I want to prove that Indian guys can also compete against the best players, says Satnam Singh

Satnam Singh says that before he turned 10, he was already taller than most adults in his native place – Ballo Ke – a village with a population of less than a thousand in Punjab's Barnala district. "I would stand out even at that age," he recalls. Towering at 7'2", Satnam is the only Indian basketball player to be part of the prestigious NBA. On a recent trip to India, Satnam spoke to DT about his transition from a village in India to playing basketball in the US, and how Indian kids today are better placed in terms of exposure in sports.
Satnam left for the US on a basketball scholarship at the age of 14 and as a kid who didn't speak or understand English, took quite a while to adjust to his new surroundings. "When I went there (US), I couldn't speak English. I only spoke Punjabi. I couldn't understand a thing and couldn't talk to anyone. So I just went to the training, shut my mouth and tried to follow what the coaches said. I even avoided going out because I didn’t know what to do or where to go. Eventually, I took English classes and things are a lot better now," he says. However, Satnam admits that he often gets homesick while living in the US. He tells us, "I miss my family when I'm in the US. It was tough going away from home as a teenager who had never seen much outside his hometown. So whenever I come to India, home is where I want to spend much of my time."

Indian basketball players have often been criticized for not being physically strong enough to take on foreign opponents, but Satnam feels hard work can triumph any lack of muscles. "Muscles don't matter beyond a point. The heart matters - the work you put in matters, and you need to be ready to hone your skills and work on yourself. Of course, if you are not strong, you can't do much but that’s not the only factor. When I first went to the US, I was really skinny. If I look at my 2010 photo, I looked very different but I worked on that. I ate better and my coaches lay emphasis on lifting weights. Strength and muscles can be built. The game needs to be strong."
Over the last two years, starting with Brian Shaw and Kevin Durant being the latest, India has seen visits by several great basketball players, most of whom have conducted coaching sessions with young basketballers in the country. Satnam believes that such exposure is essential for the growth of basketball in India. He says, "I think it'll be a great help to these kids. KD (Kevin Durant) was here - he's MVP for this year - and that’s a great opportunity for the kids; they'll have the chance to pick his brains. I thanked him for coming to India and speaking to the kids."

Doesn't he wish he had similar exposure as a kid playing in Punjab? Maybe a chance to meet Kobe Bryant or Lebron James like the kids of today get to meet Durant would have helped? "I never even thought about that. In those days, we never had that exposure. We just played as hard as we could and thankfully that led me to the US and later to the NBA," replies the 22-year-old.