January 10, 1986
1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Punjab Police Jalandhar
C
15
Rikin Pethani
27 – (1990-12-02 ) December 2, 1990
2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Chennai Slam
F
25
Arvind Arumugam
27 – (1991-01-28 ) January 28, 1991
1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Vijaya Bank
F/C
40
Gurvinder Gill
22 – (1996-01-21 ) January 21, 1996
2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Punjab Steelers
G/F
46
Prasanna Sivakumar
25 – (1992-09-25 ) September 25, 1992
1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
C
52
Satnam Singh Bhamara
23 – (1995-10-12 ) October 12, 1995
2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
Texas Legends
60
Prudhvishwar Ambati
22 – (1996-01-23 ) January 23, 1996
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Sambhaji Kadam
Legend
(C) Team captain
Club – describes last club before the tournament
Age – describes age on 23 November 2017
2022 FIBA Asia Cup qualification
2022 FIBA Asia Cup qualification
India national basketball team – 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualification roster
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
Club – describes last club before the tournament
Age – describes age on 21 February 2021
See also
References
^ "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike" . FIBA . 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024 .
^ "The Indian Cagers: Know your Indian men's basketball team" . 2 October 2015.
^ a b [1] Archived 13 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine FIBA.com – National Federations & Leagues
^ Jai Prakash, "Indian basketball team to feature in Dubai tournament" Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine , Yahoo Cricket India, 3 June 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^ Pakistan basketball team named for 11th South Asian Games Archived 23 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine , gz2010.cn, accessed 25 March 2012.
^ "Lusofonia Games '14: Indian men win historic gold; Women settle for bronze - Ekalavyas | Ekalavyas" . Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015 .
^ "FIBA LiveStats" . www.fibalivestats.com . Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017 .
^ "5th FIBA Asia Cup: India beats China for biggest basketball win in the nation's history - Ekalavyas | Ekalavyas" . Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015 .
^ "1975 Asian Championship for men" . FIBA. Archived from the original on 24 December 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2018 .
^ "Howard tour;NBA archived posts" . NBA.com . Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link )
^ "Indian basketball team: A topsy-turvy trail" . Retrieved 9 March 2023 .
^ "The first and last time India played basketball at the Olympics" . 18 December 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023 .
^ "Basketball at 1980 Olympics: India's road to qualification, roster, results, top performers and more" . 23 July 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2023 .
^ [2] Archived 3 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine FIBA: 1980 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men, archives.fiba.com, accessed 17 October 2011.
^ "Indian basketball team at the 1980 Olympics" . Retrieved 10 May 2021 .
^ http://www.taiwanhoops.com/2004/11/stankovic-cup-day-4-robinsons-36-leads.html Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Taiwan Hoops - Stankovic Cup Day 4 – Robinson's 36 leads India upset Korea, 81-76, taiwanhoops.com, written 24 November 2004, accessed 13 October 2011.
^ http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/04/stories/2007120411292200.htm Archived 25 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Hindu - Sport / Basketball : Robinson not to play for India, TN, Hindu.com, written 4 Dec 2007, accessed 15 October 2011.
^ "I'm here to create a superstar, says India's NBA coach Kenny Natt" . The Times of India . 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2017 .
^ "26th FIBA Asia Championship : Schedule & Results" . Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011 .
^ "Indian National Basketball League from January 4" . The Hindu . 18 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021 .
^ "BFI launch INBL (Indian National Basketball League), aim to take sport to higher standards across all formats" . 19 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021 .
^ "India Men's Basketball Team Win SABA Championship For Sixth Time" . 19 November 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ "Indian men's team wins South Asian Basketball Association C'ships for sixth time" . 19 November 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ "India crowned SABA Championship basketball winners for the sixth time" . Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ Kushala, S. (22 May 2002). "Do we need one more stadium?" . The Times of India . Retrieved 27 June 2020 .
^ "Anoop MUKKANNIYI" . Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ "Trideep Rai" . Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ "Riyaz UDDIN" . Retrieved 24 December 2023 .
^ "India win gold in basketball at Lusofonia Games" . The Times of India . 28 January 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2023 .
^ "From NBA to India: New basketball coach Phil Weber hopes to create a culture of success" . 15 July 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018 .
^ "Roster" . FIBA. Retrieved 25 February 2023 .
^ "Former Indian basketball coach Rajan passes away" . 10 October 2017.
^ "India at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 - FIBA.basketball" . FIBA.basketball . Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017 .
External links
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