Basketball Federation of India (BFI) on Thursday appointed H Laldinsanga as the coach of the under 18 Indian team keeping in mind the SABA Zone Qualifying Round for the FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 and the FIBA U18 Asian Championship to be held from Aug 5-11.
H Laldinsanga, better known as Mapuia in Mizoram, will join the national under 18 training camp on June 10 in Bengaluru. The camp will commence at Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium.
BFI Secretary General Chander Mukhi intimated the appointment of H Laldinsanga to the Mizoram Basketball Association (MBBA) on Thursday.
The national coaching camp is also a preparation and selection for the upcoming Indian fixture – SABA Zone Qualifying Round for the FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 and FIBA U18 Asian Championship.
“The appointment of H Laldinsanga is in line with India’s efforts to prepare the junior men’s team for upcoming international fixtures. His experience as a player will add huge value to the camp which is scheduled to start this month and we are pleased to have him on board,” secretary general Chander Mukhi said in a communiqué.
Mizoram Basketball Association (MBBA) technical committee chairman Dr Lalrinawma Hnamte said H Laldinsanga’s appointment as the junior team coach was not a surprise and said that he had a stint as assistant coach of the Indian senior basketball team.
“I was personally asked by the BFI technical people where my comfort zone was, I told them I was interested in nurturing young talents in the country,” H Laldinsanga said.
Mapuia was the vice captain of India Junior team in 2004 and made it to the senior national side in 2005.
In the Mizoram domestic basketball scene, he was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the first edition of the top basketball league of the state – the Mizoram Super League. He lifted the first two editions of the league as a player cum coach for Khatla TBL.