Ten years ago, when basketball was still in its infancy in India, Rajesh Patel, a man of immense determination, took a bold step and set up the Chhattisgarh Basketball Academy (CBA) in the steel city of Bhilai. Formed in 2001 with a mission to groom players from the neighbourhood, CBA has been a haven for aspiring cagers from the region and from across the country. The academy, which started with five students, now houses 30.
“A large percentage of the players at the academy come from humble backgrounds, from working-class or labourers’ families. The academy makes a point of tracking down talented youngsters who face financial barriers. Right now the academy is home to 20 girls and 10 boys, and there are about 160–170 players who come from nearby areas and train here. For the first two months, players join the squad on a trial basis and their performances are closely monitored to decide whether they stay at the academy,” says Patel, a former basketball player who is committed to helping youngsters who want a ball in hand and a hoop to aim at.
“At CBA we believe that with a minimum number of players we can give maximum results. Younger players are preferred because I personally believe that the growth of basketball in India lies in development at the grassroots. We do not seek to draw crowds to our centre. Only deserving candidates and the have-nots should get a chance,” says the 5ft 6in coach, who could not play for the Indian team because of his height. He adds that he never narrowed his vision and has been working for three decades to develop basketball in India at the grassroots level.
A record of medals
Chhattisgarh basketball has maintained an outstanding record so far. The boys’ and girls’ teams play around 10–12 all-India championships a year. Twenty-six boys and girls have represented India’s youth, junior and senior women’s teams. Chhattisgarh teams have won 36 gold, 14 silver and 18 bronze medals (68 in total) in various age-group national basketball championships. The academy has produced some fine players in its decade of service to Indian basketball. The state’s junior, youth and sub-junior teams have performed well, but the senior teams do not do as well because the best players in the state join the Railways and other departments in search of better jobs and career prospects.
“Chhattisgarh also provides good jobs and employment opportunities through the sports quota, but the structure is not large enough to accommodate everyone. The financial structure and state government policies have improved in the last few years, with the government introducing cash awards and job opportunities for players. So far, 52 players from Chhattisgarh have got jobs on the basis of sport, 40 of them in the Railways,” says Patel, who won a gold medal in the basketball coaching diploma at NIS Kolkata and is currently Deputy Manager at the Bhilai Steel Plant.
Facilities and sponsors
The academy has four courts and a hostel on site. As well as training, it bears all the costs of the players’ education, travel, kit, nutrition and other needs. Most of the money comes from Bhilai Engineering Corporation, which provides Rs 30 lakh to the academy. Bhilai Steel Plant looks after the grounds, floodlights and coaching facilities, Cosco (India) Ltd provides kit, shoes, air bags and balls, and the Chhattisgarh Youth Welfare Department (a government undertaking) meets the teams’ travel fares.
“I wanted my children to play a sport, so I walked into the academy with them some 10 years ago. It was then that I saw the huge potential in the players here and in Rajesh Patel, and I decided to step in as a sponsor. Since then we at BEC (Bhilai Engineering Corporation) have been providing financial backing to the academy. Although it is in a small town, away from the modern facilities of metro cities such as Mumbai or Delhi, the academy is a centre of abundant talent which, given resources, can work wonders for the country,” said Rajeev Jain, Director of BEC and President of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Basketball Association.
Basketball is primarily an indoor sport, and the state needs an indoor court. Coaches and sponsors are doing their best to get land sanctioned by the government to build one. “We are expecting an indoor court soon, which will help us a lot, because sometimes the weather interrupts our training,” said Kavita Akula, who trains under Rajesh Patel and represented India at the 2009 Youth Championships.
Finding talent in remote areas
Rajesh Patel is always on the lookout for talented players around the country. In the past 10 years, many players have come to the academy from Naxal-affected and other backward areas of Chhattisgarh where it is not possible to train them. Some of the academy’s residents come from backward areas such as Korba, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur and Janjgir. Pooja Ambhishtha, who was selected for the IMG scholarship programme, is from Ambikapur, a Naxal-affected area.
The training schedules are well planned and carried out properly to get the best results. “We are expected to be on the ground at six in the morning, and we practise for a good eight hours a day,” said Poonam Chaturvedi, the tallest player in Indian women’s basketball at 6ft 6in. Patel spotted her at the National Women’s Games held at Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, in November 2010. He managed to bring her to the academy, and she has now been at CBA for two months.
“I am overwhelmed by the treatment I have received at the academy. I think if I had not been part of it, my sports career would have stagnated. All of us owe a lot to sir. My parents could never have done as much for me as he has done in the four years I have been at the academy,” said Sangita Mandal, who represented India at the Junior ABC Championship in 2010.
Thanks to the unselfish efforts of many people, the academy is now known across India and is one of the best centres in the country. “What is missing is an indoor court, and I am sure that will be made available to us in time, as promised by Sonmani Borah (IAS), Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Basketball Association, and Rajeev Jain, President of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Basketball Association, with the help of the state government. We are trying our best to get at least one to two acres of land to build an indoor court. Talks are on and we hope to get a sanction very soon,” added Patel.
The Chhattisgarh Basketball Academy has produced champions time and again, and the work goes on with the passion and dedication of its players and coaches. The set-up is well maintained, the plan of action is organised, and the academy has brought talented young players together under one roof.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
