India's junior guard Vaishnavi Yadav commits to Pensacola State College of NJCAA Division 1

The story of Vaishnavi Yadav has already been well-cemented in Uttar Pradesh basketball circles. Just 13, the quick, high-scoring guard from Allahabad began to show her dominance for the state's youth teams in early domestic tournaments, and then soon graduated to starring for the U18 teams, too. She was just 14 when she made her first appearance for India's youth side at the FIBA U16 Asia Championship. Two years later, she returned to the team, now with her skills more polished, and ended up being an unstoppable force leading India to a Division B victory with a division-high average of 20.4 ppg and a team-high 6.2 apg.

But she reached young legendary status at the next youth nationals, in May 2018, where she tallied a record 71 points - the most by a woman at the national level in India - in a losing cause against Kerala. Her efforts were able to lift UP basketball to a respectable status, and she also began to turn heads at the NBA Academy India women's programme where she won the MVP award. It was just a matter of time before the next big leap.

That time is now: The Pensacola State women's basketball team, based out of Pensacola, Florida in the USA, announced the signing of the 17-year-old Yadav to their college and team, which plays in the NJCAA (Junior NCAA) Division 1. The signing adds Yadav (5'7") to a list of many other young Indian women taking a turn for student-athletics for basketball teams in the US, including Kavita Akula and Sanjana Ramesh (both signed to NCAA programmes) and Barkha Sonkar (who played NJCAA).

Pensacola state head coach Penny Belford said, "We are very excited to have Vaishnavi join the Lady Pirate family. She will bring a wealth of playing experience and excitement for the upcoming season."

"So I have officially committed to Pensacola state college," said Yadav on social media. "I would like to thank India basketball, NBA academy, coach [Blair Hardiek] and everyone who helped me in the process. Can't wait to start my new journey this year! Go pirates!"

The 'Lady Pirates' play in the Panhandle Conference of the FCSAAA in Florida, where they finished last in the previous season with a 0-12 record. Hopefully, Yadav's addition to the squad turns around the team's fortunes and also provides the burgeoning Indian star the experience and education to boost her career to the next level.

Haryana (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) take home the gold at the 2019 Youth Nationals in Coimbatore

India's biggest national under-16 basketball tournament - the 36th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls - came to a conclusion in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) on Tuesday, with Haryana (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) sitting atop the rankings. It was a major improvement for both these sides, as neither of them finished in the top three in last year's edition of the tournament.

Organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA), the Youth Nationals were held at the PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore from May 14-21, 2019. 26 teams each in the boys' and girls' divisions took part from all over the country.

Kerala were well-represented in the final stage, featuring a team in each of the two championship games on the day. In the boys' final, Kerala were halted in their tracks by Haryana and their star player Sahil Taya, who continued his impressive play as it had been through the course of the tournament with 31 points. His teammate Akshay added 17 to aid Haryana's 81-74 victory. Pranav Prince and Jim Paul Kothulil each scored 19 for Kerala in the loss.

Kerala's girls faced off in their final against hosts Tamil Nadu. Led by experienced youngster Ann Mary Zachariah's 40 points, Kerala were able to create the separation needed to win 80-69. Zachariah added to her strong form all tournament, coming on the back of her appearance at the NCAA Next Generation camp in the USA earlier this year. For TN, Sathya scored 31 points in a losing effort.

The high scorers in the finals for each of the winnings teams - Haryana's Sahil Taya and Kerala's Ann Mary Zachariah - were named the Best Players of the tournament.

Rajasthan won third place earlier in the day in both the boys' and girls' divisions. Rajasthan Boys were led by Digvijay Singh (36) and Amendra (23) in a 92-68 win over Karnataka. Karnataka's Achintya had a game-high 38 in the loss, while Manoj added 18.

Rajasthan's girls sneaked past Punjab in a low-scoring affair, 48-47, to win the bronze, led by Manvi Srivastava's 18 points. Harsimran Kaur, the Punjabi player who turned a lot of heads after her performances at the NBA Academy Women's camp earlier this year, had 29 her side.

Final Scores

• Boys: Haryana (Sahil Taya 31, Akshay 17) bt. Kerala (Pranav Prince 19, Jim Paul Kothulil 19) 81-74.
• Girls: Kerala (Ann Mary Zachariah 40) bt. Tamil Nadu (Sathya 31) 80-69.

Final Standings

Boys

• 1. Haryana
• 2. Kerala
• 3. Rajasthan

Girls

• 1. Kerala
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Rajasthan

Hoopdarshan Episode 77: Scott Flemming on NBA Academy India and India's National Basketball Team

The very first guest on Hoopdarshan, Scott Flemming, returns to India's premier basketball podcast in a new role. Flemming was arguably the most successful head coach of India's Men's basketball side, and now works as the Technical Director of the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida. In an in-depth interview with co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok, Flemming talked about the changing opportunities for India's top prospects, what India can do to turn around their recent slump, and the full inside story of the 'Turban-Ban' controversy from the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.

Aside from a conversation that triggered the past, present, and future of Indian basketball, Kaushik and Karan also touched on the ongoing Youth Nationals in Coimbatore and give their predictions for the NBA Conference Finals.



