India’s basketball coach Aleksandar Bucan has identified half-a-dozen talented youngsters and would like to add a few more in the list before starting his mission of building a team of strong and talented hoopsters for the future.
Bucan, who signed a new contract with the Basketball Federation of India to coach the national team till this December, hoped to complete the list after the National Junior basketball meet in Bhilwara later this month. “We have some bright talent coming up at the junior level. I have noticed six boys who are extremely talented. The list is not yet complete. From the National Junior meet (May 26-June 1), we will have a few more additions.
“My mission is to have a physically strong and talented bunch of basketball players. They should perform well and win consistently abroad. But that won’t happen in a day, it will take time -- perhaps five or six years,” added the Serbian at the conclusion of junior India camp at the SAI Southern Centre.
The 35-year-old said the three-week camp threw up a lot of positives.
“To me, this camp was good enough. There were a lot of positives coming out, especially with me getting a chance to find future prospects.”
“We had doubt clearance sessions, apart from work-outs in the morning and evening. The main thing was to assess their physical fitness and teach the boys different methods to improve. We also had technical input sessions and skill development programmes. When we meet next time, I will go more into match situations, team strategies and other vital points,” said Bucan.
Following the renewal of his contract, Bucan is now looking forward to a month-long camp with the India seniors before the start of the Stankic Cup to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in July. The juniors will play the qualifiers for the Asian Basketball Championship, also in July, at a venue yet to be decided.