The sport suited the agile and powerful
built punjabis who came out triumphant in
the first Championship on All India basis,
held in
New Delhi
in 1934 under auspices of the Indian
Olympic Association. Before participating
in the Championship, a regular Basketball
Association had been formed with Sh. G.L. Sayal as its Hony.
Secretary.
Punjab
continued to dominate this game and won
the top honours, when the next
Championship was held at
Lahore
in 1936. The success was repeated at
Patiala in 1944.
Mr. H.B.S. Richie, an ardent lover of the
game revived Punjab Basketball Association
after partition with himself as its
Secretary and Mr. G.D. Sondhi (the Founder
of the Asian Games) as its President.
Despite various handicaps the Association
continued to send its teams to the
National Championship held at Lucknow in
1948 and Bombay in 1950. From 1951 onwards
the Basketball Federation of India decided
to make the Championship an annual affair.
Punjab once again established its
superiority and won the Championship held
at
Ludhiana
that year. As a result of this, Punjab
players Ranbir Chopra, Dharampal Chum,
Davinder Bahri and Gur Parshad were
selected to represent
India
in the 1st Asian Games in 1951. Ranbir
Chopra had the distinction to lead the
Indian Team. Mr. Ashwani Kumar was elected
President of the Punjab Basketball
Association in 1952 and Mr. R.D. Sayal
became its Secretary, taking over from Mr.
H.B.S. Richie, who by then had settled
down in
Delhi.
The Association has since been sending
teams regularly for participation in
National championships.
During the period, Punjab produced some
brilliant players and organisers of
national standard. In 1953, when an Indian
Basketball Team was sent to
Pakistan,
Narinder Singh and Om Parkash were
selected as its members and