Suspense Crime Sach Ka Dam
Basketball is a game for which there is not much enthusiasm in India, but fans of this game are quite crazy abroad. In this, Ulhas Kaveri Satyanarayana from India has become one such player who has made basketball his career and played in the European League. Ulhas Satyanarayana, who made basketball his career at the age of 18, played in the National Basketball League in England along with being a part of the basketball team of the University of Westminster in London. Ulhas received the International Player of the Year Award in the year 2016-17 and then the very next year he was also made the captain of the team.
There was a constant improvement in Ulhas’s game, in which he became the first Indian player to play in a professional basketball league in Europe in the year 2021-22. He was included by Gloria’s team in the Moldovan National League Division 1, in which Ulhas’s team won the bronze medal. Ulhas was the second-highest scorer from his team. His achievement was also noticed in India and he was directly invited to join the camp of the Indian senior football team. Ulhas got a chance to play for India in the FIBA Asia World Cup qualifiers at the age of 24. Ulhas had a special conversation with India TV about his journey so far, in which he told what challenges he had to face.
How has been your experience of playing in the Basketball League so far? What kind of reaction did people there give to seeing an Indian in basketball?
Ulhas Kaveri Satyanarayana, in response to this question, said that it is quite new for him because certainly no Indian or any South-Asian player has played there. Their response is usually – ‘Can this guy play with us and at our level? Because India is not widely known for basketball internationally. India is very good in Asia but internationally India is not considered competitive. So when they saw me, they were surprised. But as I performed and played well, they understood that I was one of them and could play at this level. I was playing against athletes who are from USA Division 1, NCAA (college league in USA), and G League NBA. Some of the top players play in this league. It has been a very fun experience to play against these guys and when you play with one of the best players in the world you move forward.
You started playing basketball at the age of 7, what inspired you to choose basketball as a career in a country like India where cricket has a huge fan base?
I would say it is destiny. I am saying this because when I was 7 years old, my school teacher selected me for outdoor activities and I chose cricket like any other Indian. But she said there are too many people and there are no slots. Then I chose football and then volleyball but the slots were filled there too. I finally asked her if there were any outdoor activities left and she said basketball. That’s how my journey began. I played basketball for three days and it came naturally to me. From there, I never looked back and within two years I fell in love with the sport.
Fitness is very important in any sport, what kind of diet have you been following for the last several years to keep yourself fit?
I have been a vegetarian all my life. It might be strange for someone to hear this, but Virat Kohli has also become a vegetarian (vegan) now. There is a misconception that your body needs a lot of protein and that is the most important thing. But as a complete diet, if you take the right amount of dal and rice and if you know how much you have to take, then our Indian diet is enough for you which can keep you completely fit.
Playing in the NBA is considered the pinnacle or dream for any basketball player, what is your favorite team in the NBA, and who is your favorite player?
Los Angeles Lakers is my favorite team which is a famous franchise. My favorite player was Kobe Bryant. He passed away recently, but he was an inspiration to me that I was able to come this far and fight all the challenges. I didn’t have anyone who I could look up to and show me the way to become a professional basketball player.
How did your parents react when you chose basketball as your career and what kind of support did you get from your family?
As a young student, I used to play outdoors and was an athlete so I was managing my studies as well. Until I realized that I was playing at a very good level and I started playing for Delhi Nationals. Soon my family saw that I had the potential to play at the big level and they supported me completely and encouraged me to play. So I would say that my family’s role has been very important in my success.
Basketball is not much liked in India apart from some sports, what improvements do you think should be made to promote this sport or gain attention in our country?
A league is coming soon in India. You know how Kabaddi has grown in prominence after the league was launched. Similarly, in the coming few months or years, India will also have a basketball league and the same change will happen. Indian people will know that basketball also exists as a sport and kids can pursue it professionally and people get paid to play it just like any other job. The league is something India needs and the league can play a very important role in discovering and promoting the best players of the country to compete at the Olympic level as well.
You were part of the Old Skool Bowlers team that won the first-ever season of the Street Ball League in Mumbai in 2019, how was the atmosphere or interest then and in comparison, have things gotten better after 5 years?
When I came to play in this league, I came from the UK. I had been playing there for three years and was the captain of my team. I was already playing in a European setup. This league was created by Rannvijay Singh and Varun Sood. From then till now, when I see basketball in India, the popularity level of this game has increased a lot. If you take 5 children, at least one or two are playing basketball. Every school now has a basketball court. In the last 5 years, this game has taken a bigger form. In the coming few years, more academies will also open to teach basketball.