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!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Hosts Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) win gold at 2018 Youth National Basketball Championship in Udaipur

The fans expected to defend their home turf, to ensure that local pride was protected, to win a major national basketball championship against some of the best young players in the country. And Team Rajasthan did just that. At the 35th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Udaipur, Rajasthan over the past week, India's top youth (under-16) teams showcased their skills and made a name for themselves as rising prospects. When the dust settled after the finals on Sunday, October 7, Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) emerged as champions.

For Rajasthan, the victory was their first gold in the Youth Nationals since 2007. Rajasthan left no room for mistakes in the final, defeating Maharashtra easily 85-54 to secure their victory. Rajasthan's Rajveer Singh scored 26 points in the final and was aided by Jitendra (18) and Rudra Pratap (17).

The girls' final was a closely-contested match that saw Punjab sneak by Karnataka 67-66 to secure the gold medal. Sukhmandeep Kaur led the way for Punjab with 16. The defeat was Karnataka's second-consecutive year of a loss in this tournament's finale. Sanjana scored 24 for Karnataka in the loss.

Tamil Nadu (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) finished with bronze medals in their respective divisions.

Rajveer Singh (Rajasthan) and Sukhmandeep Kaur (Punjab) were named the Most Valuable Players in the boys and girls divisions respectively.

Final Standings

Boys

• 1. Rajasthan
• 2. Maharashtra
• 3. Tamil Nadu

Girls

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Karnataka
• 3. Maharashtra

Youth Nationals 2017: Tamil Nadu (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) win gold in Hyderabad

A month ago, Tamil Nadu's Girls and Punjab's Boys rose among the best under-18 talents in the country to win the Junior Nationals gold in Puducherry. This week, it was deja vu of their younger sisters and brothers, as the two states repeated their incredible feat at the under-16 level, too.

Two of India's most-famed factories of young basketball talent - Tamil Nadu and Punjab - continued to stamp their authority at the game's youth level when both emerged as victors at the 34th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Hyderabad. The eight-day tournament concluded at the famed Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad with the finals between the top remaining squads in the country on Saturday, July 8.

Tipping off on July 1st in Hyderabad, the 'Youth Nationals' were organised by the Hyderabad District Basketball Association (HDBA) under the aegis of the Telangana Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The prestigious championship featured 26 boys' and 25 girls' teams from all across the country.

This year's tournament marked a special high-point for Tamil Nadu's Girls, who have now won four consecutive gold medals at this event and played in five straight finals. In the final, TN clashed against Karnataka, who were India's U18 champions last year and, like TN, reached the final stage undefeated. With a fast start where they took a 14-point first-half lead, however, TN assured their intent of keeping their names on the trophy. Led by the duo of Monica Jayaseeli (23) and Pushpa (20), TN's first half helped secure a 70-53 victory and yet another impressive title. Reshma Ramesh scored 18 for Karnataka in the loss.

Despite being the training ground for so many of India's top players, Punjab hadn't made it to the medal rounds of the Youth Nationals since 2013. This year, however, they fielded a stacked up featuring young phenom Princepal Singh. In the final they faced a surprising Madhya Pradesh side who had risen dramatically from Level 2 to reach the podium stage. But what was supposed to be a blowout turned out to be a closely-contested matchup, as MP's talented wing players helped to neutralise the damage Princepal did in the inside. In a back and forth game where both teams exchanged leads throughout, it eventually ended up being clutch free throws made by Princepal in the game's last 20 seconds that helped secure a 80-77 victory for Punjab. Princepal ended up with 25 points on the day while Rajan (18) and Harsimranjit Singh (16) aided his cause in the win. MP's star player Divyaraj Singh Rathore scored 28 while his teammate Udayveer Yadav added 20.

For the prize and souvenir distribution ceremony, G Kishan Reddy (MLA & Floor Leader, BJLP, Telangana) was the chief guest and Dr V Ragothaman was the guest of honour. MVP awards given to Karnataka's Sanjana Ramesh (Girls) & Punjab's Princepal Singh (Boys). Princepal, you may recall is the same Punjabi youngster who last year won a $75,000 scholarship from the Spire Institute to train in USA. The BFI gave additional 'Most Promising Player' awards to Telangana's Arya Sreeramaneni (Girls) and MP's Divyaraj Singh Rathore (Boys).

The third/fourth place matchups were also held on Saturday. Last year's finalists Kerala defeated a strong Uttar Pradesh side 58-67, led by An Mariya Johny (17) and Ann Mary Zachariah (16). In the men's game, Andhra Pradesh capped off an unlikely surge in this year's tournament with a nail-biting victory over Haryana, 72-68. A Sai Pavan scored 21 for the winning side, assisted by SVV Sai Krishna's 17. Haryana were led by Anil (20), Mukesh (17), and Kapil Mor (17).

Final Scores

• Girls: Tamil Nadu (Monica Jayaseeli 23, Pushpa 20) bt Karnataka (Reshma Ramesh 18) 70-53 [18-14, 19-9, 16-14, 17-16].
• Boys: Punjab (Princepal Singh 25, Rajan 18, Harsimranjit Singh 16) bt Madhya Pradesh (Divyaraj Singh Rathore 28, Udayveer Yadav 20) 80-77 [19-18, 19-19, 20-21, 22-19].

