Amandeep Singh (Kotkapura) & Anshika Kanojia (Mumbai) crowned Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Skills Challenge Champions

NBA India Press Release: Amandeep Singh of Sadaram Bansal School, Kotkapura and Anshika Kanojia of Divine Child High School, Mumbai were crowned champions in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Skills Challenge in New Delhi on Sunday and earned an all-expense paid trip to NBA All-Star 2013 in Houston, Texas.

The two winners also received a glittering trophy, a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Basketall, as well as a pair of adidas shoes as part of their gift hampers at the hands of NBA star Raja Bell. Singh and Kanojia, both 12 years old, were crowned champions after setting the winning timings in the boys and girls categories of 30.79 seconds and 35.26 seconds respectively.

Inspired by the presence of NBA star Raja Bell, 50 youngsters in the 10-12 age group battled it out for supremacy in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Skills Challenge Finals at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge was organized by The National Basketball Association (NBA), in collaboration with HP and Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

Following the conclusion of the City Skills Challenge which took place in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Chandigarh and Delhi, 10 winners from each of the five cities (5 boys and 5 Girls) had earned the right to compete in the National Finals.

As in the City Skills Challenge, the 50 competitors were again subjected to a series of timed skills tests which served to measure each child’s ability in key fundamentals such as dribbling, passing and shooting. The boy and girl to complete the tests with the best times would not just be crowned National Champions but would also win a trip to NBA All-Star 2013 in Houston, Texas.

With the venue already buzzing as the action got underway, the arrival of Utah Jazz shooting guard Raja Bell took proceedings to another level. After addressing the spectators and the participants, Bell took a crack at the Skill Challenge course himself drawing huge applause from all present.

The National Finals marked the end of the 2012 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programme. The school-based program, launched in collaboration with HP and Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in May, has taught basketball to approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches in five Indian cities.