Certified Basketball Skills Development Coach by Ganon Baker, Florida.
Physical Education Teacher and Sports
I am from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, where sports like athletics and kho-kho were very popular. Hardly anyone played basketball. But one day, when I was in 7th grade, I saw my sports teacher throwing a ball into a hoop. There was no net, and the ground was just mud with no lines.
Curious, I asked, “What are you doing?”
She smiled and said, “This is basketball.”
I had never seen the game before, but it looked fun. I convinced my friends to join me, and soon we were playing on that muddy patch every day. Little did I know, this was the start of my lifelong journey with basketball.
As I played more, I realized I was missing something important—a coach. I wanted to improve, but I had no one to guide me. This made me determined to become a basketball coach one day so that other kids wouldn’t struggle like I did.
I was passionate about the game and wanted to represent India. I was ready to do whatever it took. Then one day, my physical education teacher saw my dedication and sent me to train under an NIS-qualified coach.
With proper training, I improved a lot. In 2006, I got the chance to represent Chhattisgarh in the 57th Senior Nationals Basketball Championship. The following year, I played in the 58th Junior Nationals, where our team finished in fourth place.
In 2009, I took my passion for basketball further and joined the Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (LNUPE) in Gwalior. There, I learned not only about basketball but also about the science behind training athletes.
After completing my post-graduation, I also earned a professional certification from the Ganon Baker Basketball Academy, USA. I was now ready to take the next step in my journey.
After my studies, I got two job offers—one from a school in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, which already had a well-established basketball program, and another from a top school in Noida, where I would have to build a team from scratch.
I chose Noida. I wanted to test my ability to create something from the ground up.
However, it wasn’t easy. Football was the most popular sport at the school, and very few students were interested in basketball. I decided to start with the girls’ team and trained them beyond school hours.
In 2016, I took my first team to a local tournament. We lost badly. But I didn’t give up. From 2017 onwards, every tournament we played, we secured a position.
Over the years, I helped many young players gain experience and compete at district, state, and national levels. In 2018, my Under-14 girls’ team became the runners-up in the Jr. NBA tournament. Two of my players were selected for the Jr. NBA National Championship. I also got the chance to coach the District Basketball Team that year.
Through this journey, I have learned that success isn’t just about talent. Talent may give you a head start, but it won’t take you to the finish line. Hard work and effort are more important.
I believe that dedication and practice can beat talent 99% of the time. If you put in the work, success will follow.
And that’s exactly what I teach my players every day.