Indian basketball takes a huge stride as UBA signs 30 top Indian players
After signing former NBA draft pick, Satnam Singh, the United Basketball Alliance (UBA) has now announced 29 additional standout Indian players signing on multi-year contracts. With UBA on the horizon, the league has taken a giant step in its commitment to the development of basketball in India.
“I still remember the day I signed my first professional contract in the NBA,” says former L.A. Laker A.C. Green, the UBA’s Director of Sport. “It left a huge impression on my life. Now, these players get to experience that same feeling that I once had upon signing my first contract. We are excited about our upcoming season and the future of Indian basketball.”
The duration of the contracts ranges from 3 to 5 years, for a combined total of more than Rs 16 crore. In addition to it being the first multi-year contracts in the Indian basketball history, the signed players will also receive basketball and fitness training from top experts in the USA, along with nutritional guidance to help them maximize their potential.
The list of players signed includes the very best of the lot from India, like Satnam Singh (first Indian drafted in the NBA) and several others who are either currently representing the country at the international level or have done in the past. Standout international talents like Palpreet Brar of Bengaluru Beast (first Indian to have been drafted by an NBA G-League Team), Jagdeep Singh Bains of Mumbai Challengers (has captained India; mentor to Satnam Singh), Rikin Pethani of the Chennai Slam (represented India at FIBA Asia Cup in 2016 and 2017) and Yadwinder Singh of Haryana Gold (veteran Indian team star) are some of the key players.
The list also includes stars who represented India in the recently concluded FIBA Asia Cup 2017, such as
UBA Director of Coaching, Jody Basye says, “We have so many great players who have been waiting for this opportunity. To finally get them under contract and in the
List of players signed with UBA to multi-year deals:
Bengaluru Beast - Palpreet Brar, Loveneet Singh Atwal, Kaif Zia, Visu Palani and Khushmeet Singh Atwal
Chennai Slam - Agu, Cammy Carmel, Rikin Pethani
Delhi Capitals - Anil Kumar, Muin Bek and Vinay Kaushik
Haryana Gold - Yadwinder Singh, Akashdeep Hazra and Himanshu Sharma
Mumbai Challengers - Jagdeep Singh Bains, Prasanna Venkatesh, Prudhvi Reddy, Jeevanathan and Dildar Brar
Pune Peshwas - Siddhant Shinde, Arshpreet Bhullar, and Ajinkya Mane
Punjab Steelers - Garry (Gurvinder Singh Gill), Sagar Joshi, Harmanpreet Singh, Taj Sandhu and Kaushal
Satnam Singh
TJ Sahi (played for Bengaluru Beast in UBA Season 1)
Vikas Mor (played for Haryana Gold in UBA Season 1 and 2)
