Railways guard Prakash Mishra, fished out of Indore – a fast-developing basketball nursery – highlights the hazy spotlight that falls on his sport. “In the cities, they are unwilling to give us even a first look, though NBA-popularity is at an all-time high. In villages, they confuse us with volleyball. We’ve never really got our own audience. It is a team-game, and there’s not much in it right now. But if everyone starts saying that, where will the game go?” he asks.

In between discussing promotions into Class-3 clerical seniority, and increments that go with national titles, Mishra picks new moves from NBA DVDs. But at 5’6”, and nowhere close to getting under the groovy American flashbulbs, he is one of the many willing to break his heart and limbs for his chosen sport.

But Suresh Ranot believes the scene isn’t as depressing as many believe. The forward – one of ONGC’s earliest recruits – says the best in India can enjoy 3-star accommodations and 3-tier AC berths, and buy Adidas and Reebok sneakers. “But players need to make the most of these opportunities. Almost all our internationals come from smaller towns where hard work and respect to coaches is a given. Big cities are not as conducive,” says the player from Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. “Even in Dehradun, though Doon School and Woodstock boast of fancy basketball courts, the boys come from good families and they know what they want to do in life. Basketball is not the priority,” he says.