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Ulhas Satyanarayan is the first Indian player to join the Serbian basketball league division 1 tournament, called the Kosarkaske Lige Srbije (KLS). He is set to play for a minimum period of three to seven months for the Novi Pazar Salamander team in the 2024-25 season of the KLS, which will commence on October 3.
Born on August 15, 1998, in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, Ulhas Satyanarayan studied in GD Goenka Public School, New Delhi, where he started to play basketball in underage categories. During his time at the Westminster Business School (WBS) in London, starting from 2016 onwards, he played for Westminster Dragons, winning the title for them, and then, he took part in the National Basketball League in England in his third year of college with them.
After playing semi-professionally in a 3x3 Basketball League (3BL) for Old School Ballers in New Delhi, winning the 2019 title, Ulhas Satyanarayan went to Europe to begin his professional career in mid-2021. He joined Gloria in the Moldovan National Division, helping them win a historic bronze medal in his first season, becoming the second-best league scorer as well.
Following his tenure in a basketball league in Malta, Ulhas Satyanarayan is set to take a big leap in his professional career in 2024. He will be playing in the first division basketball tournament in Serbia, a country which won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 after taking the eventual champions the USA to their limit in the semi-final.
While speaking to IANS about signing for the Novi Pazar Salamander team, Ulhas Satyanarayan said, “I consider this Serbian opportunity a turning point in the Indian basketball culture and a chance to showcase that Indians can play at the highest levels globally.” Moreover, he has also represented India on multiple occasions at the international level, taking on Lebanon in a FIBA World Cup Qualifier in October 2022 among many other matches.
