Morung Express News
Kohima | May 26
18-year old Thejangulie Mekro was recently selected for a nine months training at the Europe Basketball Academy (EBA), Barcelona after being discovered by the Academy through social media via Facebook and Instagram. The EBA is a leading Academy in Europe which aims to nurture young players and has produced notable Basketball players.
“They asked me to send my videos through email,” recalls Mekro who received the invitation after the Academy saw his videos and skills. Mekro and another player from Hyderabad have been selected from India for training in the Academy.
Donning Jersey No. 2 for The Mystic Ballers (TMB) – one of the leading Basketball teams in Kohima, Mekro has been playing for the team since he was in Class 8.
The team consists of about 20 players, including Thejangulie who plays in his preferred Combo guard position – a position made prominent in the 1990s when players like Allen Iverson switched between playing point guard and shooting guard using their relatively small frame and athleticism to advantage.
Because of his passion for the game, Mekro admits, “Sometimes I can’t concentrate on my studies because of Basketball.”
“I play for almost six to eight hours in a day,” says Mekro who was introduced to Basketball when he was around seven years old by his elder brother. The two brothers now play alongside in the same team.
His mother Rüngubino Chasie, a retired government employee, and father Dr. Vizovol Mekro, a Professor in the department of Geology, KSC, has been supportive of his interest in Basketball, and in fact it is his parents who will be funding his expenses and training fees in the Academy.
Having recently passed out in First Division (HSSLC) from Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, this young athlete aims to become a professional basketball player in future.
Mekro believes that there is a future for Basketball in Kohima where people can earn their livelihood through this profession and says, “We have a lot of talented people here. They just need opportunities with coaching and better facilities.”
Mekro will be joining the EBA at Barcelona on June 15, and hopes to give his best efforts to earn a scholarship. Spain is considered to have the best Basketball Academies in Europe which has produced notable players and placed several pro-leagues in Europe as well as globally.
