3BL league to return for Season 2 in India next month - this time, with a women's league, too!

Last year, 3x3 basketball in India was revolutionised by the 3BL, the first FIBA-approved league for the shorter format in the country. The league reached several Indian cities and helped provide a new avenue for professionals and fans to find Indian hoops.

With the success of the inaugural season behind them, 3BL will return for Season 2 next month - and this time, launch at a grander scale which will include a first-ever women's 3x3 pro league in India.

Organised by YKBK Enterprises, the second season of India’s only FIBA-recognised league, 3x3 Pro Basketball League Indian Sub-continent (3BL) will be held from August 2 - September 29 across five cities in India. In a pioneering move, 3BL is also introducing a women’s 3x3 basketball league, which will be conducted simultaneously alongside the men’s league. The second season of 3BL will feature 12 teams with the best of Indian basketball talent, both men and women, competing in 9 rounds over the period of two months to emerge champions. In an association with the Government of Punjab to promote basketball in the state that has produced many of India’s best talent, the 9 rounds of 3BL will be conducted in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Mohali, Jalandhar and Patiala.

In an effort to provide a platform to Indian female basketball players and build 3x3 basketball at grassroots level in the country, a professional women’s league for 3x3 basketball will be brought to India for the first time 3BL Season 2. In recent years, major international women’s basketball tournaments like FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2017, FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship 2017, FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 and the upcoming FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2019 have also been hosted in India. The women’s league in 3BL will provide an opportunity to the female basketball players to explore a professional career in basketball and further improve the sporting environment for women’s sports in India.

Photo credit: 3BL

By conducting the league over nine rounds, 3BL will help increase the points for the Indian federation in the FIBA 3x3 Rankings, which is the decider for a berth on the qualification round for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The winners of the men’s rounds will also qualify for spots on two FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters and three Challengers.

Last year's 3BL was won by the Delhi Hoopers - the most dominant squad over the six rounds of basketball.

The try-outs for the second season of 3BL will be held on 19th July 2019 for the women’s league and for 20th July 2019 for the men’s league at Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi. Basketball players interested in participating can register here: www.3x3bl.com

Speaking about the second season of 3BL, Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3BL, said, "We are thrilled to bring 3BL back for a second season after the resounding success of the first season last year. This year, our aim is to make 3BL bigger and better and make a significant impact on India’s FIBA 3x3 Ranking to give us a shot to qualify for Tokyo 2020. We have also introduced the women’s league this time to give a platform to all the fantastic and aspiring female basketball players in India. Basketball Federation of India and The Government of Punjab is supporting 3BL in improving the sporting environment in India and we will be working together to ensure India becomes a dominant force in 3x3 Basketball."

Top international 3x3 teams including World No. 1 Novi Sad to compete in FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hyderabad Masters

One of the most prestigious 3x3 platforms in the world, FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters is coming to India with the Hyderabad Masters on 22nd and 23rd September 2018 at People’s Plaza, Hyderabad. The best international 3x3 teams will be coming to India for the seventh stop of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters and competing for a chance to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final in October 2018.

The best 3x3 team in the world currently, Novi Sad, with their star player Dusan Bulut who has won more 3x3 trophies than anyone else, will be competing at People’s Plaza. Other teams and players to watch out for will be Piran (World #3), Belgrade (World #9), Simon Finzgar (World #8), Anze Srebovt (#9), Gasper Ovnik (#10), Bogdan Dragovic, Dulgunn Enkhbat and many more.

The two Indian teams competing – Delhi 3BL and Bangalore 3BL will have to put up a strong fight to emerge at the top against these key teams and players. Delhi 3BL with Inderbir Gill (USA #6), Bikramjit Gill (Canada #4), Leandro Souza de Lima (Brazil #1) and Kiran Shastri have competed at Utsunomiya Masters and Mexico City Masters from FIBA 3x3 World Tour where they ranked ninth, Dreals 3x3 World Championship Cup Paris where they emerged third and Taoyuan 3x3 International Challenger Cup 2018 which they won, to qualify for the Kuala Lumpur Masters. Bangalore 3BL, with Rajan Sharma, Lalrina Renthlei, Sowkim Shetty and Amit Sehrawat are also prepared to put their strongest foot forward at the Hyderabad Masters.

The qualification of the Indian teams was decided on the basis of India’s first ever FIBA recognised 3x3 league, 3x3 Pro Basketball League (3BL) which was conducted from June 9 to August 26, 2018 across India. Participation was seen from 12 teams, out of which two were given berths at the Hyderabad Masters.

