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Need to popularise basketball in India: Riyaz
After having a remarkable performance in the 10th Crown Princess International basketball tournament played recently at Thailand, national team skipper Riyazuddin arrived in Bhopal on Friday.
After having a remarkable performance in the 10th Crown Princess International basketball tournament played recently at Thailand, national team skipper Riyazuddin arrived in Bhopal on Friday.
India finished third in the tournament defeating China. In the last 22 years, it was the best performance by Indian team in any international tournament.
Born in 1981, Riyaz has captained the junior national team in the past and was vice-captain in the recently held Commonwealth Games. His performance has drawn the attention of the critics and is seen as a pivotal player for the future Basketball team of India.
Talking to journalists in Bhopal, Riyaz said that Indian team has improved a lot in last couple of years. “We have been doing well for last few years. The objective is not only to maintain the performance but also to overcome the weaknesses”, said Riyaz. On being asked about the future plans, he said that the team was to play an invitation tournament of international level in Syria but it has been cancelled as the present conditions are not condusive.
Next target for the team will be the Macau International tournament to be organised in China later this year. However, Riyaz felt that the game needed more attention from the sponsorers. “I have received overwhelming response everywhere I visited across the world.
But the lack of popularity of this game in the Country has embarrassed me on a number of occasions”, said Riyaz. However, he added that the infrastructure and facilities of the game in India is not less as compared to any other Country. The need is to popularise the game. Senior basketball players, including Kamlakar Singh and others congratulated Riyazuddin for his performance.
His achievement no less than captaining national cricket team, says Mukhtiyar
After cricket and tennis it is the turn of the basketball to make the Country proud at the international level. But the need is to support the game.
The lack of popularity of basketball could be gauged from that fact that even after leading the national basketball team, Riyaz has not received any award from the State Government. “His achievement is no less than captaining the national cricket or hockey team but in our cricket-obsessed nation most of the other sports don't even get a footnote.
The international championships are seldom reported. So it comes as no surprise that a game like basketball that is immensely popular in other countries remains on the periphery in India”, said senior basketball coach Mukhtiyar Singh. For long Riyaz has been the leading scorer of the team.
