From the 10th to 16th of June, 3BL hosted the first-ever FIBA 3x3 Skill Development Camp at Insfire Sports in Gurgaon, India.
3BL Commissioner Rohit Bakshi projects this to be the first of many more to come.
"The idea is to spread this across India. Do this camp across all 29 states and create awareness from the grassroots with the kids."
Kids, who had signed up for the week-long camp, got to learn from some of the best in the business in Inderbir Singh Gill, Kiran Shastri, Bikramjit Gill, Amjyot Singh Gill, and Rohit Bakshi (3BL Commissioner and former 3x3 player).
Even Dhruv Barman, the No. 1 FIBA ranked 3x3 player in the country, made an appearance.
The FIBA 3x3 – Skill Development Camp has come to an end with big smiles 😁 all around and we can assure you that our young athletes have left this camp with immense basketball IQ, fitness and most important of all, FUNDAMENTALS! Also, big shout to @dhruvbarman6 #1⃣ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/5l8GDRlK3w
— 3X3BL (@3X3BL) June 17, 2019
After 3BL season 1 and 3BL Juniors, this camp was yet another step taken by Bakshi to promote the format in the country.
"The beauty of 3x3 is that a 3x3 player can play 5-on-5." Bakshi said.
"It actually gives you more room to learn overall skills - shooting, dribbling and defence. In 5-on-5, the shortest guy will never have the opportunity to defend a forward but in 3x3 that happens consistently. Which means the training itself is very intense and because of the rules and regulations, you have to be good at shooting from outside and inside."
"It actually encourages you to be an all-around player."
The following short clip of Inderbir Singh, a seasoned 3x3 player, coaching young kids the jab-step-and-drive perfectly illustrates what Bakshi is talking about.
Name a better coach who'll teach you The Jab step.... We'll wait! 💥🏀☑#3x3 #3x3BL #3x3India #Training #Development #Academy #SummerCamp #TheGeneral #IndiaBasketball @InderbirGill12 pic.twitter.com/tpjjKCWcF9
— 3X3BL (@3X3BL) June 14, 2019
In the fast-paced nature of the 3x3 format, the perfect implementation of a jab-step plays a huge role, as do other fundamentals, but it is a skill, like many others, that could easily translate and help any player in the 5-on-5 format.
Amjyot Singh, arguably India's best player right now, is someone who has played professionally at a high level in both formats - 3x3 (2016 World Tour Finals) and 5-on-5 (two seasons in the NBA G-League).
"The biggest disadvantage in India is that unpe hum thop dete hain (we force it on them)," Amjyot says about the importance of teaching fundamentals to the kids at the camp.
"We say that you have to play in this restricted thing. There was a guy, 6-1, he was like my coaches tell me that I can only play center. I said this one should be a point guard if he has to play professionally."
With more of these camps, where training is available from players who have played at the highest level, the format is definitely set to boom in this country.
"The kids have been really motivated to learn from these four players," Bakshi said while talking about the camp's great response.
However, he is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the complete promotion of the sport in the country. It's not just about the players.
MORE: NBA India All-Access - Rohit Bakshi
"In the future, we will be doing a clinic for the referees along with a FIBA expert as well."
With the success he tasted as team Hamamatsu (in Japan) while playing alongside Amjyot, Inderbir and Bikramjit, Bakshi remains intent on promoting the format in India to give the country a headstart and an opportunity to be realistic contenders for a medal at the Olympics.
"This [Skill Development Camp] is a part of that activity [the goal to make India a medal contender at the Olympics]. I have not given up on that part."
