Exclusive Interview: Prashanti Singh - the Shining star of Indian Women's Basketball

Prashanti Singh is, without doubt, one of the shining stars of Indian Women’s Basketball. Prashanti is a shooting guard for the Indian Women’s National Basketball team and she had represented the country at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She is a part of Varanasi’s “Basketball Family of India”, a family of which four out of five sisters have played or are currently playing in the Indian national team.

Prashanti joined the Indian Women’s Basketball Team in 2003 and went on to become its captain. She led the Indian side in the 3rd Asian Indoor Games held in Vietnam in 2009 to win the silver medal, and also in the 16th Asian Games at Guangzhou China in 2010. Prashanti Singh won the gold medal in the Asian beach games at Sri Lanka in 2011.

Here Prashanti gets up close and personal with the Sportskeeda team:

When did you first realize you had the talent for basketball?

Once, when I was playing Hide n’ Seek with my friends at the age of 12, I had a big fight with them, and I was left with no friends after the incident. My elder sisters used to play basketball so I joined them and developed an interest in the game. Very soon I got chance to play for the Varanasi team U-14; I performed well in that tournament and from thereon, my interest in the game became permanent.

Can you tell us about your training schedule?

As a basketball player I need the triple S (speed, stamina, strength) along with skill, agility and quick decision-making ability. Usually during the season when I am training with the national team, we have a set program where I work out for 5-6 hours every day. In the first phase it’s usually more of body conditioning and strength building; the second phase is all about skills training, while the final phase is more about game strategy. In the off season, however, I just work on my skills so that I gain greater proficiency in them.

Who or what is your inspiration?

I have always been inspired by my sisters. I am very fortunate to have them in the same sport; they have constantly guided me in the right direction. However, I must confess that it is my mom who has been the biggest motivation in my life.

What are the challenges of playing basketball in India?

Basketball is basically an indoor sport and it needs wooden flooring. The main problem in India is the lack of infrastructure for the game. The facilities that us professional players get after reaching certain levels should even be provided at the grass root level so that players can be groomed from an early age. As of now, you get to use world class facilities only after you reach a certain level.

Basketball is not a popular sport in India.What changes should be brought in to boost its popularity?

Basketball is very popular in schools and colleges but school or college play is not enough to make a career out of it. The game needs to be commercialized in order to make it more popular and to project it as a viable career option. A proper, well-structured season, maybe consisting of a big domestic league, should help in generating more interest for the game. Another thing that needs to improve drastically is the prize money on offer for professional players.

What are your international dreams? Are you aiming for WNBA?

My first and foremost dream is to win medals for India – nothing can be bigger than that. Playing and winning for India is like a dream for every Indian sports person and as of now I am living my dream. Of course, WNBA is a dream for every female basketball player in the world, and I am no different from them. So yes, maybe some day I’d like to be a part of the WNBA.

Are you satisfied with what you have achieved after giving so many years to basketball?

I have given my best possible efforts to basketball, but I feel those efforts can reap even better results if we get better support. We need more teams in women’s basketball as we do not have many government departments to offer us good jobs and facilities the way the men’s team has. That’s a big drawback for women athletes. So until that added support comes in the results will keep being disproportionate with the efforts.

What are your goals for this year?

273 countries plays basketball officially, including sporting giants like China, USA and Spain. Our world ranking is 47 right now. We are working hard and looking forward to go up in the rankings. We had a great season last year in international games and I hope this year brings even better things for us.

Basketball is a team game. How would you rate the Indian team compared to others?

We’ve got whole world to compete with. Still, the Indian team has done really well in the last few years and our ranking has improved quite a bit. That has attracted attention and big sponsors are now more inclined to offer their support. The team is qualifying for big tournaments, so it can be seen that the performance of the side is on the rise. I sincerely hope to see consistent improvement in women’s basketball in the upcoming years.