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Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008
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Geethu waits anxiously

Stan Rayan

KOCHI: She has been making waves in Australia. A few days ago, Indian basketballer Geethu Anna Jose had been adjudged as the most valuable player (MVP) in Big-V League’s Second Division.

The Ringwood Hawks centre was also the top scorer and top rebounder in the league this season.

As a reward for her fine efforts, Geethu has been signed by the Dandenong Rangers and will be first Indian to play in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) — one of the world’s best leagues — this season, starting October.

But the 23-year-old, a senior TTE in Chennai, is waiting anxiously for the green signal and for the leave from her employer Indian Railways.

The WNBL season runs from October to February.

Hoping for the best

“It’s my dream to play in the WNBL,” said Geethu, a bit anxiously from Chennai, on Monday evening.

“Everybody wants me to play there. I’ve sent my leave letter through Mr. Harish Sharma (the Basketball Federation of India secretary). I hope everything comes off well.”

She was supposed to leave for Australia on September 12 but was forced to cancel her flight ticket.

“I spoke to my club officials, they want me to be in Melbourne at least by the end of this week. They have already started training and the practice games,” said the Kerala-born Geethu, the country’s best basketballer.

Last year, Geethu helped India top the Asian Championship’s Second Division in South Korea and qualify for the event’s elite division for the first time ever.

India will play in the championship’s premier league next year, against some of the world’s best teams like China, Japan and Korea next year.

And in 2006, she came up with a stunning performance for India in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Back home, she has helped her employer Indian Railways win the National Championship four times.

One just hopes there are no hurdles in Geethu’s way as she tries to take Indian basketball to new heights.

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