Bishkek Pick-Up Basketball

Soccer is king in Kyrgyzstan. Finding a soccer game to join is a piece of cake.

Basketball is probably a top-5 team sport in the country but much less accessible than soccer. Any open field can be used as a soccer pitch. Basketball courts are more expensive. Kyrgyzstan actually had a professional league for several years but is now defunct.

I went to play at an open court near my apartment. I organized the kids into a three-on-three game. After about 30 minutes the kids asked if we could play soccer instead with my basketball...

After having trouble finding a place to play with other enthusiasts I decided to organize a weekly pick-up game at new gym. Quality School International (QSI) was a well known place with expats with a brand new HEATED(!) gym. The principle agree to let me use the gym Wednesday nights.

The gym was not regulation. The backboard was unforgiving and the rims tilted forward. The roof beams were low. The lights were mounted on the wall, blinding people trying to shoot from the baseline. Still, it was one of the best places to play b-ball in Bishkek.

At first we only had 3-5 people show up. Word quickly spread and we had over 35 people showing up to play some weeks. There was a variety of skill levels and abilities. Men and women from 20 different nations came out to play. The games weren't always competitive but it was always fun and friendly.