3x3 basketball has also been recognized as an Olympic sport and will be introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. India has a chance to compete against some of the best teams in Hyderabad which will help improve the skills and abilities of Indian 3x3 players.

Speaking about the Hyderabad Masters, Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3BL said, “3x3 basketball has been my passion since a long time and I am proud to see how it’s finally gaining importance in India. The fact that FIBA World Tour Masters has come down to the country is enough proof of India’s potential and passion for basketball. 3BL as well received some very encouraging support from the country, and I am excited to see how our Indian teams play for the FIBA World Tour Masters in Hyderabad.”

Alex Sanchez, Managing Director of FIBA 3x3 said, “India is a country where immense passion for sports is deep-rooted and basketball as a sport has great potential to grow and develop here. Following 3BL’s success, we are sure the FIBA World Tour Masters will inspire the country to follow the modern sport and achieve more international titles in 3x3 basketball in the coming years.”

Inderbir Singh Gill of Delhi 3BL, who was the MVP of 3x3BL's first season, said: “3x3 basketball is a really challenging, but exciting game. Winning the inaugural season of 3BL and getting the chance to participate in four international 3x3 tournaments was thrilling and helped improve our game. We hope to show the international teams and our Indian fans what we can achieve when we set our minds to it.”

India to host an official FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters event for the first time

For the first time, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters event will be held in India this month, at the People's Plaza in Hyderabad on September 22-23. Leading international 3x3 basketball teams will take part in the competition, and will be joined by the two top teams from India's 3x3BL league, Delhi 3BL and Bangalore 3BL.

The Hyderabad Masters is the seventh stage of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour and is the first time an international 3x3 basketball tournament is being played in India. The participating teams will compete for a chance to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final on October 27-28, 2018. The best international teams like Novi Sad (World #1), Piran (#3), Belgrade (#9) and more, along with top international players like Simon Finzgar (World #8), Anze Srebovt (#9) and Gasper Ovnik (#10) will be playing at Hyderabad.

The qualification for Indian 3x3 teams was decided on the basis of the results of the inaugural season of 3x3 Pro Basketball League (3BL) which was held from June 9 to August 26, 2018 across six cities in India. The two leading teams - Delhi , which won five rounds out of six and Bangalore, which won one round. Members of team Delhi are- Inderbir Gill, Bikramjit Gill, Leandro Souza de Lima and Kiran Shastri. Members of team Bangalore are- Sowkin Shetty, Amit Sehrawat, Rajan Sharma and Lalrina Renthlei.

Speaking about the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, Hyderabad Masters, Yoshiya Katoh, Chairman, 3BL, said, "India is getting a chance like never before – to host the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. Only nine other cities in the world have been the hosts in this edition. This is an opportunity for Indian basketball players to compete against the strongest opponents and improve their game. We are proud to be a part of this landmark moment."

Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3BL, said, "One of my biggest dreams has been to see an Indian team win a medal at an international platform in 3x3 basketball. Team Delhi 3BL and Bangalore 3BL both have the potential to emerge at the top in Hyderabad Masters and qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals. Moreover, competing against international teams is only going to be improve their game and increase our chances for 2020 Tokyo Olympics."

Team “Delhi 3BL” to represent India in FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters

In its very first season, a dominant power has already emerged from the 3x3BL, India's first pro 3x3 basketball league. This squad has been the Delhi Hoopers, league leaders and winners of four of the first five rounds of the tournament. Now, with the final round of the league looming in Mumbai, Delhi have qualified to participate in two tournaments in FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters: Mexico City Masters (September 8-9, 2018) and Hyderabad Masters (September 22-23, 2018).

Delhi 3BL have already represented India at an international platform in 3x3 basketball for the first time at the Utsunomiya Masters in July 2018 and emerged ninth in the ranking charts. The current leader in 3BL score charts, they stand a chance to qualify for FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals in Beijing, China in October 2018, too.

The 3x3BL's final round will be held in Mumbai on August 25-26.

Speaking about Delhi's qualification, Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3x3BL, said, "Delhi Hoopers have made history and set a benchmark for Indian 3x3 basketball players. Their participation in the FIBA World Tour Mexico City Masters and Hyderabad Masters will give them a chance to compete against the best players in the world and possibly qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals this year. I strongly believe they have the potential to end up as one of the best 3x3 teams in the world."

