Interview with Divya Singh : Former Women's Basketball Captain

Divya Singh

SportsKeeda had the opportunity to interview India’s former Basketball Captain Divya Singh. She lead the women’s National Team for India at 2006 Melbourne common wealth games. Currently perusing PG in Sports management at University of Delaware,Newark, Delaware and is also an assistant women’s basketball coach in the same university. Divya Singh is from a family where basketball runs deep. They are 5 sisters in which 4 of them represent Indian national team including her.

Four sisters

Q : You are in the national basketball team, PG in sports management and now also a basketball coach. Tell us how you managed all this?

Divya : Well, when I came to USA I was playing for Indian team as well as Delhi team, to tell you truth first of all I did not like to stop playing and get in to studies again. But for future of basketball it was important to think differently. Still I am doing my PG, and 8 months are left, I am getting very excited to go back to India and start working. The course I’m doing here is a challenging course. It includes all the aspects of sports management from marketing to media. Also working with women’s Basketball team of University of Delaware is one more life time experience and I believe what I’m learning here would pay a fruitful result to improve basketball in India.

Q : Your future plans and aspirations?

Divya : First of all, I think to start working with basketball federation of India, secondly take the game to every corner with campaign and camps including top basketball players. What I believe is players are our asset which we should focus on first. I m not sure how long it going to take but I am very sure that if millions of kids who play in the school or colleges are going to welcome basketball if we present them in a good way.

Q : What is one thing that you will like to bring from US to improve Basketball in India?

Divya : I wish I could bring everything, but to be more precise I think, professionalism is a key factor to make everything up to the mark. If we become professional, its not very hard to get our goal, it can take little time though to set up. I love American professionalism.

Q : NBA has shown interest in India with “Basketball Beyond Borders” events and then JD Walsh conducting various workshops. Do you see them making any headway?

Divya : I feel NBA’s name is working, I am not keeping check for what are they doing in India right now but when I came to India in the summer break I went to Mumbai for ‘’hoops school’’ conducted in American school, Mumbai where Baron Devis came to help the clinic. Also they organized a event at a huge mall and I must say people were getting attracted, kids were playing basketball and youth were enjoying. All these are positive signs of NBA’s initiatives. For JD Walsh I must say he is doing a great job. I m looking forward to talk to him.

Q : What is the key to Basketballs future in India ? Govt spending, Corporate sponsorship or Club culture?

Divya : I think Indian should start club culture or start a league to go to next level. It’s not doable to get money without having a league. I’m sure it’s not that hard as people assume in the land of cricket. We have to make money to make this game famous. Govt part is non profit, and it’s going on from many decades. We should change things according to this generation; we should see that they enjoy NBA. We cannot be that big now but we should start changing the way we organize things in India.

Q : Is cricket a restraining factor for basketball in India?

Divya : Not only basketball, every sport! But they have work really hard to get to this position. Good thing about cricket is that they apply what is good and trendy for today.

Q : What all improvements would you like to see in BFI (Basketball Federation of India )

Divya : There are list of things but I would not like to mention, they are doing what they know and I hope I can go and add things to their present work culture.