In April 2026, Coach Clive Castillo took an important step in his international coaching journey by traveling to India to work with the Ulhas Yuvipep Basketball Academy (UYBA).
Castillo spent 15 days in India, including a three-day camp in Bangalore, Bengaluru and UYBA’s four-day ProLevel Elite Camp, which took place from April 19 to 22 at the Noida Indoor Stadium. The program aimed to expose young Indian players to European-style high-performance coaching and strengthen the connection between India’s emerging basketball talent and international basketball.
The visit also had a personal aspect, as UYBA founder Ulhas KS had previously been coached by Castillo in England. Ulhas became a professional player in Europe and a member of the Indian national team before returning to India to promote basketball through UYBA. Castillo emphasised that their relationship exemplifies the importance of connections in basketball development.
Castillo’s message to Indian basketball was particularly optimistic. Speaking to the National media referred to India as a “sleeping giant in Asia,” noting that the country possesses considerable talent across various age groups but requires more exposure and development opportunities.
“I think India is a sleeping giant in Asia. There is a good amount of talent across different age groups. The challenge is the lack of exposure and coverage.”
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His approach during the camp reflected his broader coaching philosophy. Instead of relying solely on traditional, repetitive drills, Castillo emphasised game-realistic situations, such as 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 scenarios, which required players to make decisions under pressure. He also highlighted that elite development extends beyond training, stressing the importance of nutrition, recovery, and sleep as essential components of being a professional athlete.
“Traditional drills are good for fundamentals, but I focus on game-like situations, 2v1, 3v2, where players must make decisions under pressure. That’s how the real game works.
Being an athlete is 24/7. Nutrition, recovery, sleep — all of it matters. It’s not just about what you do during a game, but the weeks and months of preparation behind it,”
The UYBA experience transcended a typical coaching clinic; it showcased Castillo’s ability to transfer knowledge between different basketball cultures. He worked within a developing Asian basketball ecosystem while applying insights gained from the English and European games.
For Castillo, India added another international dimension to his increasingly diverse coaching career, which has included university basketball, professional basketball, international coaching education, and player development. His work with UYBA in April 2026 demonstrated how that experience can be leveraged to help countries build stronger basketball pathways from the grassroots level to international competition.
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