U18 WOMEN’S ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP BENGALURU
THURSDAY
1 11 2018
A SPACE MARKETING INITIATIVE
7 DAYS, 16 COUNTRIES
WHEN BENGALURU GOT TO
BASKET THE BALL...AGAIN
Govindaraj is doing a great job, giving his best to provide good basketball facilities to India and one has to give credit to his team as well. The facilities in Kanteerava stadium are great. It can host any level of competition. There has been some tournaments in other cities in India, but Bengaluru has been the best host. It has everything that is needed,
For the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Bengaluru has become a favourite venue to host its prime events in Asia, and the city has not disappointed. With the President of BFI, K Govindaraj and his team putting up a great show, the city might just bag many more events in the future. ASHIM SUNAM
B
— SHEIKH SAUD BIN ALI AL-THANI, FIBA ASIA PRESIDENT
PICS: VINOD KUMAR T, SHRIRAM B N
engaluru has become a household name for hoopsters in the country. International competitions have been a regular phenomenon. Of late, Bengaluru played host to three competitions – Women’s Asia Cup, U-16 Women’s Asian Championship and also India’s Men’s World Cup qualifying macthes. Even the national camps are held in the city, which has received green signal from the government of India, according to Basketball Federation of India (BFI) president K. Govindaraj. There is a reason for Bengaluru being a popular destination for basketball. The BFI has its offices in Bengaluru and Delhi, with the bigwigs residing in the former putting their best foot forward to help India host international competitions. In order to host a FIBA event, international standard facilities are to be provided, and BFI has impressed in this regard.
It is rare for one particular city to host international events on a regular basis. Bengaluru might have pipped other Indian cities due to the facilities, which is present in the city with Sree Kanteerava Stadium standing tall amongst the rest. FIBA Asia president Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani praised the BFI president and the facilities in Bengaluru. “Govindaraj is doing a great job, giving his best to provide good basketball facilities in India and one has to give credit to his team as well. The facilities in Kanteerava Indoor Stadium are great. It can host any level of competition. There has been some tournaments in other cities in India, but Bengaluru has been the best host. It has everything that is needed,” said the FIBA Asia President. The FIBA U-18 Asian Women’s championship is the fourth major event Bengaluru has hosted in the last 15 months, which is a feather in BFI and India’s cap.
FIBA U-18 Asian Women’s Championship Bengaluru is hosting the high-profile event for the first time. Two venues -Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium and Koramangala Indoor Stadium -- are hosting the sixteen teams in the tournament, which has been divided into Division A and B. In Division A, Australia, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia are the four teams in Group A while China, Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia comprise Group B. The top four will qualify for the 2019 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Division B comprises India, Singapore, Iran and Guam, all in Group A while Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Syria and Samoa are included in Group B. India is the highest ranked team in this division. The victorious team will be promoted to Division A for the 2020 edition of this competition.
DUCK ON A ROCK: THE INSPIRATION BEHIND BASKETBALL
T
THE FIRST GAME OF BASKETBALL EVER PLAYED
The first game of basketball ever played on the 21st of December, 1891, at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The gym was incredibly small. Only 50 feet x 35 feet, compared to current day courts which are 94 feet x 53 feet.
THE 13 RULES 1
The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2
The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.
3
A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it.
4
The ball must be held by the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game.
5
The first basketball court: Springfield College
he game of basketball originated rocks at a certain target placed on top of a in December 1891 by a Canadian large boulder or tree stump. The game he born man by the name of James ended up inventing is the game we all know Naismith. Naismith was a teacher and love today – basketball. at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was required to train How Basketball Was First Played young men to become instructors at newly opened YMCA centres. Basketball required very little equipWith the cold weather keeping the class ment to play… two peach baskets hanging indoors, in December 1891, Naismith was 10 feet above the ground, and a soccer ball. asked by the schools Superintendent The object of the game is to work as of Physical Education, Dr. Luther. a team to throw or bat the soccer ball into the opposing teams H. Gulick, to create an indoor peach basket, while defending game that would keep the young men active during the a score in your peach basket cold winter months. Upon from the opposition team. this request, Naismith nervAs you can imagine, it was ously set out to create a game a major pain getting the ball that his class would enjoy. In a out of the peach basket when a diary found many years later he team finally scored. Some say had written… they used a long poll to push “I felt this was a crucial moJames Naismith the ball out, others say somement in my life as it meant sucone was required to climb a cess or failure of my attempt to hold the inter- ladder to retrieve it… est of the class and devise a new game” In the first game ever played there was With the help of his wife and memories only one score during the entire game! of playing ‘Duck on a Rock’ during his Originally the game involved nine players childhood, he decided to create a game that on each team… Why nine players? Because would focus on skill rather than strength. Naismith’s class had 18 people in it. For those who are curious… ‘Duck on a He also developed rules for the game Rock’ was a game in which players threw known as ‘The 13 Rules of Basketball’.
Naismith arrived early that day. Little did he know he was about to create basketball history.
6
A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
7
If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents.
A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do no touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
8
When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field.
9
10 After posting the ‘13 Rules of Basketball’ on the bulletin board of the gym, he nailed a peach basket to the lower rail of the balcony.
When the players arrived, Naismith split his eighteen students into two teams of nine players and taught them the rules.
The umpire shall be the judge and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made.
The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time.
11
12
The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
13
The side making the most goals shall be declared the winner.