Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme expands to eight Indian cities for Year 2

With the expectation to engage over 750,000 youth basketball players and train PE teachers at more than 1,000 partner schools across India, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme returns with a bang for it's second year today. The programme is set to expand from three Indian cities to eight for the new season: Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kottayam, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. The programme, which was launched last year by the Reliance Foundation and NBA in India, focuses on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into each participating school’s physical education curriculum.

The ambitious programme was already a massive step forward to tapping the inner basketball star in hundreds of thousands of Indian basketball players through the easiest medium: PE and sports classes in their schools. For the 2014-14 season, the programme gets even bigger and better. After being held in Mumbai, Kochi, and Kottayam last year, this year's programme will involve the previous three plus five more cities. It will run from September 2014 to February 2015, expecting to engage more than 750,000 youth across 1,000 schools. Fifteen coaches will oversee the programme and anticipate training more than 1,000 local physical education instructors in the process.

Jagannatha Kumar, Head, Reliance Foundation commented, "We are happy to announce the expansion of our Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme for the second year in succession and are confident that this initiative will instill strong values in the children in their formative years. It is very gratifying to learn that the implementation and the start of the program is eagerly awaited not only by the children but also by their parents, as they too are looking forward for their children to excel in sports! This program is also aimed at unlocking the aspirational energy of the youth in our country by allowing young upcoming talents to blossom. Further, this initiative will empower the youth to participate effectively in making this basketball initiative a great success."

"The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme reflects our commitment to increase participation in basketball among the youth of India, and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle," said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director, NBA India. "The Reliance Foundation continues to be an excellent partner in this commitment, and we look forward to working with the children, coaches and educators from these eight cities."

Reliance Foundation and the NBA have developed a weekly curriculum for coaches to use while teaching basketball to students. In addition, the programme will implement a new three-phase player development system:

• Weekly Elite Training Camps: The top boy and girl in each age group - U10, U13, and U16 - from each school will be invited to weekly camps in each city that will be conducted by the coaches and focused on advanced techniques. Each player will be tracked and provided a report card on his or her progress.
  
• Regional Elite Camps: Coaches will conduct an intensive, four-day camp at the conclusion of the programme for the top 80 children in each city.
  
• National Elite Camp: The top 120 youth from all of the eight cities will be selected to attend a four-day national camp conducted by NBA India coaching staff.
  

The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme also consists of a Train the Trainer program for local coaches, in-school basketball sessions for children in grades 3-10, elite training camps, as well as Hot Shot, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competitions. Each participating school receives essential equipment to encourage and facilitate participation among its students, including basketballs, whistles, air pumps and coaching guides. Last year, the programme engaged more than 140,000 youth, 40 percent of whom were female, from 225 schools. The programme trained more than 250 coaches and distributed over 4,500 basketballs to partner schools. NBA legend Muggsy Bogues and WNBA player Swin Cash were in Mumbai and Kochi to conduct coaches and player clinics and support the programme.

Here is complete eight-city schedule for 2014/14 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme:

• Ludhiana and Jalandhar: Sept. 6 - Nov. 7
  
• Kochi and Kottayam: Sept. 29 - Nov. 29
  
• Delhi: Oct. 6 - Dec. 11
  
• Kolkata: Oct. 17- Dec. 18
  
• Mumbai: Nov. 6 - Feb. 5
  
• Chennai: Nov. 13 - Feb. 7
  

The Reliance Foundation and the NBA also recently announced a project to install basketball hoops in more than 50 schools across Mumbai as part of their joint commitment to developing basketball infrastructure in India and to facilitate access to the game.