Chennai lass Upadhrithi hopes to fulfil dad’s dream

Budding basketball player Upadhrithi Balaji suffered a huge personal loss at the end of last year but picked herself up by reigniting her interest in the sport.

The 12-year-old Upadhrithi, who lost her father in December 2020, enrolled for the 2021 Reliance Foundation Jr NBA program that lasted 12 weeks and concluded in May. Having impressed everyone during the series, the Chennai girl was called up for the Jr NBA Global Championship – Online Asia Pacific and India camp last month.

Upadhrithi was a member of the 20-strong Indian contingent that attended the virtual one-day event, which was hosted by former Oklahoma City Thunder player development coach Vin Bhavnani. “My dad was my basketball coach. After his demise, I didn’t know what to do with respect to basketball. 

The program helped me overcome the grief and showcase my talent,” said Upadhrithi, a student of the Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School located here.

“Due to the COVID-19 regulations in the city, I didn’t have access to courts for months and couldn’t train on a regular basis. I was worried that I would lose touch with the game. The program was pretty helpful as I learned new drills and techniques,” added Upadhrithi, who has represented her school in local tournaments but is yet to get past the zonal trials.

The Jr program and the one-day virtual event played host to some of the greats of the game from the NBA as well as the WNBA. Upadhrithi said that she was inspired by listening to the stories of former and current players. “I had the opportunity to interact with them. It was a new experience for me. The sessions were motivating. I learned about shooting, dribbling, stamina, and teamwork.” Upadhrithi said that she hopes to fulfill her late father’s dream of representing the country. 

“My dad wanted me to become a senior India international. If I get better, I will look to achieve great things in the future,” signed off Upadhrithi. 

Besides Upadhrithi, Niraj Shankar from Chennai was picked for the online camp in July.