Author: Adarsh Dadala Rao, Ekalavyas
Publication: India.nba.com
Date: November 25, 2016
URL:   http://india.nba.com/news/want-go-mamba-style-akanksha-singh/

She grew up playing basketball instead of hide-and-seek. Watching her sisters represent their city, state and country, she became passionate about the game of hoops and her nation. She continued the legacy of her sisters before her and established herself as a powerhouse on the Indian women’s team. This is the story of Akanksha Singh.

“Criticism is music to my ears,” says Akanksha

 Akanksha Singh, who is also known as ‘Bacchi’ (little girl), has been making it a point to seize every opportunity presented to her. Her hoops odyssey began in the heartlands of the populous eastern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh — with a spot on the bench in the U-17 Gorakhpur District team competing at the School Nationals.

Akanksha was just 11-years-old then.

Now 27, an established international player, head of the sports department at Bennett University, Greater Noida and an inspiration to countless young Indians, she was really only a ‘bacchi’ when her whole world changed.

Grand things were expected of her, having grown up in a family of achievers under the legacy of her elder sisters – Priyanka, Divya and Prashanti – who have all played either at the national or international level. “I obviously felt a lot of pressure, but drew inspiration from my sisters. I’ve always tried to perform as well as them if not better.” In particular, she recalls a game in the 2007 FIBA Asia U-18 Basketball Championship against Kazakhstan, where she took the team’s scoring into her hands and came up with a win, propelling her side into elite level A. “That is when I really got the confidence that I can excel at the highest level.”

That tournament was also extra special for it happened to be her international debut. “The first time I held my India jersey,” she pauses briefly, “…the feeling is inexplicable. Even today, every time I think about it, I’m filled with immense pride and joy.”

At 5ft 6in, ‘Bacchi’ was supremely talented as a point guard, despite her relatively short stature. She treated every bit of criticism about her size and game as music to her ears, always pushing herself to improve. “When I started playing, there were at least 1000 others who were competing at the same level. I never started playing because I wanted to go pro. I was just enjoying myself on the floor. I used to scream at people to run after a loose ball, shout at someone for making a mistake and be upset with myself when I missed shots. So when I look back now, of how I was at that age, I think it was right to be that way, to be so passionate about something.”

“My passion has brought me this far leaving everyone behind.”

Over the years, Akanksha was mentored by Divya and Prashanti, who captained the Senior Indian team on different occasions. Akanksha, in turn, took up the mentorship role of the fifth and youngest of the ‘Singh sisters’ – Pratima.

“When I played with Divya and Prashanti, I didn’t get many minutes, but every moment was filled with learning. Now, playing alongside Pratima and watching her improve, especially as a scorer, I’m really proud and glad to have mentored her.”

The success of the ‘Singh sisters’ for Delhi and India may well be unmatched. But just when Akanksha was entering her prime, catastrophe struck in the form of injuries. And like many before her, she had to will herself to fight through them. She considers it a humbling experience. “I used to be very impatient, I needed things fast. So for someone who lived at breakneck pace, all of a sudden life changed completely. Everything was frozen in time when I was bedridden. I felt cold. I couldn’t be without playing. I stopped using social media. I didn’t want to hear about people playing basketball. The pain I was going through and the thought of a comeback from that injury was dreadful. It’s something no player would want to experience in their lifetime, but it was important for me to go through it. Most players will want to forget their injuries and recovery periods, but I want to remember it because not being able to move a muscle helped me think and taught me patience. It completed me as a person and a player.”

When asked about her return she had this to say: “There is no question, I still want to play. No sportsperson will say they want to retire. I want to get back to my old self. I’m yet to play the best game of my life. I want to play that game and then retire. Like Kobe’s last match, I want to go out Mamba style.”

What next? “I want to give something [to the next generation], something that I didn’t have, something that would have made me a better player than I am today if I had it to start with. I want to open new doors in basketball for the young kids by way of better training and facilities. I’ll head an institution that will improve the grassroots [situation] and take great care of the elite basketball players in India.” She also aims to inspire future ballers through a movie releasing next year, loosely based on her own life.

Phew! That’s a long to-do list.