Third/Fourth Place

• Girls: Kerala (An Mariya Johny 17, Ann Mary Zachariah 16) bt Uttar Pradesh 58-47 [16-7, 9-7, 17-13, 16-20].
• Boys: Andhra Pradesh (A Sai Pavan 21, SVV Sai Krishna 17) bt Haryana (Anil 20, Mukesh 17, Kapil Mor 17) 72-68 [15-16, 14-21, 25-11, 18-20].

Final Standings

Girls

• 1. Tamil Nadu
• 2. Karnataka
• 3. Kerala
• 4. Uttar Pradesh
• 5. Chhattisgarh

Boys

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Madhya Pradesh
• 3. Andhra Pradesh
• 4. Haryana
• 5. Uttar Pradesh

2016 Youth National Championship for U16 boys and girls to tip off in Hassan (Karnataka)

Last September, heavy rainfall and controversy behind the organization marred India's premier national U16 basketball tournament - the Youth Nationals - in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Now, over a year later, the tournament is back, a little later in the year, heading further south to Karnataka, and with hopes from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to purge the memories of the past and launch the new, young stars of Indian basketball.

The 33rd Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls is set to tip off in the city of Hassan in Karnataka on Saturday, November 19th. Organised by the Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBBA) under the auspices of the BFI, 2016 Youth Nationals will feature 24 boys teams and 22 girls teams are in the eight day tournament. Last year's washout led the BFI to declare all the finalists as champions, so both the boys' and girls' divisions will be competed for between two reigning champions each: Tamil Nadu and Delhi (Boys) and Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh (Girls).

In a KSBBA press conference at the Century Club in Bengaluru on Wednesday, the BFI President and KSBBA secretary K Govindraj announced the tournament which will include, as usual, accommodation and catering for over eight hundred players, coaches, referees, officials, and invitees to the event. The matches will be conducted at three venues - the indoor and outdoor courts of the Hasanamba Stadium and the courts of the Malnad College of Engineering.

Participating Teams

Boys

• Level 1: Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh.
• Level 2: Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tripura.

Girls

• Level 1: Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.
• Level 2: Delhi, Odisha, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttarakhand.

The inauguration ceremony for the 2016 Youth Nationals is scheduled to start at 4:15 PM on Saturday at the Hasanamba Stadium in Hassan. A Manju, the Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture and also District In-Charge of Hassan and Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of Fisheries and Karnataka's Dept. of Youth Empowerment and Sports, will be the chief guests at the event.

31st Youth National Championship: Jubilant Tamil Nadu win both Boys' & Girls' championships

Indian national tournaments are always an exciting festival of culture and languages, as teams and young players gather from across the nation's varied corners onto the basketball court. While hoops is the prevalent language above all on-court, there are dozens of different dialects and languages spoken off of it. This was the case for the last week in Chandigarh, the host city of 31st Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls featuring the best Under-16 players in the country, where participants included 26 boys' teams and 26 girls' squads from different Indian states/territories.

But on the championship's final evening on Tuesday, October 14, after all the other competitors had been eliminated, the variety of the championship had been narrowed down to just two: Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The two neighbouring southern states had overcome the toughest of challenges and were the last one's standing both the boys' and the girls' finals . When the dust settled after two exciting final games, it was Tamil Nadu who stamped their dominance on the future talents of Indian hoops by becoming Indian hoop championships in both divisions.

The championship was organised by the Chandigarh Basketball Association under the aegis of Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG-Reliance Group.

When two of the best teams play in the final, the separation between them are paper thin. And this is just what happened in the boys' final between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. After a strong first half when TN raced to a 33-18 lead, Kerala bounced back in style, outscoring TN 23-6 in the third period and taking a slight edge going into the deciding final period of the game. A back-and-forth contest eventually left the result in the hands of TN's Eshwar PB on the free-throw line. A miss by Eshwar with the score tied at 58-all led the game into overtime. It was in the extra period that TN regained their early form, outscoring Kerala 17-7 and finally creating enough separation again to win the final 75-65. TN's captain R Hariram led the charge with 27 points and 15 rebounds while Eshwar PB added 24 to go with seven rebounds of his own. P Sudarsan (30) and H Haridas (17) were the leading scorers for Kerala in the loss.

The girls' final was a rematch of last year's final, when Kerala had defeated TN to win the gold. Kerala once again got out to a hot start, scoring the game's first 10 points and leading 18-8 in the first quarter. Kerala were up comfortably by double digits at halftime, but TN chipped away to cut down the deficit a little before the start of the final period. With one quarter to go, TN switched gears completely to play their best basketball of the night, heavily outscoring Kerala and finally stretching for a lead. TN held on to the lead in the final seconds to win the final 64-59 and get payback for last year's loss. Ishwarya J was Tamil Nadu's star with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Nivyaraj PP of Kerala scored a game-high 19 points.

