Basketball stalwart Raspreet Sidhu loses out on qualification berth for Asian Games 2023

The 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China is less than a fortnight away from commencement, and the Indian basketball contingent is fast tracking its preparation to ensure success in the tournament. An additional advantage for athletes taking part is that they stand a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, if they perform well.

Raspreet Sidhu, an Indian basketball veteran, was poised to make a fourth successive Asian Games appearance, when she was sent back from the preparatory camp for the tournament with a dozen other athletes for failing to meet the required criteria of qualification.

The yardstick for eligibility was that she had to appear in the list of 30 candidates sent to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the organizers. She was omitted along with others from the list and any help from the new body, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), came too late since its formation on August 5.

Meanwhile, Pushpa Senthilkumar, Kavya Singla and Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu managed to make the grade to participate in the Asian Games.

From revered to rejection - Raspreet Sidhu faces stonewalling from authorities

Raspreet Sidhu has brought glory to the nation numerous times over the years. As the captain of the Indian women's 3x3 basketball team, she top scored in the Asian Championship in Singapore and helped India reach the upper half of the table for the first time in five years. She also top scored in last year's National Championship in Udaipur, with 212 points from six games. She ended the season as the No.1 ranked Indian player in the 3x3 game.

Raspreet has built a career in elite sports despite juggling multiple professional duties. She is the Head of Sports at Shiv Nadar School and is also a Federation International Basketball Association (FIBA) Level 1 certified coach. She served as the Assistant Professor (Guest) of Physical Education at Miranda House, University of Delhi and also worked as an Assistant Professor of Physical Education (AD HOC) in Mata Sundri College for Women, University of Delhi.

An avid sports fan, Raspreet cites Lebron James and Roger Federer as her inspirations. She has also co-authored several research papers and written articles on physical fitness, sports injuries, gender bias, and training practices. She is a gold medallist from Delhi University in Masters of Physical Education, and a graduate from St. Stephen’s College in English Literature.

Thus, in the face of her omission, Raspreet feels unfairly treated by authorities. Her fervent fans feel that she was unjustly omitted from the list without any trials and fair selection processes. Some players who made the cut for the Asian Games did not even feature for the country in the National Championship, as they were brought in as replacements for injured athletes and those who dropped out for personal reasons.

Along with Raspreet, three other deserving candidates failed to be selected. In order to state her case, she pursued her stance with much determination with help from the Delhi Basketball Association and her supporters, but their efforts fell on the deaf ears of the unaccommodating authority.

The Indian women's basketball team has a larger roster than their male counterparts since they are drafted to play both the 3x3 and 5x5 formats in the Asian Games. The men's basketball team is restricted to the 3x3 format alone.

Sadly, Indian basketball's best player failed to find a place in any of the teams.