Telangana basketball player Aryan Sharma makes it to national team for under-16 FIBA Asia Cup

The goal is to get a medal and qualify for the Asian Championship and play well there to qualify for the next World Championship, said Telangana basketball player Aryan Sharma

Hyderabad: Telangana basketball player Aryan Sharma is excited to don India colours in the upcoming South Asian Basketball Association’s (SABA) qualifiers in Colombo, Sri Lanka starting August 27. The top two teams from the championship will represent the South Asian zone at the under-16 FIBA Asia Cup to be held at Qatar to begin from September 17.

Ahead of his departure for the qualifiers, the 16-year-old said, “The goal is to get a medal and qualify for the Asian Championship and play well there to qualify for the next World Championship.”

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“Also my personal goal is to get into the All-star team of the Asian Championship, which is the best five players across all the teams in the continental event,” he added.

Hailing from Hi Tech City, Aryan didn’t choose basketball as his first choice. His first love was cricket and he represented the Ranga Reddy district team as a fast bowler. But a back injury ended his stint in the game. However, destiny had other plans. When the Covid-19 pandemic was easing, he joined his society friends to play basketball. Upon advice from the coach there, he joined Gamepoint at Hitech for serious coaching. “Srinivas, a coach in our society suggested that I take basketball seriously. So in March last year, I joined Gamepoint,” he revealed.

He later moved to Keystone Basketball Academy and trained under PS Santosh, who is coach of the Indian men’s team. The talented youngster made rapid strides making it to the State team for the Youth Nationals in 2022 held in Indore.

Upon getting picked up at the selection trials in July this year, he made it to the 12-member Indian core team after a rigorous coaching camp, under the watchful eyes of the Dhyan Chand awardee head coach Ram Kumar.

Speaking about his preparations, he said, “fitness regime in the camp has been a great help. Our physio Ranjan Sharma sir has taken utmost care that made a big impact in my vertical jumps and sprinting abilities,” he said.

The power forward aims to play in European basketball and dreams of making it into the NBA one day. “My aim is to get into European basketball and if possible NBA as I want to play for Los Angeles Lakers in NBA,” he revealed.

He will wear the number 8 for Team India in the upcoming SABA qualifiers and interestingly one of the best players to ever put on the number 8 was legend Kobe Bryant, who played his entire career with Los Angeles Lakers, whom Aryan idiolises.