Tamil Nadu's star performers through the course of the tournament - Eshwar PB (Boys) and Ishwarya J (Girls) - were named the most valuable players of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka's girls ended their tournament on a high-note by securing the third-place, in a bronze-medal playoff contest against Maharashtra. Karnataka were down 18-6 in the first quarter, but an unstoppable 24-2 performance in the second quarter gave them the lead, and they rode their hot form after halftime to win the game 69-52. The trifecta of Priyanka P (21), Bhoomika P (21), and Lopamudra T (19) led the way for Karnataka. Maharashtra's breakout star of the tournament Shruti Sherigar had 27 points in a losing effort. In the boys' third/fourth place contest, the ascending Haryana team did one-up on their last year's fourth-place finish by winning the bronze medal. With the efforts of Ankit (20) and Sonu Kumar (17), Haryana defeated Chhattisgarh 76-62. Chhattisgarh's leading scorers included the young star Mithun Das (21) and P. Pandey (17).

According to the report by Ekalavyas.com, boy’s and girl’s MVPs were awarded Rs. 15,000 each in prize money and an MVP plaque. The winning team in the boys and girls category, Tamil Nadu, received Rs. 75,000 each, the first runners up, Kerala, received Rs. 50,000 each and the second runners up, Haryana for the boys and Karnataka for the girls, received Rs. 25,000 each.

The semi-finals of the Youth Nationals were held on Monday. Kerala faced off against Maharashtra, and despite the latter's feisty showings earlier in the tournament, Kerala played inspired defense to keep their challengers at bay. Led by Nivya Raj's 23 points, Kerala had no trouble outpacing Maharashtra en route to an easy 81-44 win. The second semi-final between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka was a close affair in the first quarter, all until an unstoppable 23-4 second quarter run by TN gave them the lead for good. Karnataka chipped away after the halftime break behind Lopamudra T (23), but it wasn't enough to avoid TN from winning the contest 65-58.

Tamil Nadu's boys had a much tougher time in their semi-final clash, playing versus the inspired team from Haryana. In the high-scoring contest, Haryana had edged to a 48-44 lead at halftime. But Tamil Nadu outscored the Haryanvis by double-digits in the third quarter to take a healthy lead. Haryana played well in the final period and, after multiple lead changes, the score was tied at 93-all in the game's last minute. A clutch layup by J Adarsh gave TN a 95-93 lead with 34 seconds to go, which they held on to for the win and to secure a berth in the final. P. Baladhan of TN and Deepak of Haryana were the game's leading scorers, with 23 points each. In the earlier boys' semi-final, Kerala fell behind to Chhattisgarh by eight points at the end of the third quarter. But an inspired final quarter performance behind Sudarshan (17) saw them reverse the scoreline and race ahead for a 63-55 win. Mithun Das led Chhattisgarh with 23 in a losing effort.

You can find more detailed news and recaps of the tournament by Vishnu Ravi Shankar on Ekalavyas.com.

Final Scores

• Girls: Tamil Nadu (Ishwarya J 16) bt Kerala (Nivyaraj PP 19, Anusha IP 15, Aswathi J 13) 64-59 (8-18, 13-14, 24-19, 19-8).
  
• Boys: Tamil Nadu (R. Hariram 27, Eshwar PB 24) bt Kerala (P. Sudarsan 30, H. Haridas 17) 75-65 OT (18-6, 15-12, 6-23, 19-17, 17-7).
  

Third/Fourth Place

• Girls: Karnataka (Priyanka P 21, Bhoomika P 19, Lopamudra T 19) bt Maharashtra (Shruti Sherigar 27) 69-52 (6-18, 24-2, 15-14, 24-18).
  
• Boys: Haryana (Ankit 20, Sonu Kumar 17) bt Chhattisgarh (Mithun Das 21, P. Pandey 17, A. Rai 14) 76-62 (21-16, 18-21, 20-12, 17-13).
  

MVPs

• Girls: Ishwarya J (Tamil Nadu).
  
• Boys: Eshwar PB (Tamil Nadu).
  

Final Standings Girls

• 1. Tamil Nadu
  
• 2. Kerala
  
• 3. Karnataka
  
• 4. Maharashtra
  
• 5. Madhya Pradesh
  

Boys

• 1. Tamil Nadu
  
• 2. Kerala
  
• 3. Haryana
  
• 4. Chhattisgarh
  
• 5. Delhi
  

Goa Basketball Association asked players, public to help fund Youth Nationals participation

The state of Goa isn't exactly a basketball powerhouse in India, with little success to show at the national level for decades and barely any talents to crack the Indian international stage. For the last few years, hoops in India's favourite beach destination have also been in disarray, and it was only the recently revamped Goa Basketball Association (GBA) that gave the state's best players and fans some hope for the future.

Note: The photographs used in this post are from previous
 tournaments

Unfortunately, without official recognition from the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) - who fund all the state's team at national sporting events - the GBA had to devise their own methods of raising money to send Goa's Under-16 boys and girls basketball teams to Chandigarh this week for the 31st Youth National Basketball Championship. Goa has indeed arrived in Chandigarh for participation at the tournament, and they have done so by asking their own players and the supporting public to find sponsors for the two teams.

According to a report by the Times of India, all probables who took part in the selection trials for the youth nationals were handed an appeal, signed by senior president Namy Jain, to collect sponsors that could fund their participation, totalling approximately Rs. 75,000.

Via The Times of India

The expenses involved train travel to Chandigarh for two teams and officials, daily allowances for two days and kit. Once the team reaches Chandigarh for the Nationals, the Basketball Federation of India will take care of their lodging and boarding.
"The participation of the state teams at the Nationals does involve an expenditure on kit, allowances and travel. We make a sincere appeal to you to contribute for this good cause and help the young budding talent of Goa to bloom further," states the appeal from Namy Jain.

