NBA picks up 4 city basketball players

Sports Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 19

The Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) is on cloud nine as four of its players at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) are earning applause in the international circuit.

RS Gill, a former DGP and president, PBA, said the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) had selected Jagdeep Singh Bains, Amjyot Singh Gill and Amritpal Singh to represent the Indian senior men’s team at the FIBA Asia Cup-2021 Qualifying Tournament, to be held at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from August 20 to 22. Two of these players, Amjyot and Amritpal, had also played at the 21st Commonwealth Games held in Australia in 2018, besides other overseas matches.

Teja Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary of the association, said another star player trained at LBA, Princepal Singh, had been drafted in the NBA, where the other three players were also drafted.

Princepal is the fourth player in the NBA’s latest selection from India. He is currently in news for his big leap, as he became a part of the Sacramento Kings’ squad (USA), which went on to win the NBA Summer League-2021.

Senior coach Rajinder Singh praised Princepal for his dedication, which he said was exemplary at the LBA.

Meanwhile, the Association has urged the local business community, residents and schools to come forward to promote basketball in big way as the city had the potential to produce more international players. Ludhiana would soon get two more indoor basketball courts, under the Smart City project.