Sunny camp shows the way

The CV Sunny basketball academy held a four-day clinic for 150 students who improved their skills, first working with the 15 Indian coaches and then attended the demonstration by the Americans. In fact, Sunny conceded it was a new lesson for him to work with the Americans, though it was only for four days. 

“Primarily it was because of their approach,” said Sunny. “They are active players even now. Alex plays in the Australian league and both of them are in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Hall of Fame. They don’t take lectures in the classes, they get down to the field and show the children how to show their skills,” added Sunny, who played for Indian Bank and recently moved from Chennai to Kollam on transfer. 

Sunny is a FIBA Level 3 coach and has been in charge of the Indian team. He is trying to get a two-year leave from Indian Bank to concentrate on coaching. The Elite Basketball Training Camp in Chennai was part of his plan to get there. Sunny and former Indian women’s captain Meena Latha trained the participants. The students were drawn from public schools of the state. 

Sunny said after this training camp, the academy would hold similar clinics for poor students throughout the state. 

“We have plans to conduct similar clinics at least three times a year,” said Sunny. “When we started this, eyebrows were raised as to whether a four-day clinic was enough to teach the children, but it turned out to be a substantial coaching programme not only for the trainees but even for the 15 coaches who attended the sessions,” added Sunny. 

The former Indian international said he would intensify the programme and even sponsor good trainees with the NCAA basketball coaching programmes in the United States. “The idea is to identify prospects once they pass out of 12th standard here so that they can combine studies and the game,” noted Sunny.