Ludhiana girl Tashmeet shines as Indian team strikes gold

Tashmeet’s achievements include a bronze medal at the Khelo India Games held in Patna last month and has also represented her school in national-level games

Tashmeet Kaur, a basketball prodigy, has brought pride to the city by being the only player from the region to represent India in the U-16 girls basketball team that struck gold at the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) qualifying zone matches held in Maldives from June 12 to 15. The Indian team dominated the tournament, defeating Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri Lanka in one-sided matches. In the final, India once again overpowered Sri Lanka, sealing the title with a margin of over 50 points.

Tashmeet Kaur from Ludhiana was the only player from the region to be selected for the Indian U-16 girls basketball team that clinched gold at the SABA qualifying zone matches. (HT Photo)

Tashmeet, a Class 11 student of DAV Public School, Pakhowal Road, began her basketball journey in Class 8. Her dedication to the sport has been relentless. According to her mother, Pardeep Kaur, a boxer and a physical education teacher herself, Tashmeet follows a demanding routine, waking up as early as 5 am for her morning practice and heading for another session in the evening after school.

Her coach, Saloni, who was also a part of the national coaching staff, praised Tashmeet for her determination and consistency. “She was the only player from Punjab selected through the India camp held in Chennai. Despite recently joining us at Guru Nanak Stadium, she has shown tremendous promise,” said Saloni.

Tashmeet’s achievements include a bronze medal at the Khelo India Games held in Patna last month and has also represented her school in national-level games, adding to her growing list of accolades.

Looking ahead, Saloni informed that the camp for the upcoming Asia Cup Championship is scheduled next month, where 20 girls will be shortlisted to represent India at the championship to be held in Malaysia in September.

Officials of the Punjab Basketball Association, including president RS Gill and secretary general Teja Singh Dhaliwal, extended their congratulations to both coach Saloni and Tashmeet for their contribution to Indian basketball.