It's not just their looks but they are a talented lot who are passionate about basketball. The Singh sisters apart from their sporting skills have also added the glamour quotient to the game. They are the glamour girls of Indian women basketball. Not only have they been attracting the eyeballs for their sporting abilities, they have also managed to add the oomph factor to the team on the courts. The Singh sisters, as they are popularly known, have been making waves with their dunking skills and have already been offered to act in a commercial movie on basketball, which is to be directed soon.

Prashanti, Akansha and Pratima are the famous damsels who are not only making guys go gaga over their looks but have been instrumental in making the game popular with their skills. The sisters are a talented lot and are not only passionate about basketball but are also aware of the fact that with their looks they can add value to the game and attract the youngsters to become hoopsters.

“Yes we have been offered to act in a commercial movie on basketball which is to be directed soon. The deal is finalised and all three of us are going to be a part of the same project. Hope this endeavour of ours makes the game more popular,” says Prashanti, the third of the five sisters, who are all into basketball. 

The two elder sisters, Priyanka and Divya are no more into competitive game but have been instrumental in bringing the trio into basketball. The happy-go-lucky sisters took up the sport in Varanasi. The eldest of all, Priyanka, guided the rest into the game under coach Amarjeet Singh. With their sharp skills, all four, including Divya got into the UP state team. It was in 2002 that MTNL offered a job to two of the siblings, Divya and Prashanti and they moved to Delhi.

In fact Divya Singh, who is now a qualified coach, played for India team for several years and captained the Indian team at the Melbourne CWG. She was also only the second player after Geethu Anna Jose to have got an offer of playing in the international league in Chile in 2008.

Prashanti was the skipper of the Indian team for Guangzhou Asian Games, which also had Akansha and Pratima in it. It was under her leadership that Indian team won the silver medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games, Vietnam. Prashanti has also got offers from Maldives and Australian clubs to represent them, but she has refused the offer as the country comes first for her. Meanwhile, Pratima and Akansha are pursuing their Masters and Graduation Degree in Physical Education from the IGI College, New Delhi.

“It was our sisters’ success which inspired us to take up basketball and today it has become an essential part of our lives.” says Akansha, the second youngest of the five sisters who belong to a family with firm academic background.

“Our father (Gauri Shankar Singh) is in bank and mother (Urmila Singh) was the vice-principal of a school in Varanasi. They were always worried about our studies but were never opposed our being into games. And once we started performing, they became a source of encouragement and this made things easier for us,” say the sisters, who are now used to playing with each other in a team even at the highest level.

“It is very helpful as we discuss our game and this happens right after every match. For every advice and opinion we don’t have to look to others. We are each other's best friends,” says Pratima, the youngest of the sisters who find Delhi full of opportunities.

“Delhi is hip. We love the capital city.” But mention Varanasi and they get nostalgic. “It’s but obvious and we have grown up there,” they say.

The journey for the Singh sisters has been tremendous so far and imagining life without basketball has become near to impossible for them. However, they feel that game isn't in the priority list of the government and though it has improved tremendously, India still lack facilities and good infrastructure is denied to the players. “A proper systematic training right from the grass root level should be provided to children so that they grow up stronger and sharper and attain the ability to mold themselves to the changing situations on and off the field. Lack of sponsorships and the money factor should be taken up seriously by the authorities concerned,” they say in unison, stating that life has changed for good over the years.

"We enjoy our games and each match gives us another chance to improve our performances but at the same time there's a good amount of pressure we have to deal with. As kids there was no pressure and we use to play more freely. We miss those days and the fun we used to have as kids. But now life has changed a lot and eventually a lot of responsibilities have fallen on our shoulders,” says Prashanti.

Facts & Figures about Singh Sisters

Priyanka

• NIS Pass-out
• Coaching in a Sikh school in Bangkok
• (NIS Basketball Coach) wife of Manish Kumar (also an NIS Basketball Coach)

Divya

• Winner in Pool-B at FIBA Asia Championship for Women (3 to 10 June 2007, Incheon, South Korea)
• She is currently Studying Sports Management at University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware and working as an assistant women's basketball coach for UD.
• Asian Basketball Championship, Korea (2007)
• Friendly match against New Zealand (2006)
• Commonwealth Championships, Australia (2006)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Bangkok (2005)
• Asian Basketball Championship, China (2004)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Japan (2003)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Chinese Taipei (2002)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Delhi (2000)
• Represented UP at State Level - 1996-2001

Prashanti

• 16th Asian Games 2010, Guangzhou,China (CAPTAIN)
• Asian Indoor Games2009, Vietnam Won silver medal (CAPTAIN)
• FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for Senior women at Chennai 2009
• Asian Basketball Championship, Korea (2007)
• Friendly match against New Zealand (2006)
• Commonwealth Championships, Australia (2006)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Bangkok (2005)
• Asian Basketball Championship, China (2004)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Japan (2003)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Chinese Taipei (2002)
• Asian Basketball Championship, Delhi (2000)
• Represented UP at State Level - 1996-2001

 

Akansha

• May 2010 Most Valuable player in first All India Mastan Basketball Professional League held at Mumbai,Maharastra.
• May 2010 Best Player Award in the league match in MBPL,Mumbai,Maharastra.
• 2008 Most Valuable player in All India Inter University Basketball Tournament held at Nallore,A.P.
• 2008 Best player Award in Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
• Asian Basketball Championship, Korea (2007)
• 18th FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for Junior Women, Bangkok (2007)
• Asian Basketball Championship for young women, Singapore (2006)
• Junior Championship, China (2004)
• Represented UP at State Level - 1999-2004

Pratima

• 16th Asian Games, 2010,china
• 24th FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for Senior Women, 2009, Chennai, India
• 19th FIBA Asia Basketball Championship for Junior Girls,2008,Medan,Indonesia (CAPTAIN)
• 18th FIBA Asian Basketball Championship for Junior Women, Bangkok (2007)
• Asian Basketball Championship for young women, Singapore (2006)
• Represented UP at State Level - 2003-2006

pic credit:akankshasingh04.wordpress.com

Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News