After NBA invite, Indian basketball star Amjyot Singh Gill makes heartfelt appeal to government for US visa

One of India's finest basketball stars, Amjyot Singh Gill has appealed to India's top government officials to grant him an American visa as soon as possible. The 25-year-old hoopster, who made it to NBA's D-League (now known as G League) draft back in October last year, now has another golden opportunity.

Amjyot has been invited for the trials at the G League, NBA's official minor league organization. Unfortunately, he is having trouble in acquiring a visa. As a result, he has appealed to the Minister of External Affairs of India, Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Sports in India, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Have been representing India at the global stage for many years. Please help me with my USA visa 4 the @nbagleague @SushmaSwaraj @Ra_THORe
— Amjyot Singh Gill (@gill_amjyot) September 29, 2017

Expand Tweet

Among India's premier basketball players, Singh has been pivotal in India's improved performances of late. Last year, he was awarded the Most Valuable Player award in Japan’s National League and even made it to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Finals, where played as a forward for Tokyo Excellence.

It's not every day that an Indian hoopster gets to display his skills on a global platform. Hence the upcoming NBA G League tryouts present a golden opportunity for Amjyot to catapult his career to a new level.

The G League plays a crucial role in the NBA. It acts as a research and developmental platform and a springboard to the NBA. Last season, 135 players who had plied their trade in the G League were on NBA rosters, thus accounting for 30 percent of the league.

A minimum of 30 NBA G League players have been called up to the NBA every year since the past five years, which is a testament to the fact that only truly promising players get an opportunity to partake in the league.

The fact that Amjyot has been invited for a tryout speaks volumes about his potential. Still only 25 years old, the upcoming trials holds massive importance for Gill. If he can nail it, there's no telling the heights he could possibly reach in the near future.

Every year, the NBA holds a tryout for aspiring players. Only 220 players from across the globe are invited to these trials and Gill happens to be among them. Participants are required to pay an upfront fee of around Rs.25,000 (350$) to partake in the event.

Amjyot is a towering forward who has been part of India's national side from the U-16 stage. Almost a decade later, he's now close to fulfilling his dream of possibly playing in the NBA. It's not going to be easy, far from it. But the least the government ought to do is grant him a visa at the earliest.