Satnam Singh Bhamara just became the first Indian ever to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The talented 19-year old hails from a remote village, Ballo Ke, in Punjab. The closest paved road from his house was 4 km away but that didn’t stop him from making his way into international glory. Towering at 7’2, Satnam was chosen by Dallas Maverick as the 52nd pick in round two.
While the young blood’s talent is still raw, he does seem to have a bright future ahead of him which brings a lot of hope, pride and joy for India.
After being drafted, Satnam said “I feel good about it because in India there are a lot of players who could have a chance to come here and play in college and high schools. I think I can open the door for everyone to come here and play. So it’s good for India and all the players. It’s good for me and my country.”( source )
According to his coach Kenny Natt, “Everything Singh must improve is related to his athleticism, whereas he’s already acquired some hard-to-develop basketball skills. For a player with Singh’s background, that’s surprising. For a player with Singh’s physical attributes, that’s downright incredible. The upside is obvious and astounding.” ( source )
Satnam Singh is the son of a farmer, Balbir Singh Bhamara who is also 7’2 and has had an unrelenting passion for basketball. However, he could never fulfill his dreams as his parents insisted that he tended to their fields in Punjab. But Balbir didn’t take this opportunity away from his son, and encouraged Satnam to follow his dreams.
Satnam said. “He (his father) never got the chance that I am getting now. He is very proud of me, and I want to play this game as well as I can play. That is my task now.” ( source )
We would like to congratulate Satnam Singh on his hard work and success and wish him all the best to hit new milestones in his sporting journey.
Sources for featured images and banner are source1 , source2 and source3
