Chandigarh Yashneet Kaur, 16, of Jalandhar and Kavya Singla, 17, of Patiala are among five budding Indian cagers selected for the NBA Academy Women’s Virtual Programme. The state’s duo are among 50 players from 22 countries that the NBA has selected for an eight-week basketball and leadership development programme.
The three other Indian players who have been selected comprise Parnika Srivastava, Sunishka Karthik and Shomira Bidaye. All young girls will take part in basketball and life-skills development training under the guidance of current and former WNBA players and NBA Academy staff.
As part of the on-court curriculum, participants will receive virtual lessons, instructions and challenges, where they will compete against peers from around the world.
Excited to be part of the program 16-year-old Yashneet said, “The programme has helped me develop skills on and off the court. They are helping me develop strength and sharing tips on gym workout. I am spending extra time on weight training which will help us balance out our athletic training with our studies.” She is the younger sister of rising Indian basketball star Harsimran Kaur. She was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Academy India Women’s Camp in October 2019.
Kavya says, “My experience has been brilliant. Interacting with coaches, players, and experts from the WNBA has given me a chance to learn so much, be it basic fundamentals or advanced skills in basketball.” She is a national player and attending Team India’s basketball camp for the 2022 Asian Games. She was also a part of the 2018 and 2019 NBA India camp. Nagpur’s Shomira played in the 2019 Junior NBA Global Championship in Florida. Bengaluru’s Suniksha Karthik was part of the Indian team in the earlier edition and Parnika is from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}Kavya says, “My experience has been brilliant. Interacting with coaches, players, and experts from the WNBA has given me a chance to learn so much, be it basic fundamentals or advanced skills in basketball.” She is a national player and attending Team India’s basketball camp for the 2022 Asian Games. She was also a part of the 2018 and 2019 NBA India camp. Nagpur’s Shomira played in the 2019 Junior NBA Global Championship in Florida. Bengaluru’s Suniksha Karthik was part of the Indian team in the earlier edition and Parnika is from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
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