NBA announces tieup with Mahindra for a - Mar 11, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
The Mahindra group and the US National Basketball Association (NBA) on Tuesday announced a partnership to set up a basketball league for
teenagers in India.
The Mahindra NBA Challenge League, meant to nurture players in the 14-18 age group, will start off in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai and will run for seven weeks every year. The league is being set up in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) [read more]
The Mahindra group and the US National Basketball Association (NBA) on Tuesday announced a partnership to set up a basketball league for teenagers in India.
The Mahindra NBA Challenge League, meant to nurture players in the 14-18 age group, will start off in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai and will run for seven weeks every year. The league is being set up in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
In a cricket-loving nation such as India, we feel it is important to encourage other sports as well and we believe basketball is perfectly suited to bring communities together and promote healthy active lifestyles to the Indian youth, said Anand Mahindra, vice-chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra.
The Mahindra NBA Challenge will provide basketball enthusiasts and newcomers to the game the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game and apply their skills in a fun, competitive environment, said Heidi Ueberroth, president, NBA International.
Over the years, M&M has encouraged various kinds of sports including owning the Mahindra United football club in Mumbai.
Mr Mahindra was unwilling to reveal the investment figure but said that a sizeable investment was being made. The association with NBA will also have a spill-over effect for M&Ms products and brand at a later stage, Mr Mahindra e said. M&M intends to make basketball the number 2 sport in India.
'The NBA is a wonderful brand. Not only does it combine the attributes that Mahindra brand stands forspeed, agility, endurance, staminabut it also stands for a sport that takes communities from a variety of section of societies. Its an inexpensive sport, it doesnt take much area to create, so you can galvanise the sport at a grassroot level and you can do that by giving youth a chance to build self esteem apart from their fitness,' said Mr Mahindra.
The BFI, Mahindra and NBA share a long term commitment to growing the game in India and to using the values of our game to make a positive, lasting impact in Indian communities, said David Stern, NBA, Commissioner. The NBA, founded in 1946 is a professional sports league and a global business that features 30 teams in the US and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, the NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. Courtesy Economic times
IOB, SECR emerge champions - Mar 8, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
Indian Overseas Bank, improving in every match since their first league match loss to Indian Army, gained sweet revenge right at the end, when they outplayed the Indian Army team 71-54 in the mens final to lift the glittering 26th UPL Ramu Memorial Trophy, sponsored by United Phorphorous Ltd. and earn a purse of Rs 1 lakh at the Indian Gymkhana, here, on Sunday [read more]
Indian Overseas Bank, improving in every match since their first league match loss to Indian Army, gained sweet revenge right at the end, when they outplayed the Indian Army team 71-54 in the mens final to lift the glittering 26th UPL Ramu Memorial Trophy, sponsored by United Phorphorous Ltd. and earn a purse of Rs 1 lakh at the Indian Gymkhana, here, on Sunday.
Earlier, in the womens final, South East Central Railway (SECR) ended the four-year domination of Southern Railway, handing them a 67-57 defeat to lay their hands on the Kapila Khandvala Shield, along with a purse of Rs 50,000.
Vishesh Bhraguvanshi of Western Railway emerged the highest scorer among men while among women it was Anitha A of SECR. The highest rebounder was Yadwinder Sngh, also from Western, while among the women it was Geethu Ana of Southern Rly. The best defenders were Jairam Jat of Indian Army and Bharti Netam of SECR among the men and women respectively.
Sunder Balakrishnan, representing title sponsors United Phosphorous gives away the prizes of all the winners.
Indian Army were done in by the Triple Towers of Indian Army, S Robinson, Vineeth Mathew and Mihir Pandey, all standing above 6ft 7 inches in height, who excelled in both attack as well as defence. Robinson was easily the standout among both teams, working hard in defence, shooting well from the pivot, assisting on the attack bord and generally exhorting his teammates to give their best. He ended up with the days high of 24 points, while Mathew got 18 and Pandey 13. In fact, such was the dominance of IOB that they had scored 12 points before Army opened their account. With Sambhaji Kadam a pale shadow of himself and Nixon failing to find his scoring touch, Army were always playing catch up.
