[ Prem Chetry ]
PALIZI, 27 Jun: A grassroots basketball initiative for the youths of remote villages began at St Xavier’s School here in West Kameng district on Friday. It is being organised by Azure Lotus Foundation (ALF), under its project ‘Rising Suns’.
Sangti valley-based NGO ALF’s director Ittisha Sarah said that the programme is directly inspired by the Khelo Rugby model – a successful sport-for-development initiative based in Kolkata that has worked with underprivileged children since 2013 and produced 27 players for India’s national rugby teams.
“The goal of Rising Suns is ambitious, yet rooted in a clear vision: to produce a basketball player from Arunachal Pradesh who will represent India within the next five years,” she said, adding that with a structured pathway already in place, the programme is led by Peter Fernandes, former programme manager of Khelo Rugby, whose extensive experience and deep commitment to grassroots sports offer a strong foundation.
Rising Suns is designed for disadvantaged children in remote Himalayan villages, many of whom have never had access to organised sport. Coaching sessions are currently being held twice daily, five days a week at the school, with sessions at St Xavier’s in Bana in Bichom district set to begin on Friday. Together, the programme is engaging over 150 children in the 8-16 age group. These schools have been specifically chosen because they serve underprivileged and disadvantaged children from various tribes across the state. While both schools have basketball courts, they lacked access to trained coaches – something Rising Suns is now addressing.
The programme’s first coach on board is Dolozing Pertin, a 25-year-old basketball player from Pasighat. A state team player, who has represented Arunachal three times in the All India Nationals and in the North East Zonals in Mizoram, Pertin brings both passion and experience. He previously served as a coach and player at Hoops Genesis Academy in Bangalore for two years, and has also coached at Holy Cross School, Itanagar, and JN College, Pasighat.
The initiative emphasizes equal access for boys and girls, and promotes mixed-gender participation to foster inclusivity and confidence in all players.
Sarah, a former basketball player, said: “Basketball was my religion growing up.” She shared that being reunited with the sport through this initiative has been deeply meaningful. Having worked across Arunachal since 2018 in community development, she sees Rising Suns as a natural extension of her mission to create empowering spaces for youths.
On the other hand, Fernandes joined the Northeast Waste Collective in 2023 and now also serves as the director of ALF. Both founders believe that the raw athleticism, resilience, and spirit of children in the region are unmatched, and hope that Rising Suns will pave the way for the first-ever basketball player from the Northeast to make it to the Indian national team.
“Rising Suns is more than just basketball – it’s a movement to bring visibility, voice, and vibrant opportunities to children from remote villages who’ve never had access to organized sport,” said Fernandes.
As part of the broader vision, Sarah also plans to make these school campuses zero waste campuses, building on her years of experience in community-led waste management.
Through collaboration with the schools’ eco clubs, environmental awareness will be introduced using activity-based learning, helping students understand sustainability in practical, engaging ways. This integrated approach aims to nurture not only skilled athletes but also environmentally conscious and responsible young citizens.
Further, Rising Suns plans to raise funds for building a basketball court in Sangti valley and expand the programme to include children there. At present, there is not a single basketball court for public use in the entire district of West Kameng, making this infrastructure critical to sustaining the programme and nurturing local talent. The long-term goal is to create a strong rural grassroots structure that feeds into national-level opportunities, making sure no child is left behind simply because of where they come from.
Rising Suns anticipates that with regular coaching in these two remote villages, over 200 children (ages 8-16) will be trained by August 2025. It plans to organise the first inter-school tournament, to be held in Dima Hasao district, Assam, in October 2025.