"This comes as a surprise to me. I do not think it is fair for the players to contribute financially towards their participation in the national championship," said GBA president Fr Ralin de Souza.

Since the new committee led by Fr Ralin -- director at Don Bosco Oratory in Panaji -- took over in September last year, two teams have been deputed for National championships with the managing committee ensuring there were enough funds in the coffers. The managing committee undertook a sponsorship drive of their own, organized a state tournament that drew maximum participation and managed to save a little.
"Now, the association finances are in the red," admitted Fr Ralin, while still wondering how the 'senior president' -- elected and approved without the managing committee's knowledge -- could ask players to contribute.

Goa already has two associations fighting to become the 'official' recognized basketball body in the state, the GBA - recognized the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) - and the Association of Goan Basketball (AGB) - affiliated temporarily to the Goa Olympic Association. Furthermore, now there seems to be divide among the GBA itself. And in this pointless tussle for power at the top, the biggest victims are the Goan basketball players, who have already suffered decades of mismanagement that have left their careers unfulfilled. Now, a new generation of players, the best of whom are in Chandigarh for India's top under-16 basketball tournament, have also become the victims of a bureaucratic struggle, to the extent that they even have to worry about financing their own basketball exposure.

31st Youth National Basketball tournament is on in Chandigarh!

Get ready for a clash of Indian states on the basketball court: a total of 50 state/territory young teams from across India have descended to Chandigarh for the 31st Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. The eight-day tournament is set to be held in five basketball courts simultaneously in and around the sports complex in Chandigarh's Sector-42. While their is state pride on the line for all the participants at the tournament, this will also serve as a scouting ground to pick up some of India's top under-16 players, the selected few of whom could eventually get a call-up to the youth national training grounds.

The championship is being organised by the Chandigarh Basketball Association under the aegis of Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG-Reliance Group. Ekalayvas.com reported that the championship was inaugurated yesterday - Tuesday October 8th - by MP Singh, IAS, and Principal Secretary to the Governor of Punjab. Singh declared the championship open by unfurling the flag of the BFI.

Last year, Delhi (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) lifted the Youth Nationals trophies in Kolkata. Both teams will be returning this year with ambitions to defend their title, as will other top contenders such as Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana among the boys and Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka in the girls' section.

Participating Teams

Girls: Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Delhi, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh.

Boys: Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Puducherry, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat.

The first day of games featured a successful start to their title defense by Kerala Girls, who defeated neighbours Karnataka 50-40. Karnataka's rising star Lopamudra T led with 21 points in a losing effort, while Anusha JP poured in 17 for Kerala in the win. In an early clash of the titans, Tamil Nadu bounced back after an early deficit to defeat the rampant Chhattisgarh side 66-56. Sindhuja scored 21 for TN, who turned a three point halftime deficit around in the third quarter. Mahima of Chhattisgarh led all scorers with 24.

Reigning Men's champs Delhi showed that they meant business with a convincing first win over Haryana, 81-56. Haryana had no answers for Delhi's trio of Hansraj (21), Sombir (20), and Vishal Kumar (16), as Delhi raced to a 39-20 halftime lead and kept a complete grip on the game till the final buzzer. Sonu Kumar had 17 for Haryana. In a battle of last year's second and third placed teams, Punjab trumped Rajasthan convincingly, 91-58. A commanding 31-12 run in the third quarter flattened any chances of a Rajasthan comeback after Punjab had already taken an early lead in the game. Rahul Mehla of Punjab scored 23 to lead all scorers.

Selected Scores

Boys

• Punjab (Rahul Mehla 23, Ravi Mehla 13) bt Rajasthan (Abbas Ali 15) 91-58 (19-9, 21-22, 31-12, 20-15).
  
• Delhi (Hansraj 21, Sombir 20, Vishal Kumar 16) bt Haryana (Sonu Kumar 17) 81-56 (15-6, 26-14, 25-21, 15-15).
  
• Chandigarh (Amit 24) bt Himachal Pradesh 51-27 (14-4, 17-4, 10-4, 10-15).
  

Girls

• Tamil Nadu (Sindhuja 21) bt Chhatisgarh (Mahima 24) 66-56 (8-17, 12-6, 24-13, 22-20).
  
• Kerala (Anusha JP 17) bt Karnataka (Lopamudra T 21) 50-40 (18-15, 15-0, 8-10, 9-15).
  
• Chandigarh bt Goa (Rachel Rapose 14) 33-30 (7-9, 8-3, 6-9, 12-9)

Delhi (Boys) & Kerala (Girls) win 2013 Youth National Basketball Championship in Kolkata

Kerala Girls continue their stronghold on the Youth (under-16) division of basketball in India, winning their fourth consecutive Youth National title in Kolkata on Tuesday evening after a blowout Final victory over Tamil Nadu. Kerala’s victory was followed by a heart-stopping finale for the boys’, as Delhi survived a furious comeback from Rajasthan to win the title.

The 30th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championships for Boys and Girls saw 25 boys’ and 24 girls’ teams from all across India descend to Kolkata (West Bengal) for the scintillating eight-day tournament, which concluded on May 7th. The tournament was organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA).

It was another night of celebration for Kerala’s Girls’ squad, who are seemingly unbeatable at this level of the game in India. They won all seven games in this tournament behind consistent play by Nimmy Mathew, Mayukha KJ, and the rest. In the final, Kerala came storming out the gate in the first quarter against neighbours Tamil Nadu and kept building on that advantage to post a mammoth win of 83-47. Mayukha led the balanced Kerala scoring attack with 17 points in the Final. V Rachel had 17 points for TN.

The boys’ final upped the ante as the two finalists – Delhi and Rajasthan – fought each other till the very end. The game was tied at the end of the first quarter and Delhi held a slim three-point lead at halftime. A strong defensive third quarter saw Delhi extend that lead to nine, but Rajasthan came storming back in the fourth to outscore Delhi 23-16. In the end, the boys from the nation’s capital survived to win their second title in three years, 79-77. Sunil (27) and Bitto (23) led the way for Delhi, surviving a dominant performance by Rajasthan’s Mahipal Singh (30 – the leading scorer in the tournament – and Yogesh Kaneriya (16).

The third and fourth place matchups were also held on Tuesday. In the Boys’ game, Rahul Mehla (26), Prabhnoor Singh (19) and Jaipal (17) led the way in a blowout win over Haryana, who were led by Sonu Kumar (16). In the Girls’ game, Riya Verma (28) and Divya P (26) were the stars for Chhattisgarh who defeated Karnataka 82-73, despite the best efforts of rising young star Lopamudra TK (34) and Bhandavya HM (28).

The Semi-Finals of the tournament were held on Monday evening. In the Boys’ game, Sunil had 27 points for Delhi’s high-scoring 86-74 win against Haryana. Arjun Pandit (16) and Shon Suresh Kalangutkar (16) added to Delhi’s score, while Naveen Sheokand had 22 for Haryana. In the second’s Men’s Semi-Final, Rajasthan were led by their unstoppable duo of Mahipal Singh (33) and Akhilesh Kumar (30) as they defeated Punjab 92-82. Prabhnoor Singh (21) and Rahul Mehta (21) led the way for the losing side.

Kerala played in a high-scoring Semi-Final against Karnataka, winning 81-70. They fell back in the first quarter but bounced back with a strong 25-7 run in the second. Mayukha KT had 29 points, Vimmy Varkey had 17, and India Nelson had 16. Bhandavya HM scored 26 for the losing side. Y. Srividhya had 23 points to lead Tamil Nadu in the 68-51 win in the second semi-final over Chhattisgarh. Riya Verma led Chhattisgarh with 18.

Final Scores

Boys: Delhi (Sunil 27, Bitto 23, Vishal Gupta 14) bt. Rajasthan (Mahipal Singh 30, Yogesh Kaneriya 16, Akhilesh Kumar 15) 79-77 (18-18, 26-23, 19-13, 16-23).

Girls: Kerala (Mayukha KJ 17, Nimmy Matthew 15, Aneeta PV 15, India Nelson 15, Vimmy Varkey 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (V. Rachel 17) 83-47 (26-17, 20-16, 20-7, 17-7).

Third/Fourth Place Matchups

Boys: Punjab (Rahul Mehla 26, Prabhnoor Singh 19, Jaipal 17) bt. Haryana (Sonu Kumar 16) 93-47 (21-5, 26-8, 24-18, 22-16).

Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 28, Divya P 26, Vandana Ariya 14) bt. Karnataka (Lopamudra TK 34, Bhandavya HM 28) 82-73 (24-19, 20-15, 21-19, 17-20).

Final Standings

Boys

1. Delhi
2. Rajasthan
3. Punjab
4. Haryana
5. Maharashtra

Girls

1. Kerala
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Karnataka
5. Maharashtra

30th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championships tip off in Kolkata

25 boys’ and 24 girls’ teams from different states from all across India have descended in Kolkata (West Bengal) to take part in India’s 30th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. Organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA), the tournament is being held from April 30th to May 7th at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

The championship will feature the best under-16 up-and-coming players from across India. Their performances will determine the best of the lot to be chosen for India national camps to build the roster for India’s U16 teams for FIBA Asia U16 Championships in both boys’ and girls’ divisions later this year.

All eyes will be on the girls’ squad from Kerala, who have won the Youth Nationals for the past three years, including last year’s tournament in Indore. Madhya Pradesh boys’ also won last year’s championships and will be looking to defend their title this time around.

Here is the full list and groupings of participating teams in this year’s tournament.

Boys

Level 1

• Group A: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala.
• Group B: Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha.

Level 2

• Group C: Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Group D: Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, West Bengal.
• Group E: Karnataka, Chandigarh, Manipur, Tripura.
• Group F: Uttarakhand, Bihar, Mizoram, Puducherry.

Girls

Level 1

• Group A: Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka.
• Group B: Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh.

Level 2

• Group C: West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand.
• Group D: Haryana, Gujarat, Manipur.
• Group E: Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Orissa, Uttarakhand.
• Group F: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Puducherry, Tripura.

The championship will be held in league-cum-knockout basis. The finals are scheduled for May 7th. Prize money will be awarded to top three teams in both boys and girls divisions as winners take home Rs 75,000, runners-up Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 for third place.

