Four stars of the Indian Men’s Basketball team invited to the NBL Draft Combine
Four stars of the Indian Men’s Basketball team invited to the NBL Draft Combine
Indian basketball players Amritpal Singh, Amjyot Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi have been invited to Melbourne by the National Basketball League (NBL) to participate in their draft combine for the upcoming 2017-18 season.
The combine is set to take place on the 17th and 18th of April, 2017 in the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The invitation and participation in the NBL Draft Combine was facilitated by basketball management company Pursuit India.
In picture: 2 of the 4 invited players to the NBL Draft Combine. Centre Amritpal Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi representing India at the 21st Best Mart 360° Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championship. Image credits: Hong Kong Basketball Association via the Basketball Federation of India
Bengaluru/Melbourne, 15th April, 2017: Four senior members of the Indian national basketball team – Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh, Yadwinder Singh, and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, have been invited by the National Basketball League (NBL) – the professional basketball league of Australia, to participate in the NBL Draft combine for the upcoming season 2017-18.
The combine is set to take place on the 17th and 18th of April at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. A total of 80 players are expected to participate in the combine. These will include returning US college players, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) players, Australian state league players, and members of Australia’s national U18 and U20’s teams. It is an opportunity for coaches and scouts of different NBL teams to gauge the talent at hand and sign the players they believe could help their team.
As standard practice, players participating in the NBL Draft Combine must pay an entry fee of AUD $250. However, this fee has been waived off for all the invited Indian players. The waiver of fees for the Indian contingent by the NBL is just another sign that the NBL has serious intentions to enter the Indian market. Last year, the NBL signed a historic deal with VEQTA to stream NBL games live in India.
Under the new rules of the NBL, the players belonging to the countries of the FIBA Asia zone would be given a separate spot that would not take up any of the three spots reserved for the foreign players. This move has been made to attract the top Asian talents and ensure that they consider the NBL as a serious destination to ply their trade.
The Indian players’ participation in the NBL Draft Combine was made possible by Pursuit India and its Australian partner Danny Kordahi. Pursuit, which had previously worked with Kordahi and arranged the visit of Australian coach Damian Cotter to the national men’s camp, has been working behind-the-scenes for months to identify suitable playing opportunities across the globe.
“It's the biggest platform our players have had so far to showcase their talent. The NBL is a highly competitive international league and it’s a fantastic opportunity for our top Indian players to gauge their skill levels. Whatever the outcome, they will benefit a great deal from the experience itself,” says Mr. Vishnu Ravi Shankar, head of Pursuit India.
About Pursuit
Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh and Yadwinder Singh are represented by Pursuit India Sports & Entertainment Private Limited, India’s leading basketball management company. Pursuit’s aim is to find and create the right opportunities for budding athletes with the talent and potential to succeed at the international level. Through its grassroots network, Pursuit is able to spot athletic talent from a young age and help them along their playing careers, whether in India or abroad. Pursuit is headed by Vishnu Ravi Shankar and is India’s pre-eminent and pioneering basketball scouting and talent management agency.
For more information visit: www.pursuitindia.com