For someone who never saw a bigger shop bigger than his arm's reach, it was more than just a cultural shock for the 16 year old 7'2" hoopster, finding himself amidst the Walmarts and Costcos. "When I was a child they looked at my size,” says Satnam, referring to his boyhood in the northern Indian state of Punjab and told me I’d be useless when I grew up. If only they knew how far up he would grow. He Just kept growing. His father, Balvir, is 7'3" and his grandmother stood at 6'9" tall. His father could have been easily a good basket ball player, says Satnam, but Satnam's grandfather, who stands at 6'9" disapproved, asking "who will tend the fields?"
When Justice Troy, NBA's Director of Operations in India, arrived in India last February, he had a task in hand; to search for best young talents in Basketball. For a population of over 1.2 billion, Basketball is more than just a rumour. It is restricted only to cities and towns and accessed by upper class boys by the virtue of their height and resource (read it as money) advantage.
When Ted Frostmann, the billionaire CEO of International Management Group (IMG), tried his venture through IPL a few years ago, he was shown the door after he asked for a small share in it. Therefore, he was careful in choosing his partner in India the next time. He tied up the wealthiest man in India, Mukesh Ambani to take over sports in this country. Soon, IMG - Reliance had bought all the commercial rights for Basketball (for 30 years) and football (for 15 years).
Satnam was definitely not planned, confessed Sam Zussman, Managing Director at the IMG Academies, but he seems to be the most promising prospect of the bunch of 29 selected from India. India, a nation four times the size of United States in terms of population and one third its size in terms of area, has no sports lineage currently outside of Cricket. India has never qualified for World Cup Football and as is currently ranked 144th by FIFA and as they say "The ranking only improves when they dont play". Just imagine if the sixteen year old goes on to play in the NBA? In a nation where more than one-seventh of the World's population live, it would be criminal to ignore its potential.
Forstman's latest girlfriend is Indian stunner Padma Lakshmi who hosts "Top Chef". He feels the talent pool of India is huge but there is hardly anything to do in the country. His first goal is to qualify for 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, in Basketball, he is trying to create infrastructure at the grass root level: conducting leagues, tournaments and coaching clinics. What remains to be seen is the encouragement of parents towards sports especially outside of cricket.
Mark Twain once remarked,"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked. India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." It was never far from any kind of wonder in the past and it is still happening. Justice Troy left for Punjab almost immediately after his flight landed in India and he was greeted by one of the most pleasing sight for any Basketball enthusiast. The coach at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy had lined up his players in order of descending height.
6'10", 6'8", 6'7", 6'6", 6'6", all teenagers. Would you believe it?
At the front of this queue stood the towering figure, Satnam, extending his long arms to hand over a bouquet. Troy just stood there in bewilderment and almost decided to take him. While Satnam might be the tallest in Indian Sports, he is not so at his own home. He hails from Ballo Ke, a village in north Punjab having 5000 residents. Satnam is right now training under the able guidance of Andy Borman who says he is Division I prospect.
Who knows what effect Satnam Singh Bhamara will have on Indian sports, on India itself, if he were to become the first of his countrymen to play an American professional sport? The only thing that is certain, Zussman says," is that Satnam's not going to get shorter".
A Small Step for a Long Pair of Legs!!!
:- Rakesh.S.Ranbir
Rakesh S Ranbir
