Siya Deodhar, a basketball player from Shivaji Nagar Gymkhana, has been recognized as one of India’s top 20 women players, earning a spot in the prestigious ‘A’ category scholarship program from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Deodhar will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 75,000 as part of the scholarship, backed by BFI’s annual budget of Rs 3.6 crore for player development.
The 21-year-old, who recently competed in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, is Maharashtra’s sole representative in this elite category. She earned this position through a series of stellar performances in national and international competitions over the past four years. Deodhar is also one of just three Indian women to participate in all three NBA Academy India Women’s Camps, where she distinguished herself by winning awards at each session.
Deodhar trains under Shatrughna Gokhale, a Shiv Chhatrapati Awardee and Secretary of the Maharashtra Basketball Association, and Vinay Chikate at Shivaji Nagar Gymkhana.
The ‘A’ category for women’s basketball also includes six players from Indian Railways, four from Tamil Nadu, five from Kerala, two from Punjab, and one each from Delhi and Karnataka.