Lack of Exposure Games: Indian Basketball's Persisting Problem
With the Asia Cup less than two months away, reigning champ Australia is gearing up for an exhibition game against a top American college team, while the Indian basketball team remains in ‘camp mode’.
The FIBA Asia Cup 2025 is less than two months away, and while the reigning champions Australia is gearing up for an exhibition game against a top American college team, the Indian basketball team remains in ‘camp mode’.
It has been a long-standing dream for many of us to see how India stacks up against teams from the United States. In fact, it is often said that our senior men’s team is roughly at the level of a mid-tier NCAA Division II or III college program.
This August, both India and Australia will be competing in the FIBA Asia Cup. And the difference in preparation between the reigning champions and us is striking.
Over-reliance on training camps
While India continues to rely heavily on months-long training camps, exposure games need to become the norm—not the exception. Real progress doesn’t come from closed-door scrimmages and repetitive drills. It comes from playing meaningful games—under pressure, in front of crowds, and against better opposition. That’s where athletes grow, and that’s what our national setup is currently lacking.
With proper planning and scheduling, it shouldn’t be difficult to bring international teams to India on a regular basis. A structured calendar of exhibition games could be established across school, college, and senior levels. These matchups would provide our players with consistent, high-quality competition that is sorely missing at the moment.
Multiple benefits of hosting exhibition games
Such events would serve multiple purposes: they would offer serious competitive exposure, build fan interest, improve our event organization capabilities, and even open up avenues for revenue generation. In the long run, they could lead to university tie-ups, student exchange programs, and broader international partnerships.
If India is serious about making an impact on the global basketball stage, we must move beyond a camp-only mentality. Our players need to face real competition—regularly, and at all levels. It’s time we start playing games that matter.
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