Joginder Singh - The Sniper from Services
Joginder Singh has contributed to the Indian national team time-to-time. His veteran presence in the locker room has turned out to be important cog.
During my time at the Senior Nationals Basketball Championship 2022, I worked with The Bridge and was the manager for Gujarat. Some of the stories were not published because they did not satisfy the story criteria. I felt these stories have their place, and someday, someone might write a book on India Basketball, and they can use this story đ.
(Credits: FIBA)
âThe best point guard in Indiaâ, Coach Shekhawat said when I asked him his views on Indiaâs veteran three-point sniper Joginder Singh. Even though he is second-fiddle to Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Joginder has played for India since 2007.
Upon searching his name on the internet, youâll come across the Indian pacer, Joginder Singh. He is that under-rated. The basketball community feels that he is one of those players who deserve to be in the spotlight. He was part of the 2011-2013 FIBA Asia Cup, Asian Games 2014, and Commonwealth Games 2018 basketball team.
Singh talked with the Bridge after his loss against Railways. The Services are now ranked 7th in the National Rankings and will compete at the National League as announced by K. Goovindraj.
How do you feel about the game against Indian Railways? Where did you lose the game?
For the first time, I feel we lost due to our offence, and we were defending well. During some moments, we couldnât get our offence going. Even I think that if I had hit the first couple of threes, then we couldâve got into a rhythm. But we couldnât catch that rhythm throughout the match.Â
Overall, if we see, this is the second defeat in the tournament for you, first against Karanataka and second now against Punjab. In that game, where did the team lack, according to you? It was one of the defeats for Services in the history of Indian basketball.
This is a team game. Even I wasnât with the team. I came directly after taking a leave, but itâs the same thing; thatâs how we start our game. Karanataka is not better than us. The way they started the game helped them maintain the lead, and we had to chase them. Because when the team is leading, they donât have the same pressure to score at every attempt. The chasing team always has to try breaking the lead, and Karanataka took advantage of it.
After that game, it was a statement from Services that they do it in the most brutal way when they retaliate. You defended well against Punjab, so what did the team change after the first match?
After the first game, we came into a do-or-die situation, and we focused on our defence after losing against Karnataka. Be it any match, even the game against Indian Railways, and they defended the last two quarters well. Iâm happy with my teamâs performance except for the first game. We played the best according to our potential.
A lot of people donât know about your start with basketball. When did you start playing the game, and how did it grow?
I come from a small village called Bamla near the Bhiwadi district in Haryana. Basketball was the only game for us other than cricket. We thought basketball could take us to places. Later my game grew, and I joined SAI Hostel in Kurukshetra. I joined the Air Force in 2007, and since then, I have been part of the Indian team.
Any moments where you felt that the sky is the limit for you?
I believe I took basketball into my hands from the first day itself, and my life changed. My interest, or I should say pagalpanti, for basketball has been the same as I had on my first day of the game. Even after 23 years of playing basketball, Iâm still mad behind the game and practice with the same intensity. The interest in the game took me where I am now.
Coach Matic told by the year 2025, there is going to be a change in the team. are there any players you feel should be part of the Indian team and take it to the next level?
I wouldnât recommend anyone, but the coach has done an excellent thing by giving junior players some international basketball experience. But we also have to see that we canât take a young team. You need some experienced players who can be helpful in any major tournament.Â
You were there when Vishesh Bhriguvanshi hit the half-court shot against Lebanon. How was the team celebrating, and how did the room celebrate that victory?
VIsheshâs was one of the most crucial shots in the history of Indian basketball. It helped us qualify for the Asia Cup. Earlier, we used to qualify by winning the SABA Championship. After the format was changed, we got a chance to play some games against excellent teams. So with that shot, Vishesh Bhai used his experience and helped us qualify for the Asia Cup.
Both of you have played for the Indian national team for a long time, and you have experienced both the ups and the downs of the sport in India. How is your relationship with Vishesh?
Sometimes I feel Vishesh is as pagal as I am for the game of basketball. He started playing before me. He has received the Arjuna Award, which he deserves. Because playing the game for such a long time and staying away from the family is remarkable.
One of the things I have observed is that you are a sharp-shooter from the three-point range. What tips would you like to give to some of the young players out there?
Itâs effortless to increase your shooting percentage. First, work on the game shots you take in practice. You can do all types of shooting like spot shooting and movement shooting. I usually hit spot-up three-pointers. Once you feel you have perfected it, start hitting game situation shots. Because you see, there are some point guards, outstanding point guards, but they donât have a good shooting percentage. I think they should focus more on shooting to grow their game a lot.
How did you change your game according to the need of the coach? How did you adapt according to the demands of the coach?
My game changer coach was Scott Fleming. No coach has shown so much confidence as he did in my career. I did not have so much faith, but he gave me a free hand in allowing me to hit as many three shot attempts as I wanted. I still take that confidence with me every game. He often told me, âWhen you are free, take an attempt.â It has helped me so much that I can score threes whenever my team needs some points.Â
We will play the FIBA Asia Cup and The Asian Games later this year. How do you feel about the team? How high do you think the team can go?
The team always tries to play better than before, and the way the camps are taking place, we can play much better. We canât say that we should burst to the top, but it should be one step at a time.Â
Since you are from the services, your physique is better than the rest of the teams, and in this game, often, you tend to lose your patience. So how do you handle it?
Whenever young players play, they usually show they are at that very point in time, but with experienced, they know when to show their anger. Playing physical is not anger but hitting the basket at the right time is also a way to show anger.Â