Nagpur: Siya Deodhar, a talented 22-year-old basketball player from Shivaji Nagar Gymkhana, Nagpur, has been selected to represent the senior Indian women’s basketball team in the prestigious FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, scheduled to be held at Shenzhen, China, from July 13-20.
Siya is the only basketball player from Nagpur to have represented India at the 19th Asian Games 2023 held in Hangzhou, China, where she competed in the 3×3 basketball category. Her selection for the national team once again cements her status as one of the most promising basketball talents from the region.
Having started her training at the age of six under the mentorship of Shiv Chhatrapati Awardee coach Shatrughna Gokhale and coach Vinay Chikate at SNG, Siya has shown remarkable progress throughout her journey. A Dharampeth resident, Siya is daughter of proud parents Shreesh and Swati. A decorated athlete, Siya has represented Maharashtra State in numerous national basketball championships.
Remarkably, she was part of the senior Indian women’s camp at the age of just 16. Siya’s international basketball journey began in 2019 when she became the fourth Indian-born female athlete to play high school basketball in the United States, following Asmat Kaur Taunque, Harsimran Kaur, and Ann Mary Zachariah. Siya Deodhar’s consistent rise through the junior ranks and international platforms is a proud moment not just for SNG, but for Nagpur and Indian basketball as a whole.
Her achievements continue to inspire a new generation of aspiring athletes from the region. She is also the only Indian girl to have participated in all three NBA Academy India Women’s camps (May 2018, Jan 2019, Oct 2019), winning awards at each camp.