Draft:Jayasankar C Menon

Jayasankar C Menon (born 6 December 1967) is a prominent figure in Indian basketball, known for his exceptional skills and contributions to the sport. He has represented India at the international level and has made significant strides both on and off the court. Menon's achievements as an Asian All-Star player and former captain of the Indian basketball team have left a lasting impact on the game in India.

Life & Career
Born on December 6, 1967, in Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district, Jayasankar Menon displayed a passion for basketball from a young age. He honed his skills and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a key player for the Indian national men's team in the 1990s. Menon's talent and dedication earned him recognition as an Asian All-Star reserve in 1997, a prestigious honour bestowed upon only a few Indian players. He is employed as an Assistant General Manager, at Indian Bank.

Contributions to Indian Basketball
Beyond his achievements as a player, Jayasankar Menon has been instrumental in the development and growth of basketball in India. He has actively worked towards the welfare of the sport and has taken on various roles to promote its progress.

Menon played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA), serving as its general secretary and currently serving as its President. He also served as the founder and director of Chennai's Professional Basketball Academy (PBA), where he organized coaching camps and nurtured young talent. He is also the Founder secretary and current President of KESPA (Kerala Sports Persons Association) founded in 2002, contributing to organizing games at the school level. He was the former Chief adviser for Sports for Hindustan group, coordinating sports activities for various colleges. He was also a Member of the Sports Committee of FICCI, working towards key concerns and sports industry development.

Personal Life and Legacy
Jayasankar Menon is married to Prasanna, a former captain of the Indian national women's basketball team. Together, they have made significant contributions to the sport, including the establishment of the Professional Basketball Academy (PBA) in Chennai. Their dedication and shared passion for basketball have made them the only couple to have both captained India in an official tournament. He had conducted a basketball camp for CHINAR kids in 2009, assisted by his wife Prasanna and a US volunteer coach under the auspices of JD Walsh Basketball School, US.

The couple is blessed with two daughters who were also athletes. The younger daughter Krishna Jayasankar is the first Indian woman thrower, the first women athlete from Tamil Nadu and the second woman track and field athlete from India after Triple Jumper, Lizabeth Karoline to receive an academic scholarship from the University of Texas. She is currently ranked No. 1 in junior girls discus throw in India and 8th in junior Asia.

Elder daughter Archana Jayasankar was also an Athlete and model. She is an Engineer and presently working in the Netherlands as a Senior data analyst.

Menon's impact on Indian basketball extends beyond his playing career. His involvement in coaching, organizational roles, and advocacy for the sport has left a lasting legacy. His efforts have inspired and influenced generations of basketball players in India.

Achievements
At International Level:

First Basketball Player from the South Asian region to represent ‘The ASIAN ALL STAR’ Basketball team. Represented the Asian All-star Basketball team (comprising of the top 16 Basketball players of Asia) at the Basketball extravaganza held in Seoul in 1997.

Captained the Indian Basketball team at the Asian Basketball Championship in 1996 in Seoul.

Winner of 2 Gold Medals in SAF Games held at Colombo ‘91 & Chennai ‘95.

Member of Indian Basketball team which secured ‘Silver Medal’ at the Kelantan International B’ball tournament held at Kota Bharu, Malaysia in ‘91

Represented Indian Basketball team for 11 years including 4 Asian Basketball Confederation Championships.

Bangkok- 1987: Beijing – 1989: Kobe (Japan) – 1991 & Seoul – 1995

At the National Level:

Participated in 15 Senior Nationals and secured Gold Medal 5 times, Silver and Bronze Once.

Recipient of MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in 2 Inter-zone Basketball Championships.

Played for Southern Railways and was instrumental in Indian Railways' dominance in national championships

Awards & Accolades:

Recipient of Guruvacharya Award of the Golden Star Award 2016 constituted by NIER (National Institute of Education and Research), New Delhi

Outstanding Sports Person Award from the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu - 1993.

Outstanding Sports Person Award of Indian Bank - 1992

Member – Sports Committee of Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Delhi for 4 consecutive years (2009-2012)

Named into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Won accolades including 2 gold medals for India in the South Asian Games