Will Indian Basketball Teams ever 'return' to the Olympics?
Indian Basketball teams' past legacy of participating in the Olympics, and future chances of qualification, were discussed during a Clubhouse session moderated by Ekalavyas.
The Clubhouse session, held on 29th July at 10pm, featured Karan Madhok (journalist & founder of the respected Hoopistani blog), Richard Xalxo (Senior Manager Technical Operations & Player Personnel, 3BL) & Kabir Saxena (basketball analyst). The entire session was moderated by Gopalakrishnan R, the founder of Ekalavyas.
Karan reflected on the Indian men's team's maiden Olympics appearance in 1980, and also explained the current qualification process.
Indian men's team at the 1980 Olympics. Image sourced via FIBA.com.
READ: Indian's Basketball Olympic Dream - A step-by-step guide
Besides this historic 1980 men's team, three Indians have had the honour of officiating in the Olympics: referees BM Diwakar (1980) & Snehal Bendke (2012), & jury member Naresh Aneja (2016).
Indian Basketball Teams: Can they return to the Olympics?
Richard Xalxo spoke of India's better chances at qualifying in the 3x3 event, which was introduced in this year's Tokyo Olympics.
Kabir Saxena, while agreeing with Richard, raised a valid question mark over whether 3x3 will be retained as an event in future Olympics.
Gopalakrishnan R argued that with teams like Mongolia, China & Sri Lanka prioritising 3x3, India had perhaps already lost its early mover advantage, after showing success in 3x3 continental events in the initial part of the 2010-20 decade.
On a lighter note, all panelists agreed that the quickest way for Indian basketball teams to qualify for the Olympics would be by virtue of being hosts.
To be part of future 'Sports India Basketball' discussions: FOLLOW EKALAVYAS ON CLUBHOUSE
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