Check out the complete schedule and stay connected with the results from the tournament via the BFI website.

3-peat champs Kerala (Girls); Hosts MP (Boys) win 29th Youth Nationals in Indore

On the last day of the 29th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls, both the hosts Boys and Girls teams were in action. Madhya Pradesh Boys defeated Delhi in a rematch of the 2011 Finals, while the Madhya Pradesh Girls lost to Kerala, who made it a three-peat by winning the Youth Nationals three times in a row.

Check out the full recap of the games, the final scores, and final standings from the tournament.

Click here to read full feature.

Troy Justice & Zak Penwell to lead BFI's "Train the Trainers" programme in Indore

During the course of the 29th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) will organise a 'Train the Trainers' clinic for coaches who are taking part in the tournament as well as other local coaches in attendance on Friday, October 12. The clinic will be led by Troy Justice, the Senior Director of Basketball Operations of NBA India, and Zak Penwell, National Strength & Conditioning Coach for the BFI.

The clinic will be held from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM on Friday at the Indoor Basketball Court of the Emerald Heights International School in Indore. This is an open event and all coaches are welcome to attend.

Roopam Sharma, the CEO of BFI, said, “This programme continues our Train the Trainer programme which is essential to the growth of basketball across India. Holding these clinics in conjunction with the National Championships will allow coaches from each state to increase their knowledge, as well as ensure that we conduct clinics across each geographical region of India. The BFI, with the help of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has procured International Coaches for the purposes of, not only training our National Teams, but also educating the masses to develop the game at all levels.

"I am grateful to both Zak Penwell and Troy Justice for taking the time to come to Indore and conduct this event. I hope all the participants will obtain an immense knowledge and a deeper understanding from this event."

Troy Justice is the Director of Basketball Operations, National Basketball Association (NBA) India. He provides expertise to the NBA India regarding basketball development, operations, administration, personnel and trends.

Zak Penwell is currently the National Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Basketball Federation of India. He is responsible for all aspects of physical development for the Senior and Junior Men's and Women's National Basketball Teams.

The 29th Youth National Championships are being held in Indore from October 6-13, 2012.

29th Youth National Basketball Championship tips off in Indore

24 boys' and 24 girls' teams from across India will be taking part in the 29th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls, set to be held in the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from October 6-13, 2012. The tournament, organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), is for under-16 players, and will be held at the Emerald Heights International School in Indore.

The tournament is being organised by the BFI in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Basketball Association.

Last year’s championship was held in Nagpur, Maharashtra where the Delhi (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) won. 2012 hosts Madhya Pradesh will look to build on their boys’ 2nd place finish last year.

Matches will be played in one indoor court and two outdoor courts. The format of the Championship will be league cum knockout of Level 1 and 2.

At the onset, Roopam Sharma, CEO of the BFI, said “Basketball Federation of India is delighted to host the 29th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in Indore. The BFI is thankful to the Madhya Pradesh Basketball Association and Emerald Heights International School for rendering their support in organising and hosting the event. The Youth National Championship is aimed at providing the perfect platform for these young boys and girls to showcase their talent and keep them abreast with game strategies and skills required to improve the playing standards of basketball. I am certain that such competitive championships will sustain the interest of youngsters and will nurture, groom and further encourage them to take up basketball as a career option.”

During the event, 25 boys and girls will be scouted and selected to participate in the U-16 National Coaching Camp which will be held subsequently to further enhance their training skills. These 50 players will be receiving the monetary benefits as a part of the BFI’s ongoing program to encourage the talented players. The best amongst the U-16 probables will be further selected to participate in the next a future international competition.

To further develop the game, the BFI has organized NBA India’s Director of Basketball Operations, Troy Justice, and India’s National Strength & Conditioning Coach Zak Penwell, to conduct a coaching clinic for the participating and local coaches October 12th. This is an open event and all coaches are welcome to attend. This initiative is primarily undertaken by the BFI under the Train the Trainers Programme.

29th National Youth Basketball Championship to be held in Indore from Oct 6-13

The finest under-16 basketball players in India will be taking part in the 29th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in the city of Indore in Madhya Pradesh from October 6-13, 2012. The tournament – organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Madhya Pradesh Basketball Association – will be held at the Emerald Heights International School in Rau.

Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Basketball Association Kulvinder Singh Gill said that the tournament is returning to the city after a period of 11 years.

Over 50 boys and girls teams from dozens of different Indian states will be taking part in this week-long event. Matches will be played in indoor courts.

Last year’s championship was held in the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra. Delhi (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) were last year’s champions and will be looking to defend their titles in Indore.

Kerala Basketball: Southern Supremacy

Two months ago, India’s most talented and most recognisable basketball player, Geethu Anna Jose, conquered new ground: Jose became the first Indian to be invited for trials with the WNBA. After trying out with three teams, Jose came back with no signed contract but with a story to tell and an example to be followed. On the way, the Kottayam-born superstar also continued to cement her name as the brightest basketball product out of the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

Fortunately for Keralites, the young faces of female basketball from the state are proving that the future of basketball in the state will continue to shine brightly as the present does.

