Date:12/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/12/stories/2006111207041600.htm

Sport - Basketball

Globetrotters' feast for Bangalore

Principal Correspondent

Bangalore: The Harlem Globetrotters are all set to storm the Sree Kanteerava Stadium Indoor Courts here on Monday and Tuesday.

The United States-based iconic basketball outfit, known for its mix of entertainment and supreme game skills, will play two games — one each on Monday and Tuesday — against the Newyork Nationals, another visiting team from the United States.

Best in the world

"We want to give an impetus to basketball in India and take it to the next level. The players who have arrived here are the best in the World, they are also entertainers, they are all well-educated and they are ideal role models," said Jeff Munn, executive vice-president, Harlem Globetrotters, in a press conference here on Saturday.

The team that arrived here from Chennai on Saturday morning promised entertainment on the basketball courts. And a sample session in which they unveiled their ball-handling and jugglery skills did leave the audience spellbound.

"We take a considerable lead in our matches and then we start entertaining the crowds," a player said.

No live telecast

The organising company SportzIndia's country head, R. Anil Kumar, said: "The Harlem Globetrotters believe in wholesome participation from the crowds and hence live television coverage of their sessions here is prohibited. The idea is to get more people to the Stadium rather than let them watch the game on television. The tickets are priced from Rs. 400 onwards and with the cost-factor involved in organising this tour, I think the ticket prices are justified."

The Globetrotters, after their Bangalore-leg, will move onto Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi and Puttaparthi. "We hope to come every year and that is part of our tie-up with SportzIndia," said Jeff Munn.