January 22, 2015

WNBA and international superstar Tamika Catchings to visit India for Jr. NBA city championships


One of the most successful WNBA and international basketball players of the past decade, American Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever is set to visit India next week to host the inauguration of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA city championships in Chennai and Mumbai. Catchings will tip off Chennai's Jr. NBA Championship on February 1st at the Santhome School which will see youth from schools all across the city participate. She will also be at the Dominic Savio School in Andheri East in Mumbai on January 28th.

“It is an honor to travel to India on behalf of the Reliance Foundation and the NBA to help teach basketball to young boys and girls in India,” said Catchings. “It is exciting that the sport I love is taking off in India and I am looking forward to working with these kids.”

Catchings (35) has enjoyed a highly successful basketball career. Drafted third by the Fever in 2001, the forward has spent her entire WNBA career with Indiana, leading the team to their first championship in 2012. Catchings is a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, nine-time All Star, the 2012 Finals MVP, and won Rookie of the Year in 2002. At the international stage, she has played an important role for USA, winning the women's basketball Olympics gold medal the last three times (2004, 2008, and 2012) and the women's world championship gold medal twice. Catchings has also played for clubs in Russia, Poland, and Turkey.

Catchings will be the third big name WNBA player to visit India over the last four years, following 2x champion Katie Smith in 2011 and 3x champion Swin Cash in 2013.

The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA city Championship marks the culmination of three competitions that have been taking place across the city. There will be a finals of the 5x5 team competition featuring the top eight boys and girls teams from across the city; a 3x3 team competition featuring over 150 teams; and the finals of the Hot Shot individual shooting competition, which will see one boy and girl crowned as the best shooters in the city.

2 comments:

  1. Is there any way to join the reliance foundation jr.NBA without going through school? I've tried everything

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    Replies
    1. Sorry Sameer - at this point, this programme is only available through the schools in partnership with reliance/nba

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