Akanksha Singh
PositionSmall forward / point guard
CareerInternational: 2003–present
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
NationalityIndia Indian
Born (1989-09-07) 7 September 1989
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Akanksha Singh (born 7 September 1989 in Varanasi Uttar Pradesh) is an Indian basketball player and former captain of the India Women's National Basketball Team.[1][2] She has played for the national team since 2004. She and her sisters, Divya, Prashanti, and Pratima are known as the "fantastic four" of the Indian women's basketballers, and are also known as the "Singh Sisters".[3]

Playing career

In 2003, Akanksha Singh made her debut in the Senior Nationals and played for the Uttar Pradesh team when she was just an 11th grader. In 2004, she followed her sisters' footsteps on the Delhi team.[4] In 2010, Akanksha was awarded the Most Valuable Player in India's first professional basketball league, the MPBL. Her name was forever cemented in the Indian basketball history books as one of the first-ever top four players to achieve the "A Grade" from the Basketball Federation of India sponsored by IMG Reliance. She is often called the "small wonder" in basketball.[5]

She has been awarded Best Player in many national and state championships. In her captaincy at the University of Delhi, she won a gold medal in the All India University basketball championship at Nellore, where she was given joint best player award along with her sister Pratima Singh.

Personal life

Singh comes from a family of basketball players. She completed her undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.[6] Her sisters Divya, Prashanti, and Pratima have represented the Indian National Women's Basketball Team. Oldest among the sisters is Priyanka, who is a National Institute of Sports basketball coach.[7] Her sister Divya worked with the University of Delaware basketball team.[8] Her brother Vikrant Solanki is a football player In the I-league and Santosh Trophy competitions.

Awards and achievements

  • Awarded as one of the best four ‘A grade players’ across the country in women's basketball in India
  • May 2010 - Most Valuable Player in first All India Mastan Basketball Professional League held at Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • May 2010 - Best Player Award in the league match in MBPL, Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • 2008 - Most Valuable Player in All India Inter University Basketball Tournament held at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh
  • 2008 - Best Player Award in Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
  • September 2006 - Best Player Award in XXXII St. Stephens College invitational basketball tournament held at St. Stephen's College, Delhi
  • September 2005 - Best Player Award in XXXI St. Stephens College invitational basketball tournament held at St. Stephens College, Delhi

International sporting achievements

References

  1. ↑ "Meet Ishant Sharma's Fiancee: Basketball Champ Pratima Singh". The Quint. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Indian basketball sisters defy gender bias". Stabroek News. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Fantastic four – Indian Women Basketball gets a fillip | My India". My India. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "CELEBRATING INDIA'S BASKETBALL KINDRED - THE SINGH SISTERS".
  5. ↑ "Akanksha is champ". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Basketball star Akanksha Singh to marry Nityn Bulchandani".
  7. ↑ NDTV (17 July 2011), The Basketball sisters of Banaras, archived from the original on 20 December 2021, retrieved 17 April 2018
  8. ↑ "A talk with Divya Singh, Former Indian Basketball Team Captain". 22 January 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
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