New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) In a historic first for Indian basketball, Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh have been selected to represent Hyogo Impulse team in the Japan’s BJ Challenge Summer League for three months, it was announced on Tuesday.
Forward Amjyot, 6-foot 9-inch, and 7-foot-tall centre Amritpal will be the first ever Indians to play professional basketball in Japan. Both have been stars of the Indian men’s team over the past two years, leading them to the historic, first ever victory over China in 2014 during the 4th FIBA Asia Cup held in Wuhan, China, according to a release.
Moreover, Amjyot, 23, and Amritpal, 23, will participate against Japanese hopefuls with an eye towards being picked up for one of the three professional leagues in Japan – the top league – NBL (National Basketball League), its development league — NBDL (National Basketball Development League), or the BJ League. All these three leagues are held during regular season.
The duo’s representatives hope that this historic move will open pathways for many more Indian players to gain collegiate and professional opportunities in Japan.