• Indian basketball players Amritpal Singh, Amjyot Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi were invited to Melbourne by the National Basketball League (NBL) to participate in their draft combine for the upcoming 2017-18 season.
  • Amritpal Singh stood out amongst all the participants and impressed the scouts.
  • The Combine took place on the 17th and 18th of April, 2017 in the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
  • The invitation and participation in the NBL Draft Combine was facilitated by basketball management company Pursuit India.

 

Bengaluru/Melbourne, 24th April, 2017: India’s international basketball star Amritpal Singh has impressed the Australian scouts and the media alike at the recently concluded NBL Draft Combine at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. The Combine took place on 17th and 18th April and also featured three other Indian players Amjyot Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.

The captain of the Indian national team, Amritpal Singh, ended the Combine tied as the leading shot blocker among all the participants. His defensive presence coupled with his footwork were the talking points amongst most scouts and drew comparisons with former players of the NBL like Matt Hodgson and Matt Smith.

Amritpal Singh ended the Combine tied as the leading shot blocker among all the participants. His defensive presence coupled with his footwork were the talking points amongst most scouts and drew comparisons with former players of the NBL like Matt Hodgson and Matt Smith.

As published on the official NBL website earlier today:

The captain of the Indian National Team, Amritpal Singh, could potentially be the first Indian-born player to play in the NBL… Singh, … with a large frame and giant wing-span, was one of the standout performers at last week’s NBL Combine in Melbourne, capturing the attention of a number of coaches in attendance.

Rohan Short, a former NBL assistant with Townsville and Melbourne, who worked closely with Amritpal throughout the two days of the Combine said, “I was super impressed, it’s clear he can play. Once given the opportunity to learn off a big man’s coach here in Australia and adapt to the speed of the Australian game, I think he would do quite well.I don’t think he is necessarily a starting five guy from the outset, but off the bench for some team. I mean we just don’t have much of that kind of size in our league.”

“I loved his work ethic, desire to learn and his coachability. He runs the floor really well and he’s a good passer and those traits alone for a big guy are going to be attractive to an NBL team. Depending on the system, I think he has the ability to contribute. His work ethic, his passion for the game and his desire to improve make him a worthwhile investment,” said former head coach of the Sydney Kings, Damian Cotter, who spent some time last year working with the Indian team.

Amritpal was part of the 4 member (Amjyot Singh Gill, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi) contingent of basketball players that were invited to the NBL Draft Combine. The Combine took place on the 17th and 18th of April. A total of 80 players participated in the Combine. These included returning US college players, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) players, Australian state league players, and members of Australia’s national U18 and U20’s teams.

As standard practice, players participating in the NBL Draft Combine must pay an entry fee of AUD $250. However, this feewas waived off for all the invited Indian players.The waiver of fees for the Indian contingent by the NBL is just another sign that the NBL has serious intentions to enter the Indian market. Last year, the NBL signed a historic deal with VEQTA to stream NBL games live in India.

Under the new rules of the NBL, the players belonging to the countries of the FIBA Asia zone would be given a separate spot that would not take up anyof the three spots reserved for the foreign players. This move has been made to attract the top Asian talents an                d ensure that they consider the NBL as a serious destination to ply their trade.

About the National Basketball League

(Sourced verbatim from the official NBL page. The link: http://www.nbl.com.au/history/)

The National Basketball League is regarded as one of the premier basketball leagues in the world, and after a humble beginning, is today home to some of the world’s best players.

In 1978, New South Wales Basketball president John Raschke sat with 10 interested parties in an unused aircraft hangar at Sydney Airport to discuss the formation of a national competition that would help the development of the sport throughout Australia.

A national competition was also seen as a way of improving the standard of players who would compete for Australia at events such as the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Since that day, the NBL has grown from a fledgling competition with games played in front of just a few hundred people to a league that attracts more than 750,000 spectators each season, as well as prime-time television audiences for games broadcast nationally.

While games were initially played in small suburban stadiums, clubs now perform at major Australian arenas, including Perth Arena which can seat 14,000+ spectators.

Basketball also has one of the highest participation rates of any team sport in Australia, with numbers continuing to grow each year.

Between 1979 and 1997, the NBL season was played between April and September, but in 1998 the league moved its season to the summer place, with games played between October and April.

Eight teams currently compete in the NBL – the Adelaide 36ers, Cairns Taipans, Melbourne United, New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and Illawarra Hawks.

About the NBL Draft Combine

Date: 17th-18th April

Location: Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre

 

Information

  • Patrick Hunt (Basketball Without Borders World Camp Director) will be the director of the camp.
  • All participants will be provided the opportunity to showcase their skills infront of every NBL club with all clubs ensuring to have coaching staff present each day.
  • All participants will be provided with 2 reversible training singlets, 1 pair of training shorts, 1 T-Shirt.
  • Lunch will be provided for all participants each day.
  • Ice baths will be provided for all participants at the conclusion of each day.
  • Doctors and Physiotherapists will be provided each day (for ankle taping and treatment).

About the invited players

  • Amritpal Singh is India’s most dominant centre who is listed as 6’11”. He has played professionally in Japan and has led Tokyo Excellence in winning 2015-16 championship in Japan Development League.
  • Amjyot Singh Gill is a 6’9” power forward and is arguably India’s most talented player. He is currently #1 Ranked FIBA 3×3 pro player in Asia, Oceania and Africa regions combined.
  • Yadwinder Singh is the contingent’s senior most players. He is a 6’6” power forward who featured in India’s famous victories over China and is also a multiple time national champion with Uttarakhand.
  • Vishesh Bhriguvanshi is a6’4’’ combo guard. He is currently the best guard in India. He was2nd in assists per game at 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

About Pursuit

Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh and Yadwinder Singh are represented by Pursuit India Sports & Entertainment Private Limited, India’s leading basketballmanagement company. Pursuit’s aim is to find and create the right opportunities for budding athletes with the talent and potential to succeed at the international level. Through its grassroots network, Pursuit is able to spot athletic talent from a young age and help them along their playing careers, whether in India or abroad. Pursuit is headed by Vishnu Ravi Shankar and is India’s pre-eminent and pioneering basketball scouting and talent management agency.