Neetu Chandra promotes basketball in Lucknow

Neetu Chandra is no stranger to Lucknow. And this time the actress, who is a trained Kathak dancer and holds a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo, is in the city to promote a basketball event by the National Basketball Association (NBA).
“I have always got a great response from Lucknow whenever I’ve come here, so I’m very excited to be here again, this time for another one of those things I am passionate about,” says Neetu, who had performed on the Lucknow stage as Umrao Jaan, just a few months ago.“I’ve always been an avid basketball player. And for all the fans of the sport, the NBA coming to India was so thrilling. Finally, sports is big in our country, and not just any one sport,” she adds.
During her day-long trip, Neetu, who also has family back in Lucknow, will be attending the youth event at a private university in the city as a special guest. “Though I was a keen sportsperson, I had to leave sports because there were not adequate facilities for training. The only reason why I could represent Indian twice in international Taekwondo championships is because I had the resources to pursue my interest. But not everyone can afford to it. There are very few opportunities in sports here. Events like this one ensure sporting talent gets the right push to continue playing,” she avers.
Looking much leaner than before, Neetu says she loves basketball because it teaches you to think as ‘we’, not just as ‘me’. “There’s a lot to learn from the game. Like how to think as a team, and not just as an individual,”