India national basketball team
Encyclopedia
The India men's national basketball team represents India
in international men's basketball
. It is controlled by Basketball Federation of India
.
Affiliated into FIBA since 1936, India has one of Asia's longest basketball traditions. Throughout its history, Team India qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship
22 times and is placed in the top-5 in appearances in this tournament.
when the team even reached the final four.
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
. 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 there matches and then losing all five of there matches in the Classification round.
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 Aussies 75-93 after leading at halftime 41-37.
Many Indian players also made headlines while in the Soviet Union as well. Ajmer Singh gained worldwide attention as he was amogst the top 10 shooters there and became the 10th best pivot player in the tournament there.
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. Later, he became the first Indian player ever to get a contract offer from another continent when he signed for Negar sang Sharekord in Iran.
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.
in America
has long recognized the increased importance of the Indian market worldwide and has supported the development of Indian basketball and its national team. At the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship India were coached by former Sacramento Kings
of the NBA head coach Kenny Natt
. Further, for the first time ever, India had its own strength and conditioning coach. Even though the team lost most games, its performance against Lebanon
, which had made it to the final four at the previous tournament, superseded expectations.
Officials still work towards the goal that India will eventually become truly competitive at an international level. The establishment of a professional league has been recognized as a major step to make this goal come true. In 2011, plans for the establishment thereof were officially agreed upon.
| valign="top" |
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
----
Legend:
|}
Olympic Games
Since 2003, the majority of India’s national basketball players compete under the team name “Young Cagers” at the annual Asian Club Championships
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in international men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. It is controlled by Basketball Federation of India
Basketball Federation of India
Basketball Federation of India is the governing and controlling body of Basketball in India, responsible for the development and promotion of the Sport at all levels. BFI oversees all the national level basketball operations in India...
.
Affiliated into FIBA since 1936, India has one of Asia's longest basketball traditions. Throughout its history, Team India qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship
FIBA Asia Championship
The FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
22 times and is placed in the top-5 in appearances in this tournament.
1965-1975
India appeared at the international stage for the first time ever at the 1965 Asian Basketball Championship where it started out as moderately competitive. In the following years, India became a regular at the event and had their most successful tournament in 19751975 ABC Championship
The 1975 Asian Basketball Confederation Championship for Men were held in Bangkok, Thailand.-Group A:-Group B:-Final round:...
when the team even reached the final four.
1980 Olympics (Soviet Union)
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. Its most noteworthy tournament appearance was at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics was held from July 20 to July 30 at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium and at the CSKA Sports Palace, both located in Moscow. Finals of both men's and women's events were held 30 July at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium....
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
American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions initiated by the United States to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan...
. A few of the world's top basketball powers at that time (such as the United States
United States national basketball team
The United States men's national basketball team represents the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds...
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 there matches and then losing all five of there matches in the Classification round.
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
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
, 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
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
for almost the whole game until it finally ceded to the Aussies 75-93 after leading at halftime 41-37.
Many Indian players also made headlines while in the Soviet Union as well. Ajmer Singh gained worldwide attention as he was amogst the top 10 shooters there and became the 10th best pivot player in the tournament there.
1990-2010
The late 90s saw the emergence of Sozhasingarayer RobinsonSozhasingarayer Robinson
Sozhasingarayer Robinson , also widely known as simply S. Robinson is a professional Indian basketball player. He currently plays for the Tamil Nadu Basketball Team which competes in the India National Cup....
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. Later, he became the first Indian player ever to get a contract offer from another continent when he signed for Negar sang Sharekord in Iran.
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.
2010-present
Despite the immense loss that the absence of Robinson brought to India, there have been steady improvements in the past. The National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has long recognized the increased importance of the Indian market worldwide and has supported the development of Indian basketball and its national team. At the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship India were coached by former Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA head coach Kenny Natt
Kenny Natt
Kenneth Wayne Natt is a retired American professional basketball player and ex-interim head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. He was a 6'3" guard and played collegiately at Northeast Louisiana University and had a three-year NBA playing career...
. Further, for the first time ever, India had its own strength and conditioning coach. Even though the team lost most games, its performance against Lebanon
Lebanon national basketball team
The Lebanon national basketball team is the basketball team representing Lebanon in international competitions.-History:The first time basketball was ever played in Lebanon was in the mid-1920s in the American University of Beirut...
, which had made it to the final four at the previous tournament, superseded expectations.