Pooja Bhatt, Actor/Filmmaker & Co-Owner of Delhi Hoopers said, "Delhi Hoopers has consistently delivered exceptional performances in the entire season of 3BL. They have been raising the bar with every single match with their talent and skills. I’m certain our players are going to make India proud at Mexico City Masters, Hyderabad Masters and eventually the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals in Beijing as well."

Hoopdarshan Episode 67: 3X3BL Commissioner Rohit Bakshi on the 3x3 pro basketball league in India

In Episode 67 of Hoopdarshan, Rohit Bakshi, the Commissioner of 3x3BL - the FIBA-affiliated 3x3 pro basketball league in India - talked to Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about the league's unlikely inception, dealing with speed-bumps in the first season, 3x3 fans around the country, expansion plans, and much more!

Bakshi is the CEO of YKBK Enterprise and the commissioner of the 3X3BL. Born and raised in Japan, he has long been involved with Indian basketball and has played in the 3x3 circuit in Japan. The 3X3BL will be starting its penultimate (fifth) round of the first season in Bengaluru this weekend.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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3BL team Delhi Hoopers to represent India at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Japan

We are only halfway through the first season of the 3BL, India's first-ever 3x3 basketball league, and there's already a dominant powerhouse that has separated itself from the rest of the fray. The Delhi Hoopers have won all three rounds of the league so far in Delhi, Aizawl, and Kolkata, and find themselves comfortably at the top of the standings. With three more rounds to go for the first season, the Hoopers are favourites to take the crown out of the 12-team league.

But first, they will get a chance at some international exposure. The Hoopers will be the first team to represent India at an international 3x3 basketball platform, at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya, Japan on July 28-29. The World Tour leg in Japan is the Utsunomiya World Tour Masters, which could also give the participants a chance to be qualified for the World Tour Finals 2018 in Beijing, China based on their performance in Japan.

The Hoopers are boosted by Indian-American Inderbir Singh Gill (MVP of Round 1 and 2), Kiran Shastri (Round 2 MVP), Dhruv Barman, and Harkirat Jattana Singh.

Rohit Bakshi, commissioner of the 3BL said, "We are amazed by all the teams’ performances so far this season. Being a basketball enthusiast myself, I am proud to send Delhi Hoopers to World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya. Team will aim for the Champion trophy, which is one of the biggest milestones for Indian Basketball and the ticket to World Tour Final in China. We can’t wait to witness India’s gameplay in Japan."

"3x3 basketball in India has kept getting bigger and better since the time we began the season in June," said Vivek Krishna, the 3BL's Entertainment Director. "An international stage will give huge opportunities to the Delhi Hoopers team, and we are excited to see how well they play in Japan."

Round 4 of the 3BL League will be held in Chennai on July 21-22.

3BL - First-ever Indian pro 3x3 basketball league to begin in June

Compared to the full-length version of the game, Indian basketball has found a little more success in the international 3x3 stage. The shorter and more unpredictable format of the game has helped some Indian players make a mark overseas. Now, for the first time, this fast and furious version of hoops will make its biggest major inroad into India - with the country's first-ever FIBA-recognised professional 3x3 basketball league, the 3BL.

Run by YKBK Enterprise, who have been granted the exclusive rights contract from FIBA 3x3 for the Indian subcontinent, 3BL's first season will be held in six Indian cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Aizawl, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore - from June 9 to August 26 this year. The inaugural season of 3BL in India will feature 12 teams with international and Indian sensations like Amjyot Singh, Palpreet Singh Brar and international basketball sensations like Bikramjit Gill, Inderbir Singh Gill, Leandro Lima and many more.

3x3 Basketball is a 10-minute high speed basketball tournament and it officially became an Olympic sport in June 2017. It will be introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

A special launch event for 3BL was held in Mumbai on April 25 in the presence of the tournament's organisers and many top league participants like Satnam Singh, Palpreet Singh, and Amjyot Singh.

Yoshia Kato, the chairman of 3BL said, "Seeing the performance of Indian origin players in the sport, we decided to start the first ever FIBA 3x3 recognised basketball league in India. We plan to make a serious impact on the growth of this sport in the country."

"Basketball has a fascinating story in India," said Rohit Bakshi, the commissioner of 3BL. "Till a few years ago, most people didn’t know anything about 3x3 Basketball and today it poses a serious opportunity. Our aim is to create a new fan base for basketball in India by promoting the 3x3 Basketball at a grassroots level and through wider outreach plans for viewers and players both."

