Ajmer Singh Chopra

For Indian sprinter, see Ajmer Singh (athlete).

Ajmer Singh Chopra
Personal information
Full nameAjmer Singh Chopra
Nationality🇮🇳 Indian
Born1953, Rukanpur, Karnal (Haryana)
Height6 ft 5-in

Ajmer Singh Chopra[1] (born 1953) is an Indian basketball player who was awarded the country's highest sporting honor, the Arjuna Award, in 1982. He represented the country in the Asian Basketball Championships[citation needed] and in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.[2]

Ajmer Singh scoring a layup

According to The Hindu, Singh was "a rough and tough player and his sole aim was to score as many baskets as possible. A dedicated man, he was remarkable for his appetite for baskets. As a result, he emerged as one of the top 10 shooters in the 1980 Moscow Olympics."[3][4]

Sporting career

Ajmer Singh in a photo as head coach Indian Railways

Singh moved to Kota, which had a tradition in basketball. He played for the Rajasthan[clarification needed] team and later moved to the Indian Railways team. The high point of his career was the Moscow Olympics where his performance was rated highly.[citation needed] His average per game at the 1980 Olympics was 21 points, with the next best scorer from the Indian team, Radhey Shyam, averaging 14 points. Singh scored nearly a third of India's points in the competition.[5][6][1]

Ajmer has played a total of 22 national championships for Haryana, Rajasthan, and Railways, and finished with 8 gold medals. In 1982, he was conferred the Arjuna Award.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "1980 Olympic Games Tournament for Men". FIBA. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  2. ^ "The G.O.A.T. debate: The greatest Indian basketball players of all-time". NBA.com India | The official site of the NBA. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Hoopster on a new high". The Hindu. 21 November 2002. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  4. ^ "How did India play at the 1980 Summer Olympics?". FIBA. 10 June 2020.
  5. ^ Matange, Yash (23 July 2021). "Basketball at 1980 Olympics: India's road to qualification, roster, results, top performers and more". NBA.
  6. ^ Peter, Naveen (23 September 2021). "Indian basketball team: A topsy-turvy trail". Olympics.
  7. ^ "The G.O.A.T. debate: The greatest Indian basketball players of all-time". NBA.com India.