NBA Academy India’s Amaan Sandhu was selected among 64 boys and girls from 18 countries to take part in the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia 2019 camp in Tokyo, Japan from August 14-17. BWB Asia 2019 featured a number of current and former NBA players, including three-time NBA Champion Sam Cassell, two-time NBA Champion Kevon Looney (Golden State Warriors), Robin Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks) and Yuta Tabuse (formerly of the Phoenix Suns; Japan). Former WNBA players Ashley Battle, Allison Feaster and Yolanda Moore also participated in the camp and coached the top high-school-age campers from throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The junior players went through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, 5-on-5 games, and daily life skills seminars focusing on health, leadership and communication.
Sandhu, who attended his second BWB camp, expressed that this camp was far more enriching than the previous one.
“This was my second Basketball Without Borders camp in Asia. And this camp was far more enriching than the last one. We got to learn many new skills from new coaches. So we learnt a lot,” said the 16-year-old.
Sandhu added that the players mostly focussed on dribbling and shooting during the camp.
“We focused more on dribbling and shooting in this camp. I am a central player. So my main role is to secure the D and take rebounds for the team,” said Sandhu.
The Mohali lad who has played in the NBA Global Academy Games in 2018 and 2019 and the NBA Global Camp in Italy in 2018, is following the footsteps of his father, who was an international basketball player.
“I started playing basketball in 2013-14. My father was an international basketball player. I had an interest in swimming before taking up basketball. But, I used to watch basketball games with my father on TV, that time my interest in basketball increased. It was then when my father asked me if I wanted to start playing basketball. That’s how everything started,” he said.
Sandhu, who is a big fan of the LA Lakers, said that his ultimate goal is to play for an NBA team in the future.
“I started playing basketball with my father’s coach. There were NBA Academy tryouts in 2017 in our state. From there, I was selected among the top 40 players of India. My journey with NBA began from there,” signed off Sandhu.
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