BASKETBALL LEAGUE KERALA (BLK) LAUNCHED

Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd. and ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd. in association with Kerala
Basketball Association launches Kerala’s new Development League for Under-14, Under-18 players.
The new league, to be held in April 2026, will be a preparatory step for the planned Pro League for
men and women.

Kerala basketball is all set for a major change. The State will have a new Development League in April
next year for Under-14 and Under-18 boys and girls. And there will be bigger things coming after that.
Kochi-based Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd. and Pune-based ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd., in
association with Kerala Basketball Association (KBA), yesterday announced the launch of the ‘Basketball
League Kerala (BLK)’, a first of its kind Development League for boys and girls which is designed as
the foundational structure for the proposed men’s and women’s Professional Basketball Leagues in
Kerala.

ONE MINUTE TO HOOP SKILL CHALLENGE TO PICK PLAYERS
The run-up to the new league will start soon. All players interested in being part of the BLK Season-1
must register for the ‘One Minute to Hoop Skill Challenge’ (OMH), a specially designed scouting
platform for assessing dribbling, passing and shooting skills.
The Skill Challenge will be held in eight to ten major cities across Kerala to ensure maximum
accessibility for aspiring players. Performance in this challenge will determine the shortlist pool for the
six Franchisee Teams participating in BLK Season-1.
The BLK Development League Season-1 is open exclusively to Kerala-based players and the formal
player registration opens on December 10, 2025 (details to follow).

KBA TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND RULES FRAMEWORK
Kerala Basketball Association and its 14 district associations will extend their full technical support
towards finalising the BLK rules and regulations, standardising the One Minute to Hoop Skill
Challenge and appointing technical officials for skill tests, trials and match operations.
A one-day BLK Rules Workshop will be held in the first week of December 2025 to finalise the rules
and operational framework.

TRIALS AND DIGITAL AUCTION IN FEBRUARY–MARCH 2026
After the One Minute to Hoop Skill Challenge in mid-January 2026, shortlisted players will undergo
match-play trials in the last week of January in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode centres.
Following this, around 100 players in each category will be shortlisted for the Digital Auction to be held
in February-March 2026 where the six Franchisee Teams will select their squads.
With four categories (Under-14 boys, Under-14 girls, Under-18 boys, Under-18 girls) and six teams in
each category, BLK’s debut season will feature 24 teams.

KBA TO SUPPORT TEAM SELECTION, 48 COACHES TO BE IDENTIFIED
The BLK will not just open new doors for young players; it will offer new opportunities for coaches,
match officials and supporting staff too.
To support the Franchisee Teams in the scouting and selection process, Kerala Basketball
Association will assist in identifying 48 qualified coaches (two per team), who will play a major
technical role during the trials, team drafting, pre-league preparations and season operations.

10-DAY BLK LEAGUE IN APRIL AT A CENTRALISED VENUE
BLK Season-1 Development League, scheduled for April 2026 at a centralised venue (to be
announced soon), will be a 10-day affair. Prior to that, a three-day centralised training camp will be
held in early April for all selected players.
The league will feature a total of 72 matches providing the largest competitive exposure platform ever
created for Kerala’s Under-14 and Under-18 basketball talent.

ABCFF LEAGUE PVT. LTD., PUNE
Starting Five Sports Management is pleased to announce that ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd., Pune will
assist them in the execution of BLK Season-1. ABCFF League will bring its experience of successfully
organising five seasons of Youth Basketball Leagues in Maharashtra to ensure professional execution
of BLK Season-1.

TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN LEAGUE: VIDEO ANALYTICS FOR ALL 72 MATCHES
The BLK Season-1 will be the first basketball league in India where every match will have integrated
Video Analytics, enabling player performance analysis, technical evaluation, coaching improvement
and enhanced officiating quality. This is expected to significantly elevate the talent level of Kerala
players, officials and supporting staff.

STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE BASKETBALL TO BE LAUNCHED SOON
The Starting Five also announced that they will start a major Statewide basketball awareness drive
and an activation campaign will be launched shortly covering all districts of Kerala through technology-
enabled outreach, skill participation drives, youth engagement, school and community activities and
digital storytelling.
Discussions are underway with potential investors and sponsors who wish to be a part of this
impactful initiative for Kerala’s basketball ecosystem.

COMMENTS FROM TOP OFFICIALS
“BLK is the beginning of Kerala’s structured basketball ecosystem. We are building a pathway from
under-14 and under-18 all the way to men’s and women’s professional leagues. Our goal is to bring
scale, structure and opportunity for young players across the state,” said P. Jacob, Managing Director,
Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd.
“KBA is proud to extend full technical support to the BLK. This initiative will energise basketball activity
across districts and give our young players unprecedented competitive exposure. We look forward to
working closely with all our District Associations to support this venture of Starting Five,” said Jacob
Joseph, President, Kerala Basketball Association.
“We are excited to partner with BLK and bring our experience from Maharashtra to Kerala. The scale
of this programme and its development-driven approach make BLK a landmark project for Indian
basketball,” said Anirudh Pole, CEO, ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd.