<p>Phool, riding his two-wheeler to Sikar to meet his ailing mother, collided head-on with an oncoming truck and passed away on the spot, according to information received here.<br />Strangely, even ten days after his death, there was no response from the authorities, with the Basketball Federation of India not deeming it fit to send out even a release informing the media and the fans about the loss. <br /><br />Only when Deccan Herald contacted him did BFI secretary Harish Sharma offer condolences on his and the federation’s behalf. “I have played with his brother and I remember Phool as a hard-working basketballer. He would never get angry on the court and for a pivot player of that size and build, that is a rare quality. He was very down to earth. We should all mourn his loss,” he said.<br /><br />Phool, who represented India in a couple of matches during his reign as Services’ best power forward, is survived by his wife Lakshmi and two children -- daughter Kiran (16) and son Deepak (14).<br /><br />The youngest brother of former India skipper and Arjuna awardee Radhey Shyam, who died in 2006, Phool was the backbone of the Services’ defence and pivot play for more than a decade. <br /><br />After starting his career with Army Service Corps in Bangalore in 1992, the 6’8’’ ‘gentle giant’ showed promise and with a string of impressive performances clinched a place in the Services team. <br /><br />On moving to Delhi in 1993, Phool continued to shine amidst a new breed of players who were bigger and faster than him. Services’ point-guard Amarnath, who assisted Phool in some of his best games, said he was shocked by the incident and will miss his partner.<br /><br />“This is a sad moment for basketball,” said Amarnath. “I played with him for a number of years and he was an incredible player. Without his presence, I doubt we could have won any big game. We shared a great relationship on and off the court.” After a stellar career, Phool Singh retired from the game on July 31, 2009.<br /><br />Basketball circles in Bangalore expressed shock over the demise. Former internationals R Rajan and BS Gautham offered tributes to the player. “He averaged 35 points a game,” said Vijaya Bank’s Gautham. “Our main strategy when we played ASC was to cut his scoring by at least 15 points,” he added.<br /></p>
<p>Phool, riding his two-wheeler to Sikar to meet his ailing mother, collided head-on with an oncoming truck and passed away on the spot, according to information received here.<br />Strangely, even ten days after his death, there was no response from the authorities, with the Basketball Federation of India not deeming it fit to send out even a release informing the media and the fans about the loss. <br /><br />Only when Deccan Herald contacted him did BFI secretary Harish Sharma offer condolences on his and the federation’s behalf. “I have played with his brother and I remember Phool as a hard-working basketballer. He would never get angry on the court and for a pivot player of that size and build, that is a rare quality. He was very down to earth. We should all mourn his loss,” he said.<br /><br />Phool, who represented India in a couple of matches during his reign as Services’ best power forward, is survived by his wife Lakshmi and two children -- daughter Kiran (16) and son Deepak (14).<br /><br />The youngest brother of former India skipper and Arjuna awardee Radhey Shyam, who died in 2006, Phool was the backbone of the Services’ defence and pivot play for more than a decade. <br /><br />After starting his career with Army Service Corps in Bangalore in 1992, the 6’8’’ ‘gentle giant’ showed promise and with a string of impressive performances clinched a place in the Services team. <br /><br />On moving to Delhi in 1993, Phool continued to shine amidst a new breed of players who were bigger and faster than him. Services’ point-guard Amarnath, who assisted Phool in some of his best games, said he was shocked by the incident and will miss his partner.<br /><br />“This is a sad moment for basketball,” said Amarnath. “I played with him for a number of years and he was an incredible player. Without his presence, I doubt we could have won any big game. We shared a great relationship on and off the court.” After a stellar career, Phool Singh retired from the game on July 31, 2009.<br /><br />Basketball circles in Bangalore expressed shock over the demise. Former internationals R Rajan and BS Gautham offered tributes to the player. “He averaged 35 points a game,” said Vijaya Bank’s Gautham. “Our main strategy when we played ASC was to cut his scoring by at least 15 points,” he added.<br /></p>