"As the sporting landscape of our country changes and evolves, this short action-packed format will revolutionise basketball in India," said Sudhir Vashist, Chief of Marketing & Business Development, 3BL said, "It is definitely going to be a very appealing sport for both brands and audiences."

Before Season 1 of the 3BL begins, the list of participating players will be finalised on May 10, and the team draft will be held on the same day. There will be tryouts in Delhi and Bengaluru on May 13.

3BL Season 1 Schedule

• Round 1 – Delhi – June 9-10
• Round 2 – Aizawl – June 23-24
• Round 3 – Kolkata – July 7-8
• Round 4 – Chennai – July 21-22
• Round 5 – Bengaluru – August 11-12
• Round 6 (Final Round) – Mumbai – August 25-26

On 22nd & 23rd September 2018, FIBA 3x3 has allotted 3BL to host the 3x3 World Tour Masters in India. This is the first time that an International FIBA 3x3 event will be held in India and is one of the major events for the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Season. 12 teams will participate from across the World over a two-day event. 2 of those 12 teams will be from the 3BL Season 1 Clubs, selected based on their performance over the first two Rounds of the Season. The winners of Round 4 and 5 will be eligible to participate in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in India. If the Winners are the same for both Round 4 and 5, or one of the teams are unable or unwilling to participate, then the 2nd place team from that Round will be eligible to participate.

A total of 12.1 lakh rupees prize money will be handed out during the course of the league.

Pursuit India: In pursuit of basketball happiness

6-foot-10 center Amrit Pal Singh almost singularly represents both the opportunity and the frustration of Indian Basketball. Despite possessing the athleticism and physical skills to be a great basketball player, Amrit Pal, born and bred in a small Punjabi village, wasn't "discovered" until 18. Within the next six years, however, he rose to become one of India's best players, a national captain, and one of India's only professional players abroad. Amrit Pal's story is an example of opportunity in Indian basketball, of how there is so much more untapped talent around the country just like him. But it's also a story of frustration, of the fact that so much talent is being lost every year without the right kind of training and representation.

Amrit Pal's tale, however, does have a happy ending. With the help of help of talent management company Pursuit India - one of the few agencies of its kind in the country - and their consultant in Japan Rohit Bakshi, April Pal and his fellow Team India star Amjyot Singh were both able to secure professional basketball contracts in Japan, first in the Summer League and then in Japan's D-League. Amrit Pal and Amjyot starred in Japan helped their squad - the Tokyo Excellence - win a third straight championship. With their success overseas, a symbiotic basketball relationship between Pursuit and international basketball was born.

Pursuit, which is a the talent management division of Ekalavyas Consultancy Private Limited, made their full-fledged launch last week and have now fully taken the charge to help untapped Indian basketball talents fully reach their potential. Ekalavyas has been involved in closely covering and scouting Indian basketball events for several years already; through its grassroots network, Pursuit is now able to scout athletic talent from a young age and help them along their playing careers, whether in India or abroad.

Pursuit is headed by Vishnu Ravi Shankar, who is a Director at Ekalavyas and hopes to help Pursuit become India’s pre-eminent and pioneering basketball scouting and talent management agency. "While covering Ekalavyas tournaments down to the grassroots level, we had a lot of information on players of different age groups, of players in the national side, and of the progress they made getting older," Shankar told me. "There was hardly an opportunity for these guys, but we knew we could do a lot with this information. A few former players have experienced opportunities abroad, but nothing had happened at a higher level. The players we've signed - Amjyot and Amrit Pal - did really well in their opportunity in Japan. We want to build them as a brand here to promote and market them in India. We're looking at offers for them in other countries, too."

Working with Rohit Bakshi, their consultant in Japan, Pursuit began to send information and video footage of other young talents, and eventually, more opportunities opened up. Over the past year, Pursuit has helped the likes of Anmolpreet Kaur, Pallavi Sharma, and Adarsh Premsan win basketball scholarships in Japanese schools/colleges. The younger players are minors and hence don't have professional contracts.

Shankar adds that a major part of his work at Pursuit is speaking to parents and convincing them of allowing their children to follow their hoop dreams. "I've spoken to lots of parents in last few months. It's something new for Indian families. It's a big decision to send out out. We have to come with multiple candidates and see which ones can finally be the perfect fit to send out."

Outside of Japan, Pursuit has also pursued relationships with various basketball academies around Europe and reached out to basketball destinations in other Asian countries like the Philippines and China. A few more big announcements for Indian basketball with the USA and Europe are on their way, Shankar promises.

