Kochi: A week after being named as the CEO of Basketball Federation of India (BFI), Roopam Harish Sharma in her first media interaction at the Regional Sports Centre here said that she would carry forward her husband’s unfinished work. She said that it would be her mission of improving the standards of basketball in the country. “To Harish basketball came first in life and he had close relations with the international body, FIBA both in Asia and in the world. As a CEO I will try and maintain the same and will work with integrity,” she said.

“It was my husband’s vision to put the game on a high pedestal and has already taken basketball to a new level by signing a long-term deal with the IMG Reliance. Now, it will be my endeavor to take the game to even bigger height with the help of one and all associated with the game,” she further added.

On Saturday, the new CEO assured all members that she would continue to perform the tasks that had been left unfulfilled and wished to bring more professionalism into the sport. “We intend to hire more coaching staff from the overseas along with the Indian coaches to assist our national foreign coaches,” added the first Women CEO of BFI.

“There would be bigger and better championships. I just want basketball to grow and I am sure we are going to make a impact and the impact will be visible. I will carry forward the unfinished tasks of my husband in improving the standards of basketball in the country as passionately as he did," Roopam said.

Meanwhile, Indian Sports Minister Ajay Maken recently announced that the ministry would be instituting a trophy in the name of Harish Sharma, with an award to be given to an outstanding sportsperson and an annual National Basketball Championship in his memory. “We are planning on the same and I assure you that this will be reality soon and will be annual event.”

By Indian Sports News Network