NBA player Faried rues lack of facilities in India

Mumbai: Denver Nuggets National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kenneth Faried has expressed displeasure over lack of facilities for growth of the hoop game in India. "But they don't have the facilities in India as far as that we have in the US (United States). We have courts all over the place, in India, (there is) cricket all over the place, so cricket is going to be seen on TV more," Faried told a select group of reporters here. The 27-year-old player said that NBA's "goal" was to make basketball the number two sport in the country. Faried, with the nickname "Manimal", was on a visit to India to engage with the youth and trainers in the cities and grow the game of basketball via NBA's initiatives in India, NBA Zone and around the hoop' on SONY SIX TV channel. He visited the Jamnabai school in suburban Juhu, which is the first ever basketball school and from where talented students can be recommended to the NBA academy recently opened in the National Capital Region. International coaches give training to the students from the school. Asked about the visit, Faried said, "The school is going to help kids learn basketball. You must know the fundamentals of the game and the school will help the kids develop their technique." He also expressed disappointment over the fact that India does not have a structure, like US or in other countries, from where professionals are selected from the college level.