Back home in India, Pursuit and Ekalavyas have been closely involved with the UBA Basketball League and even recommended several of the star players to join the league in Season 2. One of those stars ended up being the league MVP, Vinay Kaushik of the Delhi Capitals. For season 3, they are planning for further involvement as the UBA expands its reaches. "We'll provide them top Indian talents and Indian-origin guys from abroad who are interested in playing in the league," Shankar said.

Pursuit will hope to be front and center when the next big breakthrough comes out of Indian basketball. Shankar points at Adarsh Premsan as one of the young players with star potential, and adds that there were many more players at the recent Junior Nationals in Puducherry who have been eyed for future professional ties abroad. Eventually, if and when India finally gets a FIBA-certified professional league of our own, Pursuit will hope to be ready to help manage the ties between the league and its crop of players.

"Players in India have the talent, but they just need to be given the right opportunity," Shankar said, "Amjyot and Amrit Pal were always gifted, and in Japan, they just clicked. I'm very interested in younger talent. They still need to be taught a lot of right things. We need to get them out at 13 or 14 and get them the best training available."

India's Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh signed by Tokyo Excellence of Japan's Basketball D-League

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Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh have been tethered together for years. The two big men share a common state of origin (Punjab), a common family name (Singh), a common front-court in India's Men's Senior National Basketball team, and even common controversies. Earlier this year, Amrit Pal and Amjyot - starters for India's NT and two of the best basketball players that the nation has to offer - took their talents overseas to play together, in the same team, in Japan's BJ Summer League.

And now, still tethered together, Amrit Pal Singh (7-foot) and Amjyot Singh (6-foot-9) - both 23 - have taken another step towards making history. After impressive performances for Hyogo Impulse of the BJ Summer League from June to August 2015, the two bigs are heading off to a bigger city and a bigger league. The two Indian players have been signed on one-year contracts by Tokyo Excellence of the Japan's National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The NBDL was established in 2013 as a second-tier league below Japan's National Basketball League.

Tokyo Excellence has been the team with the best record in NBDL’s brief history, having won both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 championships. The team has active participation in hometown activities and events, including visits to schools and mentoring young basketball teams.

The period of their contracts is from 1st September 2015 to 31st March 2016. Expressing their happiness over the new opportunity, Amjyot and Amrit Pal said that they felt blessed and will look to do their best to make India proud.

The young cagers have been mainstays of the Indian Men’s National Team over the past two years, leading them to the historic, first ever victory over China in 2014 during the 5th FIBA Asia Cup held in Wuhan, China. Having learnt the fundamentals of the game at Ludhiana Basketball Academy under late Coach Dr. S. Subramaniam, the duo quickly developed their game and became vital to the Indian National Team’s success.

This significant move has been made possible by the behind-the-scenes effort put in by their managers, Rohit Bakshi (from YounGuns) and DIME Initiatives, along with well-respected Internationally Certified FIBA Agent Toshi Koga of Japan. “I’m just so happy that these kids are making India proud in Japan," Bakshi said, "These kids were trained in India and are showcasing their training at a high level. The Indian basketball fraternity needs to support them and help them get further by all means!”

Search 'Indian basketball player' internationally and the hype and results will likely point you to one name: Satnam Singh Bhamara, the first Indian citizen to be drafted into the NBA. But, while the 19-year-old Punjabi giant attempts to wade his way into America (and the world's) best basketball league through their Development League system, a couple of other Punjabi giants out of India are well on their way to scripting respectable professional careers for themselves internationally.

Even though they start this new professional chapter of their careers next week, Amrit Pal and Amjyot won't be deserting their national team responsibilites anytime soon. They have already discussed with their new club that they will be available to lead Team India's campaign at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship - the biggest tournament that India's national team participates in - from September 23 to October 3 in Changsha, China. Althoug they were unavailable for India's practice and qualification for this tournament, their return will be a big boost for the team's campaign in China next month.

This is fantastic news for Amrit Pal and Amjyot, who are entering uncharted territory for Indian basketball players. India doesn't have its own full-time professional basketball league, and the players are right in their decision to make the most of their talents at a professional level whenever such an opportunity arises. Hopefully, they can continue rising up the ranks of Japanese basketball and their performances at the D-League earn them an opportunity with Japan's National Basketball League, too.

And hopefully, the inseparable superstars can continue on the path to success as they always have: together.

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