Krumesh Patel wants to make more history with Leicester Riders in the Women’s British Basketball League Cup final after being surprised by his initial landmark success with the club.
Leicester face London Lions in Sunday’s cup decider.
“Hopefully I can make it two from two,” Patel told BBC East Midlands Today.
“I’m the first British Asian head coach to go to the Cup final and was the first to win the Trophy.
“When we won the Trophy it was the BBC who came to interview me and told me that I was the first. I had no idea. I had just assumed there was 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 has 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 that is on a 50-game unbeaten run dating back to April 2021, but insists his team “is ready” and “believes in what they do”.
Patel says taking Leicester to the final at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena will be “incredible”, but he also sees the showpiece event as a chance to inspire fellow British Asians.
“People need to see other people doing it,” Patel said.
“If I can use what I’m doing as a platform to encourage and get more people engaged, then I want to do it.
“It means a lot to me. I want more [coaches] around.”
