Though Basketball has never been counted among the most popular sports in India, it is quite popular among the youngsters. Basketball is being extensively played in a large number of high schools, colleges and universities in India. The Indian national Basketball team has also shown extraordinary performances in various prestigious international tournaments, from time to time. India has so far produced numerous talented Basketball players, who have enhanced the glory of India in the Basketball court. The Government of India has also honoured them by presenting the prestigious Arjuna Award. The number of Arjuna awardees in Basketball is quite a few and they are also counted among the greatest sportspersons of India.
The first one among the Arjuna awardees in Basketball was the great Indian Basketball player, Sarvjit Singh who won it 1961. After Sarvjit Singh won the award, there was a long gap of 6 years and in 1967; Khushi Ram received the award. The next year 1968 saw Naib Sub and Gurdial Singh winning the award and in 1969, the Arjuna Award went to Havildar Hari Dutt. Gulam Abbas Moontasir became one of the Arjuna awardees in Basketball in the year 1970 and Pilot Officer Man Mohan Singh followed him to win the award in 1971. Then after a year`s gap, the award was won by S. K. Kataria in the year of 1973 for his wonderful performance on behalf of Indian national Basketball team. The years 1974 and 1975 saw A. K. Punj and Hanuman Singh winning the award, respectively.
After a gap of another 2 years, T. Vijayaraghawan became one of the Arjuna awardees in Basketball in the year 1977-78 and he was followed by Om Prakash, who won it in 1979-80. In 1982, the award was named after Ajmer Singh and after that, there was a huge gap of 9 years for the Basketball players to win the Arjuna Award. The year 1991 saw a joint winner for Basketball players, as both Radhey Shyam and Ms. S Sharma received the award. After another big gap of about 8 years, Sajjan Singh Cheema entered his name in the list of Arjuna awardees in Basketball, in the year 1999. Parminder Singh is so far the last winner of the Arjuna Award for the Basketball players. He won the award in the year, 2001.
