An Indian basketball player tries his luck in Europe – ‘They accept a Black player quickly, but when it comes to Brown, there is still a long way to go’ | Basketball News

From the time Ulhas Koravi Satyanarayan walked onto a basketball court as a seven-year-old in a New Delhi school, overcoming stereotypes has been a constant theme. Before he wins duels with opponents or steals the ball from under their nose, all along Ulhas has first had to win over his own teammates and even coaches at times. From New Delhi to Europe – London, Chisinau (Moldova), Valletta (Malta), Novi Pazar (Serbia) – where he is currently playing in the Basketball League of Serbia, it has been the story of his 26-year-old life.
Ulhas stands at 6 foot 1 inch. His wingspan is around ‘6.4-6.5 approximately’. His shoe size is 10. “Ivan ena inga panran? (What is he even doing here?) is how I get treated,” Ulhas tells The Indian Express. “With my height, I could get away in India, but from the moment I landed at University of Westminster in London to my time here in Novi Pazar, there is always this quizzical expression from teammates that I’ve got used to now. It is the same old stereotype… What is an Indian doing on a basketball court and do brown players even play the sport?” says Ulhas who is playing for Novi Pazar in the Serbian League.
In Serbian, he is now integrating into the first team, getting used to the physicality of the game. “Here it is lot tougher than what you are used to in Europe. It is physically very challenging and it is not just because they are tall. They are very strong with the defence and use their shoulders and elbows to create space and win duels. It is sort of fine with me as well, because I’m used to giving back now. It is why I’ve become stronger physically.”
The 26-year-old who has his roots in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram, but has grown up in New Delhi is the first Indian professional to be playing in European Leagues. Having done his schooling in the NCR, Ulhas took a gigantic step to move to the UK to pursue life as a professional. “I just took a chance because I didn’t want to regret it later. then I knew I’d the talent and wanted to explore more,” he says.
Westminster would be his first stop and window to Europe. At the University, he would give trials and successfully make it to the first team and captain it a year later. “It was the first time, I actually got to play systematic basketball with lot of plays (pre-planned team movements) and understanding of the game. It was totally different to what I’d played in India. In India, we never ran plays or ran anything. It was more of whoever can score can score, whoever is open will score. But that wasn’t the case in London. There was a system, plays and all of it because they had good defence. Suddenly you are not playing 1×1. It becomes a truly team sport. And since I was a point guard, I’d to learn 20 plays. It was a different IQ level of playing basketball with players from Europe and US,” Ulhas says.
While it is common for hoopsters from India to go to the US in pursuit of the sport, Ulhas had his reasons to pick Europe. “If I’d gone to the US directly, I would have been lost. My confidence would have taken a beating and I’d be demoralised. Had I taken that route, I wouldn’t be playing basketball now,” he adds.
While it is common for hoopsters from India to go to the US in pursuit of the sport, Ulhas had his reasons to pick Europe. (Special Arrangement)
The three years at Westminster would do a world of good for Ulhas. A point guard, he would become a combo guard (one who shoots as well as defends). Rubbing shoulders with players from Greece, Eastern Europe and ones from US meant, he would get to learn the physical side of the sport and more importantly find ways to stand tall over the rest. “In any market anybody who is 6’7, 6’8 would be preferred over 6’1. With me, I had to be a great shooter and a great defender. Even I failed in one, then I won’t get an opportunity to be on the court. It is a constant battle. Nobody can be perfect 24×7, but when you are from an Indian background, all of this matters,” Ulhas says.
From trash talks to not being welcomed through body language, Ulhas has experienced it all. “It is in a way subtle racism, but you just move along. It isn’t direct here (in Serbia) like it was in UK, where it was direct. It starts from your teammates and it is generally not from the opponents. They accept a Black player quickly, but when it comes to Brown, there is still a long way to go,” he says.
The opportunity to play in Moldova in 2021 would make Ulhas the first Indian to play in a European League. Having not chosen to seek employment opportunities back home in India via sports quotas, it was a vindication for the bold step he took to move to Westminster. “When I got the opportunity, I was in this space that I wanted to show it is possible for Indians to play the sport and be good at it as well. In the first game I got 28 points and that set the tone. I’d to maintain that level and that pressure pushed me a lot. People have looked down on me for my height, my colour, and also because I was an Indian… that for me didn’t feel right because there are good talents here as well.”

Now having spent three year in European Leagues, his entry into Serbian league hasn’t been any less an easy path. Despite having good numbers at Moldova and Malta, Ulhas struggled to get agents, and it was only through a scout that he got an opportunity to play for Novi Pazar.
For Ulhas, the challenge ahead is the most difficult he has faced so far. In basketball-mad Serbia (they finished third at Paris Olympics, losing to the US just 4 points in the semifinals), the league is home to several imports, including many from the US. Needless to say, he will have to battle the perception and stereotypes.