Born in Pune, raised in Australia, lived a dream in Europe, and now back to his roots. In short, seasoned basketball player Eban Hyams, 35, has travelled the whole world. But, all through the way, the thing that grew stronger was his bond with the game basketball.
Just the name of this game lights up your face, doesn’t it? “Without a doubt,” gushes Eban as he shares his journey with Sportskeeda. At the tender age of six, Eban lost his father, Eric. Soon after that, his family moved to Australia. Although Eban spent less time with his father, he truly is a statuette of his father’s ideology.
It was during his schooling days in Australia, he was introduced to this game. Since the beginning, Eban had the flare to be a good basketball player. Once his relationship with basketball started, it was no looking back for him. Be school tournaments, junior championships, European Leagues or the mighty Australian National Basketball League (NBL), Eban charmed his way through it. He is proud of his roots, as he become the first India to play for NBL.
After more two decades, the star is back home to Pune to play for Haryana Gold in the UBA Pro Basketball League Season-3. “Playing in front of this crowd, it feels like home,” smiles Eban.
Though his journey wasn’t a bed of roses, Eban never complains of it. “Ups and downs are the part and parcel of the game. You learn from it,” he adds. In 2010, Eban’s basketball career suffered a major set, as he injured his left hand during a competition in Europe.
“Although, being selected in the European League was the greatest achievement, the joy was short lived due to the injury. I had to come back home to Australia to set things right,” he informs. His woes did not end there. His doctor in Australia diagnosed his injury the wrong way and he was out the basketball scene for more than a year.
However, he believes that good things happen to cover up the bad happenings. Consequently, he moved to India where he was in the managing team of NBA-India.
A chiselled body and some good looks and bamm! Eban made his way in the Punjab movie industry a couple of months ago. Owing to his father music genes, Eban too often seeing his writing lyrics and movie scripts. “Penning down lyrics is surely not a getaway for me. It is something that I got from my father which I will always cherish,” he explains.
He is happy with the way things are moving in India. “People love this sports. The game is gaining importance. However, the only thing that India lacks is infrastructure. I see that in just a matter of five years, this game will reach the sky,” he signs off.
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