FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR INDIAN SCHOOL & COLLEGE BASKETBALL LEAGUES BEGINS

·      Thyagaraj Sports Complex to host national finals from December 15-21. National championship matches to be held on December 21.

·      40 teams from 10 cities will vie for a prize purse of Rs.43 lakhs

·      Players and coaches to participate in clinics conducted by
National Senior Mens Coach Scott Flemming and National Strength & Conditioning Coach Tommy Heffelfinger, participate in Skills Challenges and more

India, December 10, 2014: All blood and sweat spent for last three months will be worth it for the 40 teams who are now heading to New Delhi’s Thyagaraj Sports Complex for the national finals of the Indian School & College Basketball League starting from December 15, 2014 till December 21, 2014.

The event will see the city champions from 10 cities competing in four categories – Men's National College Champion, Women's National College Champion, Boy’s National School Champion, and Girl's National School Champion.

The league organized by Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in collaboration with IMG Reliance (IMGR) touched over 13000 students across 1100 educational institutes. The structured, pan-India leagues allowed players and coaches to develop their skills through continued performance over the dedicated three month season.

 “These leagues have given a much needed platform for players to garner attention from scouts and coaches and that bodes well for students who aspire to make a career in basketball,” said Basketball Federation of India CEO Roopam Harish Sharma. “This is the first and most important step in creating a sustainable basketball ecosystem that will nurture and develop talent across India and based out on the turnout at the city levels, I except an exciting and competitive Finals that will help further promote the game.  My best wishes to all the national finalists and I hope all the participating teams in both the leagues enjoy themselves and learn more about the game, so they come back stronger next season.”

The total prize purse is valued at Rs.43 lakhs. Besides the prize money and shining trophies, the biggest reward the winning teams would get would be refurbished court in their school or college. Runners-ups would get support on improving basketball infrastructure in their educational institute.

 “The Indian School Indian School Basketball League and Indian College Basketball League are the first national multi city, Pan India events of their kind and represent a key milestone in the Basketball Federation of India and IMG Reliance partnership. Together, for the past four years, we have been working to grow the sport of basketball and improve the technical quality of play in India; through these leagues, youngsters in over 22 cities have been exposed high quality, structured league competition for the first time. The response we have gotten from schools and colleges is phenomenal, this year an unprecedented 13000 young cagers have participated in the three month leagues and we look forward to reaching out to more players every year” said IMG Reliance chief Operating Officer, Ashu Jindal.  

But this is just not going to be about cut-throat competition. Organisers have decided to give the players a time of their lives by getting them involved in other activities too. To start with, the players will attend a training session with National Senior Mens Coach Scott Flemming as well as a nutrition and conditioning session with National Strength & Conditioning Coach Tommy Heffelfinger.

There will also be the first ever national Skills Challenge where students will compete to be the best in dunking, 3-point shooting and more. To make matters more exciting, all participants will also witness sports movie screenings during their 7-days in the national capital.

About the Basketball Federation of India

The Basketball Federation of India or BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. BFI has been involved in conducting camps, clinics, events, and training sessions at its academies for the development of basketball. BFI came into being in 1935 and took complete control over Indian basketball in 1950. Prior to that time, the Indian Olympic Association handled the conduct of Indian basketball championships. Since 1950, the BFI has been conducting various such championships, from the grassroots to senior team participation in international tournaments. In addition, the BFI has been responsible for the establishment of strong sub-junior and junior level programs. The BFI has to its credit produced several international players of repute, among them 17 have been bestowed with the honor of Arjuna Award. More information at www.indiabasketball.org

About IMG Reliance

IMG Reliance Pvt Ltd., is an equal joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India’s largest and most recognized private sector company, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world’s leading sports marketing and management company. The joint venture company will develop market and manage sports and entertainment in India. Its current assets include India’s premier fashion event, Lakmé Fashion Week and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event, the Aircel Chennai Open. IMG Reliance has entered agreements with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level. IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including – basketball, soccer and tennisat IMG’s world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.

For further information, please contact our team-

WordsWork

Gautam Sheth – +91 – 9869233393

Anu Sharma – +91 – 9999069511

Ankit Rana – +91– 9717444620