Dunk maare

If there was ever a 90 degrees turn to a sporting career, Talwinderjit Singh8217;s switch of disciplines quite literally fits the bill. Pro...

Written by Shivani Naik

Mumbai | November 15, 2005 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

If there was ever a 90 degrees turn to a sporting career, Talwinderjit Singh8217;s switch of disciplines quite literally fits the bill.

Prodded by a father 8212; who was an athletics coach in Punjab 8212; to leap the furthest horizontal distance in long jump and fed up by the monotony of charging into sand pits, Talwinder sneaked out to an adjacent basketball court six years ago and has now acquired a reputation as a 6-foot dunker. Talk of his vertical antics-jumping to cling to the rings-often precedes his arrival.

The 20-year-old ball handler spikes his hair, speaks in a yankee modulation and sports a tattoo to complete the NBA-package. But look beyond this impersonated exterior Talwinder unbashedly confesses to being a showman and Indian basketball has found a talented ball player, who backs his penchant for stylish drive-in dribbles and dunks, to average proportionate points. If nothing, the game has run into a new persona- who can keep the crowds rooted, if not quite claim to pull them.

Talwinder caught the attention after a stint with India juniors, and guided Punjab to the National final last year, slotting in three-pointers at will, to shock Tamil Nadu, then reigning champions in the semis and pocket the best player trophy. Earlier, the wiry player had trained at the Baba Lodhiana Academy which is throwing up a good many internationals, and was later selected to attend a week-long NBA camp at Beijing.

12,000 kms separate Philadelphia from Punjab and ten years plus several non-quantifiable units of talent separate Talwinder from his hero-76ers point guard Allen Iverson, but the idolising has almost shaped the Indian8217;s outlook towards the hoops. 8216;8216;He is as tall as I am, for 6 ft is not tall enough in basketball!; but if he can dunk, so can I,8217;8217; Talwinder said.

8216;8216;AI is a one-man army and scored 60 on his own against Orlando last season; I want to play like that,8217;8217;

Talwinder gushes as he names his 41 points of the 83 that Indian Juniors scored in an ABC tournament at Bangalore, as his best performance to date. The youngster even admitted to practicing at the University back home since the courts were frequented by NRIs, who put a lot of store on stylish lay-ups and fancy maneuvers.

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Get him talking on dunking, and the modus operandi was quoted like Sehwag simplified his square cuts. 8216;8216;First I aimed for the net, then the board and then touched the ring; it needed some years of practice,8217;8217; he said.

All the dunking display makes Talwinder a challenging charge for any coach, and while the state head Dr Subramanian conceded that Pipli has some fine speed, jumping ability and skill, he adds that the individual brilliance needs to gel into the team-theme. 8216;8216;He needs to mature still, because sometimes he gets carried away and plays to the gallery,8217;8217; he said.

High-fliers, they said, operated best when they stayed grounded off-court. For Talwinder, the grooming is still only partly complete, like the half-done dribbling-panther tattoo Talwinder wore on his arm. 8216;8216;It8217;s one hard process,8217;8217; the man himself admitted.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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