Can Basketball Ever Overtake Cricket as India’s Favorite Sport?
June 6th, 2010
If any of you have ever spoken to Hemanth Kundeti, or most any other native Indian about Cricket in India your gut-reaction to this question is most likely a definitive NO. The fact is, Cricket is the de facto national sport of India. While it is not the nation’s official national sport - a distinction held by field hockey - it is by far India’s most popular sport. Part of the reason for the sport’s popularity, I can only deduce, is not only the creation of the Indian Premier League, but also the fact that the Indian International Cricketing Squad has given the sport some of her greatest international players, and victories, resulting in the sport’s rich history in India.
Basketball, on the other hand, while considered one of the widely played sports in India, is far less popular than Cricket. Basketball started its journey in India during the first half of the 20th century, and has steadily grown in popularity since. The sport is played in most Indian high schools, colleges, and universities. The younger generation appears to be the main catalyst for Basketball’s adoption in India. Basketball in India is run and managed mainly by the large number of national and state level associations, spread all over India, but India’s contribution to the sport’s international talent pool has gone mostly un-noticed - until now that is.
Basketball players Sim and Tanveer Bhullar, a pair of brothers from Indian descent, will most likely be the next big thing in college basketball, and then professional basketball. Sim is only 17 years old and stands 7-4, 285 pounds. His younger brother Tanveer, is only 15 years old, and stands 7-2, 260 pounds. Both are described as having “solid skills,” and “developing quickly on the court.” The Bhullars dwarf the last notable pair of 7-foot brothers to play basketball together on the high school level - Brook and Robin Lopez, both of whom have had a great deal of success since attending Stanford, and entering the NBA during the first round of the 2008 draft.
Also in their favor, the Bullhars are now being coached by a man who has coached at various Division 1 schools, as well as in the NBA. Freedman’s background allows him to not only develop his players, but also to prepare them for the recruiting process that lies ahead. Both of these talents should prove invaluable to the 7-foot brothers of Indian descent, as schools such as Kentucky, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, Pittsburgh, USC, Stanford, and Texas have already expressed interest in both brothers.
Do you think that Basketball can overtake Cricket as India’s most popular sport? Do you think that the Bhullars will reach the level of success many are expecting from the gifted duo? Why do you think that of the 36 countries and territories represented in the NBA this season, the world’s second most populous nation is not included?
- John Barry
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_national_basketball_team
http://www.indianetzone.com/5/basketball.htm
Entry Filed under: 2010 Student Blogs, India, Misc.
7 Comments Add your own
1. Danielle Steussy | June 8th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
No matter the national origin, I always find extraordinarily tall people fascinating. However, it always seems that the taller you are, the more likely you are to end up in some sport in which height matters. It’s sad because there are these giants being forced to play basketball, volleyball, etc. without even considering that they have the skill to match their height. Why aren’t height-challenged people with just as much skill, if not more, not recognized?? Why is there never justice for the short people?!
Personal issues aside, I think it will take more than a couple of seven-foot tall kids to even begin to tackle the popularity that is cricket in India. I’m sure that Hemanth has a pretty strong opinion about this one, but it’s just as likely for badminton to replace football or basketball as the most popular sport in the United States. But hey, I do love badminton. You never know…
2. Matthew Perez | June 8th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Although it is highly unlikely that basketball will ever overtake cricket in popularity in India, it is possible that basketball can become a more widely played sport than cricket. I am sure that this can happen since it has happened with baseball and football in the United States. As professional sports and American pastimes, baseball and football enjoy a longer and richer history than basketball. More Americans also watch these sports than basketball. However, as a sport participated in, there are more people who play basketball than baseball and football combined. This is likely due to the fact that basketball requires less equipment and space than either sport. Since basketball also has this advantage over cricket, it seems reasonable that basketball could overtake cricket in terms of the number of people who play.
3. Yuxiang Gao | June 10th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
well, I don’t think basketball can overtake cricke.I believe cricke in India just like Pingpang in China, even if we were only people who play Pingpang in the world, we still think it is a important game.
Basketball is very popular in Asia, people like it becasue it is very intensive, if sport games are products, cricke and basketball target totally different markets. Basketball is like a moive, people watch it and enjoy the story ; cricke is like a magic show, people watch and wait for something exciting.
4. Kirk Story | June 11th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Basketball in India sounds great. If the sport became super popular, Q sub n would definitely shift to the right to account for all the tattoos required to play basketball. The trash talking would also be interesting with an Indian accent. “Don’t bring that rubbish in my house, brother.”
5. Michael Harroch | June 11th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Several countries such as France have produced many fine basketball players that have and are currently playing in the NBA (Parker, Noah…). As proud as I am about this, I do not think this is an indication that Basketball will overcome soccer to become the most popular sport in France, nor will it overcome Cricket in India.
However, on this blessed year of the 2010 World Cup, if I were to guess what sport, if any, will overcome cricket in India, I would definitely bet on soccer. Soccer has spread throughout the world at unparalleled speed because it is the most forgiving in terms of equipment and facilities.
Unlike cricket, baseball, basketball, football, rugby, tennis etc., you can play soccer with as little as two players, with a wide variety of balls and you can play it indoors, outdoors, on grass, concrete, sand, wood etc.
6. akram | November 1st, 2010 at 2:14 am
basketball is biased towards tall people.
In my school, the game is played mostly by girls, who cant play real sports like cricket, or even soccer.
Basketball does not have much participation and it appears that only players from USA get to become basketball superstars whereas in cricket, afghanistani players became famous just over a few years despite having no cricket facilities.
basketball is also quite expensive as there is need for some nets…flat land and all. but cricket needs just a bat, a ball and u can play in the streets freely.
I live in bangladesh and there are only 4-5 places where u can play proper basketball.
7. Sid | November 7th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Things are looking up. With the IMG Reliance tie up resulting in Mastan League and the Mahindra NBA Challenge, and an upcoming professional league in the future. Let’s hope the popularity of basketball and cricket in India mirror the size of their respective balls.
http://www.facebook.com/Basketball.India
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