Mahindra NBA Challenge will expand further into India in 2011 - Sep 1, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
The Mahindra NBA Challenge, the largest, multi-city community-based basketball league in India, will return in 2011 for its second season and will expand to five cities. The programme, which targets boys and girls aged 14 and above, will make first-time stops in Chennai and Delhi along with return visits to Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai [read more]
The Mahindra NBA Challenge, the largest, multi-city community-based basketball league in India, will return in 2011 for its second season and will expand to five cities. The programme, which targets boys and girls aged 14 and above, will make first-time stops in Chennai and Delhi along with return visits to Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai. This was announced today at a press conference at Mahindra & Mahindra in Mumbai, in the presence of Akash Jain, NBA Director of International Development in India, Harish Sharma, Basketball Federation of India (BFI) Secretary General, and Pau Gasol, reigning two-time NBA champion.
The inaugural Mahindra NBA Challenge, conducted in collaboration with the BFI, was held this summer and featured leagues in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ludhiana that attracted thousands of participants, including top players from each city and members of the Indian National Team. NBA All-Stars Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers traveled to India this summer to run clinics for participants and coaches.
'The first season of the Mahindra NBA Challenge was extremely popular in the Indian basketball community, and we are excited to expand the program to Chennai and Delhi next year,' said Ruzbeh Irani, Executive VP, Corporate Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra, & Mahindra. 'The growth of this program demonstrates the shared commitment by Mahindra and the NBA to promote a healthy and active lifestyle among Indian youth.'
The Mahindra NBA Challenge runs for seven weeks in two divisions: youth aged 14-17 and Adult 18+. It provides both basketball enthusiasts and newcomers the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game and apply their skills in a fun, competitive environment. BFI and NBA partner to implement and oversee league operations across all markets.
'We saw tremendous interest and enthusiasm for the inaugural Mahindra NBA Challenge, and we look forward to returning with an expanded schedule next year,' said Akash Jain. 'Giving young basketball players the chance to play in an organized league and learn from NBA players has generated great interest in basketball in India, and we will work closely with Mahindra and all of our partners to further grow participation in the game.'
'We have seen an incredible response to the Mahindra NBA Challenge in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai this year, and we anticipate the same reaction in Chennai and Delhi, two strong markets for basketball participation,' said BFI Secretary General Harish Sharma.
Indian team shows talent in the 3 on 3 format at Youth Olympics - Sep 1, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
The Indian Youth (U18) Men's basketball team showed valiant improvement in each of their games at the 1st Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore, but ultimately, failed to lodge any victories against their four rivals. For the first time, the FIBA33 concept was tested out in this competition, featuring teams playing each other in 3-on-3 half-court games, none scheduled to last more than 15 minutes [read more]
The Indian Youth (U18) Men's basketball team showed valiant improvement in each of their games at the 1st Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore, but ultimately, failed to lodge any victories against their four rivals. For the first time, the FIBA33 concept was tested out in this competition, featuring teams playing each other in 3-on-3 half-court games, none scheduled to last more than 15 minutes.
The new rules of the competition demanded that a shot must be put up by the offensive team within 10 seconds of each possession, after a minimum of two passes amongst the team. This made for an exciting, fast-paced concept that has become hugely popular and has attracted sold-out crowds in Singapre. The game ends when the first team reaches 33 points or after a maximum of 15 minutes, after which the leading team wins.
The four-member contingent from India (three starters and one substitute) featured youngsters Amit Kanarjee, Sukhjeet, Shyam Sunder, and Korti Goswami. They were accompanied by coach Sridhar Shanmugam. The team did well to qualify for this competition, and were drawn in Group A alongside Puerto Rico, Serbia, Greece, and New Zealand.
The final results were:
15th August: Puerto Rico 33 bt. India 15
16th August: Serbia 33 bt. India 19
18th August: Greece 33 bt. India 20
19th August: New Zealand 17 bt. India 13
India have failed to qualify for the Round Robin level of the competition.
Indias leading scorer was Shyam Sunder from Chhattisgarh, who scored a total of 25 points in the four games at an average of 6.25 ppg.
IOB, SECR lift title - Aug 22, 2010 (by Anil Kumar)
Indian Overseas Bank (Chennai) survived some nervous moments in the third quarter to defeat Chennai Customs 69-54 in the final of the 46th all-India basketball tournament for men at the PSG Tech courts here at Coimbatore on Sunday.
IOB looked a bit scratchy in the opening minutes but quickly sorted it out.
With international Robinson back in the squad and in full cry, Customs found the going hot. Robinson used his rich experience to score from even difficult angles [read more]
Indian Overseas Bank (Chennai) survived some nervous moments in the third quarter to defeat Chennai Customs 69-54 in the final of the 46th all-India basketball tournament for men at the PSG Tech courts here at Coimbatore on Sunday. IOB looked a bit scratchy in the opening minutes but quickly sorted it out. With international Robinson back in the squad and in full cry, Customs found the going hot. Robinson used his rich experience to score from even difficult angles. And the crowd roared his every move. Ravi Kumar, Pratam Singh and the fleet-footed captain S. Aravindh complemented Robinson. From a 2-6 deficit, IOB raced to a 39-27 lead at the end of the first half. Customs, which has never won a match against IOB, could have made life miserable for the Bankmen had it converted about a dozen free throws that came its way. Customs was a transformed side in the third quarter. Captain Saravana Rajan, who looked out of sorts early in the day, and John de Plato breathed fire in the Customs defence. They played a fast and furious game to upset IOB's rhythm. At this stage, Customs was just three points adrift of IOB (50-53). IOB, however, tightened its defence, kept the opponent's scoring in check and won by a convincing 15-point margin to the delight of the large holiday crowd. SECR wins title South East Central Railway (Bilaspur) defeated an off-colour Central Railway (Mumbai) 87-53 in the women's final. SECR raced ahead in the first quarter. However, Central Railway put up a stiff fight in the second with senior India star D. Manisha, K.S. Anu and Renjusha working hard upfront. But, SECR proved too good in the final two quarters with internationals Shoshan, Anju and Seema in full flow. The trio showed fine understanding in both attack and defence. The results (finals): Men (PSG Trophy): IOB (Chennai) 69 (Robinson 24, Ravi Kumar 14) bt Chennai Customs 54 (Saravana Rajan 17, John de Plato 16). Women (CRI Pumps Trophy): SECR (Bilaspur) 87 (Shoshan 25, Seema 20, Anju 24) bt Central Railway (Mumbai) 53 (V. Greesha 18, Manisha 17) .
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