Krumesh Patel wants to make history with the Leicester Riders in the Women’s British Basketball League Cup final after being surprised by his historic first success with the club.
Leicester will face the London Lions in Sunday’s cup decider.
“Hopefully I can do two out of two,” Patel told BBC East Midlands Today.
“I am the first British Asian manager to go to the Cup final and I was the first to win the trophy.
“When we won the trophy it was the BBC who came to interview me and told me I was the first. I had no idea. I just assumed there were more.”
After collecting silverware with his hometown club in 2018, Patel went on to coach Wetterbygden Sparks in Sweden.
He returned as Riders boss in May last year and guided them to their second cup final in three years, having last won the competition in 2021.
Patel admits it will be a ‘massive challenge’ to beat a London side who have been on a 50-game unbeaten streak since April 2021, but insists his side ‘are ready’ and ‘believe in what they are doing “.
Patel says taking Leicester to the final at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena will be “amazing”, but he also sees the showpiece event as a chance to inspire other British Asians.
“People need to see other people doing it,” Patel said.
“If I can use what I do as a platform to encourage and involve more people, then I want to do that.
“It means a lot to me. I want more [coaches] around.”
