NEW DELHI (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - India have been improving steadily these past few years, consistently upping their stock with each passing continental tournament. They have thoroughly dominated the South Asia sub-zone, and they achieved a major breakthrough in the FIBA Asia Championship 2015, breaking into the tournament's Quarter-Finals for the first time since 2003.

It has been nothing short of an amazing unremitting climb for India, and one man who personifies the growth and improvement in Indian basketball is no other than celebrated forward Amjyot Singh. The 2.03m frontliner has been stellar for the Indian national team ever since he first donned their kit in the FIBA Asia Championship 2011. Ever since then, his production has constantly gone up, peaking in the FIBA Asia Championship 2015 where he registered 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. His numbers dropped in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016, but he was not 100% then. This year, he aims to return to his sharp form and help carry the Indians to even greater heights.

"The way we have been going since 2015 - including our podium finish at the 21st Super Kung Sheung Cup in Hong Kong - will give us the necessary boost ahead of the FIBA Asia Cup 2017," he said. "I think India can cause some problems for the top Asian teams and can actually earn a top 5 finish."

Those are big words, but make no mistake, the Indians, at their best, have the game to back it up. They have delivered shocking results in several occasions, including beating China in both the FIBA Asia Cup 2014 and FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 and then also defeating the Philippines last year for the first time in recent memory. All these have re-energized the national program and have really boosted the confidence of India's national players.

Of course, the competition at this year's FIBA Asia Cup is set to be among the fiercest ever, especially with the entry of Oceania titans Australia and New Zealand. Despite that, Amjyot remains upbeat about India's chances, and though he knows the significance of the tournament, he doesn't let himself get overwhelmed.

"The FIBA Asia Cup 2017 is very important for us knowing that we could actually be playing powerhouses Australia and New Zealand," he shared. "More importantly, we’re looking forward to playing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers later this year, but that is only if we're in the top 14 at the FIBA Asia Cup, so our aim is to win every game possible and create a few upsets."

Amjyot certainly does not mince his words and keep anything close to his chest when it comes to talking about his team's targets. India have never aimed this high before, but, then again, that's all but necessary to effect changes and see improvements.

The 25-year-old knows he will have to scale bigger mountains this year, especially with more NBA-level talent probably taking the floor at the FIBA Asia Cup, but Amjyot is more excited than he is anxious. He is aching to prove his worth against some of the best not just in Asia but in the world.

"I can't wait to share the court with the likes of Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut or even Steven Adams," he said. "I may even get a selfie with them after the game, but on a serious note, we'll be giving our 100% against them."

In all likelihood, India will be hard-pressed to beat the Boomers and Tall Blacks, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. This is especially true when Amjyot will be reinforced by a full compliment of India's best talents like Amritpal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, TJ Sahi, Satnam Singh and Palpreet Brar. If all those players come together for a common goal, India will be a dark horse contender. Satnam, specifically, is one potential difference-maker according to Amjyot.

"Satnam has had some excellent exposure in the NBA D-League, which would be very beneficial to the Indian National Team" he explained. "His size will do wonders for us in Asia, and I think India could go one step ahead and actually make a top 5 finish if Satnam will play for us."

2017 will focus the spotlight on Indian basketball like no other year has. Failing to make the Quarter-Finals this year means a step back for a very promising program, but breaking into the top four also means notching victories over at least one of the following top tier Asian squads: Iran, China, the Philippines, Korea, Japan or Lebanon. That's no mean feat.

Still, after everything is said and done, Amjyot hopes that, above all, his team will continue to learn and make progress.

"We obviously would want to beat other good teams," he declared. "But most importantly, we’ll use these games as a learning tool to prepare ourselves for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers."

They are in this for the long haul, and if that means taking some licks in the FIBA Asia Cup just so they can be sharper for the qualifiers, then so be it.

FIBA