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Indian basketball took a significant step towards global integration as the Ulhas Yuvipep Basketball Academy (UYBA) launched its four-day ProLevel Elite Camp at the Noida Indoor Stadium, bringing European-standard training methods to the country for the first time.
The camp is being led by England national team coach Clive Castillo, who has experience coaching at the EuroLeague and EuroCup levels. The initiative aims to bridge the long-standing gap between Indian grassroots basketball and international standards by exposing young players to high-performance training environments. UYBA founder Ulhas KS, an active international basketball player and Vice-President of the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI), termed the camp a landmark moment for the sport in the country. "This is our International Exposure Camp, a four-day elite camp with coach Clive Castillo, who has coached at the EuroLeague level. This is a very big thing in itself, and for the first time in the history of Indian basketball, such things are happening. These talented players are now understanding what international standards of basketball are," Ulhas said on Day 1 of the camp on Sunday. Highlighting the larger vision, Ulhas stressed the importance of building a structured pathway for young athletes. "I founded UYBA with the sole purpose of giving pathways to kids. From the age of seven to 18 or 19, they should either become student-athletes or professional players. Without a pathway, sport remains just a leisure activity," he explained. Expressing optimism about the sport's trajectory, he added, "Sky is the limit for the future of basketball in India. We do not lack talent; we lack a system and structure. Through UYBA, I want to prepare our country for the 2036 Olympics." Castillo, who has previously coached Ulhas during his stint in England, echoed similar sentiments about India's potential. "I think India is a sleeping giant in Asia. There is a good amount of talent across different age groups. The challenge is the lack of exposure and coverage," Castillo said. On his coaching approach, Castillo emphasised game-realistic training methods. "Traditional drills are good for fundamentals, but I focus on game-like situations, 2v1, 3v2, where players must make decisions under pressure. That's how the real game works," he noted. He also highlighted the importance of discipline beyond the court. "Being an athlete is 24/7. Nutrition, recovery, sleep -- all of it matters. It's not just about what you do during a game, but the weeks and months of preparation behind it," he added. UYBA, in association with Sports Soul, will organise the training camp in Noida till Wednesday, 22 April 2026. Sports Soul Director, Kuber Bisht, outlined the broader ecosystem being developed through the collaboration. "Sportsoul and UYBA have partnered to bring a professional ecosystem of basketball in India. And we have started with Noida, and we are planning to go all around India. UYBA brings an international experience with them. They have Ulhas, who is the founder, and he is the first Indian to play in the European Basketball League. And today, we have Coach Clive with us. He's the English basketball coach for the national team. We want to give our kids an ecosystem where we have physiotherapists, basketball coaches, a ground, a FIBA-approved international-level stadium and many other facilities. So, our plan at Sports Soul is to give them an ecosystem so that the kids get a roadmap for growth," Bisht said. With international expertise, structured pathways, and growing institutional support, initiatives like the UYBA Elite Camp could mark the beginning of a new chapter for basketball in India. (ANI)
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