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She's gifted
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Sonam Deep Kaur from the Indiranagar Basketball Club is making giant strides in basketball. She's just back from her international debut
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SONAM DEEP Kaur or Sonam to her friends, and in basketball circles, could well answer by another name - "Gifted".
The 16-year-old, a born athlete, might have taken her first steps into the game of basketball at a relatively late age of 11, but then has made every stride count in her formative years and today is the "baby" of the side that returned from Shenzhen in China after the 17th FIBA Asia Under-18 Asian Championship for Girls held last month.
Versatile
Sonam took to sports like the proverbial fish to water. Adept at cricket and having practiced with the boy's team at her school, the Frank Anthony Public School (FAPS), Sonam also played hockey for her school and won the "best player" of the tournament award in the Inter-Schools Tournament while in her tenth standard. In athletics too, Sonam proved her prowess in no uncertain terms, winning the individual championships in here school with impressive performances in the jumps, sprints and even middle-distances. But basketball turned out to be her passion.
Why basketball? And the glint in her eyes sparkles. "My father presented me a basketball for my 11th birthday and with the Indiranagar Basket Ball Club (IBBC) court being very close to where I stay, just hobbled around the court with the ball and attempted a few shots... And very soon got hooked to the sport," is what Sonam says of her early days in the game.
Feel for the game
Coach J. Ravindra Singh, adored by the kids, and who took Sonam under his wings chips in: "Her athleticism and feel for the ball was what interested me and very soon she was part of the IBBC Summer Camp. And then as they say... Rest is history."
The very next year, Sonam found a place in the State Under-13 team for the nationals at Pondicherry, and since then has been part of the State girls team — be it in the under-13, under-16 or under-18 category. She even captained the under-16 sides in the last two nationals at Khangra (HP) and Ghotan (Rajasthan) in which the Karnataka side finished second best.
Having been in the Indian junior girls camp for the last two seasons, Sonam could well be termed "seasoned". "There is a lot of camaraderie in the national camps regardless of which part of the country one comes from. It is a great learning experience," she feels.
And on her only international exposure? Sonam gushes with eloquence on the infrastructure that she witnessed at Shenzhen and the level of competition at the Asian level. "China is streets ahead of the rest and has won the championship innumerable times. Sadly, India, this time, slipped from the seventh position to eighth."
On the encouragement and support she receives? "My parents (both father Rajendra Singh Bali and mother Ranbir Kaur) have been pillars of strength and support. Coaches Mohan Kumar, Arvind, Rajkumar, and Ravindra Singh, the IBBC and Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBA) Secretary K. Govindaraj have encouraged me all the way."
On her future plans?
"I have been an average student academically. Henceforth, I would like to pursue and maybe even go abroad to further my career prospects in basketball. Till then I want to represent my country at both the junior and senior levels."
If Sonam's selection to the Indian team was cause for celebration in the Balli household, IBBC too have been agog with excitement what with Sonam being only the second player after Aliya Khan to wear the India colours from the IBBC.
AVINASH NAIR
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