Officials still work towards the goal that India will eventually become truly competitive at an international level. The establishment of a professional league has been recognized as a major step to make this goal come true. In 2011, plans for the establishment thereof were officially agreed upon.
Roster
|}| valign="top" |
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
----
Legend:
- (C) Captain
- Club denotes current pro club
|}
Olympic Games
| Year | Round | Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1936Basketball at the 1936 Summer Olympics -Fifth-place classification:-First round:Winners advanced to the second round. Losers competed in the first consolation round for another chance to move on.* Estonia def. France, 34-29* Chile def. Turkey, 30-16* Switzerland def. Germany, 25-18... |
Did not enter | ||||
| 1948 Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics was the second appearance of the sport as an official medal event. A total number of 23 nations entered the competition.... |
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 1952Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country... |
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 1956Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.The teams were divided... |
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 1960Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna... |
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 1964Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan from October 11 to October 23. The United States defeated the Soviet Union to win their sixth straight gold medal at this event, while Brazil earned the bronze against Puerto... |
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 1968Basketball at the 1968 Summer Olympics -Group B:October 13October 14October 15October 16October 18October 19October 20-Medal bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place... |
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 1972Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics -Group B:-Medal bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place13th–16th Place Forfeited match.-Gold Medal Match controversy:... |
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 1976Basketball at the 1976 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 1976 Summer Olympics took place from July 18 to July 27 at the Centre Étienne Desmarteau and the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Canada. Women's basketball was introduced to the Olympic program for the first time at this Games... |
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 1980Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics was held from July 20 to July 30 at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium and at the CSKA Sports Palace, both located in Moscow. Finals of both men's and women's events were held 30 July at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium.... |
Preliminary Round | 12th | 8 | 0 | 8 |
 1984Basketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics -Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place-Preliminary Round:... |
Did not qualify | ||||
 1988Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in... |
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 1992Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament.... |
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| 1996 Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal... |
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| 2000 Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics -Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:... |
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 2004Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex.... |
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 2008Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 2008 Olympic Games were held from August 9, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Competitions were held at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China... |
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| 2012 Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics - External links :**... |
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| Total | Preliminary Round | 1/17 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
FIBA World Championship
| Year | Round | Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 19501950 FIBA World Championship The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires... |
Did not qualify | ||||
 19541954 FIBA World Championship The 1954 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from October 22 to November 5, 1954... |
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 19591959 FIBA World Championship The 1959 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Chile from January 16 to 31 , 1959. Amaury Antônio Pasos was named the MVP.... |
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| 1963 1963 FIBA World Championship The 1963 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 to 23 , 1963.- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:... |
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 19671967 FIBA World Championship The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:... |
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 19701970 FIBA World Championship The 1970 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Yugoslavia at Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from May 10 to 24 , 1970... |
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 19741974 FIBA World Championship The 1974 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:... |
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 19781978 FIBA World Championship The 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:... |
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 19821982 FIBA World Championship The 1982 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Colombia from August 15 to 28 , 1982.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:... |
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| 1986 1986 FIBA World Championship The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid... |
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| 1990 1990 FIBA World Championship The 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner... |
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| 1994 1994 FIBA World Championship The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton... |
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| 1998 1998 FIBA World Championship The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998... |
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| 2002 2002 FIBA World Championship The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:... |
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| 2006 2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee... |
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 20102010 FIBA World Championship The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the... |
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| Total | 0 Titles | 0/16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Olympic GamesBasketball at the Summer OlympicsBasketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
record
- 1980Basketball at the 1980 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics was held from July 20 to July 30 at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium and at the CSKA Sports Palace, both located in Moscow. Finals of both men's and women's events were held 30 July at the Olympiiski Indoor Stadium....
: 12
FIBA Asia championship
- best performance: 1975 : 4th
- worst performance: 2007FIBA Asia Championship 2007The 2007 FIBA Asia Championship for Men is the qualifying tournament for FIBA Asia at the men's basketball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The tournament was held in Tokushima, Japan from July 28 to August 5, 2007....
: 15th
FIBA Asia Champions Cup
- best performance: 2007FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2007The FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2007 was the 18th staging of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the basketball club tournament of FIBA Asia. The tournament was held in Tehran, Iran...
: 7th - worst performance: 2003 : 9th'
Since 2003, the majority of India’s national basketball players compete under the team name “Young Cagers” at the annual Asian Club Championships
FIBA Asia Champions Cup
The FIBA Asia Champions Cup is the Asian club championship for basketball organized by FIBA Asia, and takes place every year.-Summary:- Titles by team :- Titles by country :-References:*...
.