The womens final saw SECR score over Southern thanks to their entire team pulling their weight. On the other hand, Southerns reliance on Anna Geethu to deliver the goods proved their undoing with the other players failing to rise to the occasion.
Scores (Final):
Mens: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) 71 (S Robinson 24, Vineeth Mathew 18, Mihir Pandey 13, Sateesh S 8) bt Indian Army 54 (Sambhaji Kadam 10, Jairam Jat 10, Navdeep Yadav 10, S Subbaiah 9, P N Rajesh 9) (H T 34-28).
Womens: South East Central Railway (SECR) 77 (P Pushpa 21, A Aakansha 16, S Seema 15, Bharti Netam 12) bt Southern Railway 67 (Geetu Anna 19, Renjini P 15, Kokilla S 11, Anita Pauldurai 10) (H T 38-29).
Player of the Finals:
Mens: Aravind A (IOB)
Womens: Aakansha A (SECR) Player of the Tournament S Robinson (IOB) Pushpa (SEC Rly)
IOB meet Indian Army in Final - Mar 8, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
Indian overseas Bank set up a meeting with Indian Army in the mens final as they both overcame their rivals with rather relative ease in the UPL-26th All India Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament, 2010, sponsored by United Phosphorous Ltd. at the Indian Gymkhana on Saturday.
IOB defeated the rather lukewarm challenge of ONGC 74-57 while Indian Army wound up Western Railway 71-57.
IOB showed tremendous discipline as they cut down on ONGCs offence [read more]
Indian overseas Bank set up a meeting with Indian Army in the mens final as they both overcame their rivals with rather relative ease in the UPL-26th All India Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament, 2010, sponsored by United Phosphorous Ltd. at the Indian Gymkhana on Saturday.
IOB defeated the rather lukewarm challenge of ONGC 74-57 while Indian Army wound up Western Railway 71-57.
IOB showed tremendous discipline as they cut down on ONGCs offence. IT was their astute defence that helped them stayed ahead after a tight first half. It was Vineet Mathew as he picked up 16 rebounds and scored 12 points to helped IOB win.
ONGC showed fight in the form of Suresh Kumar Bhanot who scored 00 points to keep ONGC in touch. Of course, ONGC lost the services of centre Shabbir Ahmed to an injury. But more than Shabbirs absence, it was their tardiness and lack of plan that caused their downfall.
Mihir Pandey was on four fouls for more than 12 minutes but they hardly put pressure on the IOB Forward. S Robinson had 29 points for the game and 13 rebounds while Mihir Pandey had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Suresh Bhanot had 19 points and 11 rebounds for ONGC.
Earlier, Western Railway scored a precious six points in the last 4 minutes 48 seconds. That was the story of their decapitation to Indian Army.
It was one of those matches that went completely against Western Railway. Of course, it was their own doing too cause for they were without any alternate plan.
Western played Yadwinder Singh in the centre and when Army double-teamed him, their scoring went down.
Army played at a pace that is always comfortable for them, quick on the break and set plays around the key.
Once they took a 9 point lead in the 3rd quarter with 4.55 to go, there was no stopping the Army juggernaut.
Western did cut the deficit but had lost the battle in the mind. Despite losing Jairam Jat to an injury with 61 seconds for the third quarter, Army kept up the pressure, nay increased on the non-performing Western Railway.
The problem for Western was with their tall men. Yadwinder had 4 for 20 from the floor while P Ethiraj, who was seriously out of touch, had a pathetic 2 for 13.
A Nixon had 15 points with 5 for 13 shooting and 100% from the line. Shambaji who nearly had a double-double. He had 9 assists and 17 points.
Scores (Semi final):
Indian Army 71 (Sambhaji Kadam 17,A Nixon 15, Jairam Jat 9, S Subbaiah 9) bt Western Railway 57 (Prakash Mishra 17, B Vishesh 15, Yadwinder Singh 12); Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) 79 (S Robinson 29, Mihir Pandey 15, Sateesh S 13) bt ONGC 62 (Siv Kumar 20, Suresh Ranot 19, Mohit Bhandari 9).
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