Lusofonia Games Goa 2014: Basketball event preview

Goa is all set to host the 3rd Lusofonia Games from the 18th to the 29th of January. It will consist of 12 countries sending participants to represent their respective countries in nine sporting disciplines – athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, football, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and wushu.

This sporting event is among the top sports competitions in the world organized by ACOLOP, which includes athletes coming from Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) countries. The participating countries include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Sri Lanka.

The basketball matches, part of the Lusofonia Games since its inception in 2006, would be conducted at the multi-purpose Indoor Stadium near the Goa University.

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) landed in Goa during the last week of December to conduct selection trials for the national basketball team.

Scott Fleming, coach of the national basketball team, has been conducting trials and meeting with potential players along with coaches K. K. Chansoria and Abdul Hamid Khan. About the further agendas, coach Chansoria said:

“An intense discussion regarding the selection of the squad is the next step on our agenda. Seven girls and 21 boys tried out at the Goa stage for selection.”

The senior men’s and women’s national basketball probables for Team Goa-India have been undergoing a training camp at Don Bosco Matunga since January 10th to prepare for the forthcoming multi-national tournament in Goa.

They will leave Mumbai on the 19th of January for the basketball events in the Lusofonia Games which are slated to be held from the 23rd to 27th January.

Prediction for Team Goa-India at the Lusofonia Games

Brazil, ranked 10th in the FIBA standings, are the favourites to capture gold, and the India-Goa team can also expect stiff competition from Angola, Mozambique and Portugal.

These are the list of probables for the Games:

Men: Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Mann Singh, Riken Pethani, Joginder Singh, Pratham Singh, Vishes Bhriguvanshi, Yadwinder Singh, Narender Kumar Grewal, Palpreet Singh, Sambhaji Kadam, Vinay Kaushik, Prakash Mishra, Loveneet Singh, Basil Philip, Daley Fernandes, Lambart Godiho, Amish Jain (Stand by)

Head coach: Scott Flemming

Women: Poonam Chaturvedi, Rajapriyadarshini Rajaganapathi, Steffi Nixon, Jeena Skaria, Smruthi Radhakrishman, Pooja Mol K. S., Neenumol P. S., Sharanjeet Kaur, Priiti Kumari, Ishwari Pingle, Shireen Limaye, Sangeeta Kaur, Anjana P. G., Madhu Kumari, Nelvie Mendes, Kezia Fernandes, Michelle (Stand by)

Head coach: Francisco Garcia

“The Federation has been conducting training camps over the last few weeks. We are aware of the potential and talent which exists in the local basketball players,” said Roopam Sharma, BFI CEO.

Budding young point guard Loveneet Singh, who has created a buzz around the country, would be a crucial part of the Indian offence. Aged just 19, he won a bronze in the 3-point shooting contest for U-18 boys at the inaugural 3×3 Youth Championships held from September 9-11 last year.

The team consists mainly of youngsters with the exception of veteran point guard Sambhaji Kadam, aged 33.

How the team will perform in this event might prove vital for the future plans of the Indian basketball team.