Last week, the Kerala Junior (U18) Girls’ basketball team went undefeated through the Junior National Basketball Championship in Delhi to win the gold medal. This achievement had come less than two months after the Kerala Youth (U16) Girls’ side clinched gold at the Youth National Basketball Championship in Nagpur. It was Déjà vu in both these competitions, because the Youth and Junior champions a year ago were also Kerala Girls.

“Basketball is very well-organised in Kerala,” said Jose Philip, the coach of 2011 Junior Nationals winning side, “A great job is done in honing the young crop of players. There are dozens of basketball tournaments at school level and more held annually around the state. Young players have improved a lot because of these competitions and they bring that experience to the national championships.”

“Additionally,” says Philip, “The players are very sincere and they want to improve. The association in Kerala is supportive and they encourage us a lot.”

Philip is one of the many coaches of the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) who have been working hard to improve their own craft and thus improve the talent level and competitiveness of the players in the system. A month ago, NBA-India’s Troy Justice held a very successful camp for the coaches in Thiruvanathpuram, bringing together 40 coaches from all over the state. “The coaches were very engaged and had a strong desire to learn the technical aspects of the game,” said Justice.

But no matter how dedicated the federation, sports council, or the coaches are about the game, it is the performance of the players on the court that ultimately effects any squad’s success. Luckily, the new crop of Keralite stars are determined to follow on Geethu Anna Jose’s footsteps and make the state proud like she did.

Off the court, they look as gentle as they are menacing on it. The Kerala’s Girls’ side, sporting identical long ponytails and thin, athletic frames, may look like a welcoming and friendly bunch pre-game, but once the action starts, the ponytails run back and forth as a singular unified force, attacking and defending to produce well-coordinated dominance.

Perhaps the most talented amongst the youngsters is 17-year-old Jeena PS. Hailing from Padinjarathara, in the Wayanad District of Kerala, the five-foot-ten inch post player has been the chief force behind Kerala’s recent success in the Youth and the Junior level. Jeena was part of the side that won both the Youth and the Junior championships last year, and was the best players at this year’s Junior Nationals as Kerala won the tournament again. She is one of the best Junior rebounders in India, and holds her own when playing with the Seniors, too.

In the Junior Nationals, Jeena scored a high of 40 points in the first game against Punjab. She had 33 points and 29 rebounds in an emotional, overtime Semi-Final win against Chhattisgarh, and notched 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Final win against Tamil Nadu. Over the course of the tournament, she averaged 24.3 points per game.

“Basketball in Kerala works because there are many institutes out there to look after us, provide good practices, and we have good coaches,” Jeena says, “Our current Junior team has had success based on this great coaching – we have good rebounders, we play past, and we always start from defense first.”

Jeena was also chosen amongst the 30 probables for the Indian Senior Camp under experienced former US-college coach Pete Gaudet. Gaudet is known for his expertise at developing post players, and Jeena came back with her skills even more carefully honed after the short crash-course with the new coach. Even though she wasn’t chosen for the final cut of the Indian squad, she got to spend some time with the post player on whom Gaudet’s team is likely to build around: Kerala’s own Geetha Anna Jose.

“She is my role model,” Jeena says of Jose, “And I really want to learn to play like here. She helped the young players a lot in the Senior Camp.”

Jose is a former student of the Mount Carmel School in Kottayam – the city and Jose’s former institution has produced yet another young superstar who is taking Kerala basketball by storm. Poojamol KS, though only 15, is another exciting young face of Kerala hoops. Pooja is a versatile, do-it-all player, as capable of running the break on offense as she is of grabbing crucial offensive rebounds in the post. She was the best player in the Nagpur Youth Nationals, topping her performance with 40 points and 13 rebounds in the final. As a younger member in the Junior squad, she was still good enough to play a starring role in the team’s starting five.

Poojamol also showed a great all-round display in the Junior Nationals, as she scored, ran the offense, rebounded, and defended with equal ease. It was her clutch put-back lay-up in the semi-final against Chhattisgarh that tied the game and saw Kerala survive in overtime to head to the tournament’s final.

Besides these two, Kerala’s Junior side boasts of several other extraordinary young talents, such as Premi P Lal, captain Surya PR, and Anjana PG who helped this deeply talented team keep its edge. Coach Philip showed pride in the players, and was confident that the team were always the strongest threat to win the Juniors. “We have many great strengths,” Philip said, “Our team is full of quick sharp-shooters, and play who defend and rebound very well. They are sincere and dedicated.”

But the real skill in champion teams isn’t to win a championship, but to keep winning, to keep playing at an elite level, year after year, as Kerala hopes to do. “Our players stay motivated to keep winning,” Philip adds, “And they realise that with success in these tournaments they will be given cash rewards, scholarships, and a chance to secure a government job.”

With the right guidance, motivation, and output, it seems that Kerala has put together a blueprint for success and for producing elite female basketball stars. The young girls have a perfect role model in Geethu Anna Jose, and one day, there will be many more young Geethus following on her footsteps.

Indian Youth Probables (Boys & Girls) called for coaching camp in New Delhi

32 Boys and 31 Girls of the Indian Youth (under-16) division have been called up for a coaching camp to be held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi from June 15th – July 29th. A selection committee of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) have selected these probables based on their performance at the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in Nagpur from May 26th-June 2, 2011.

The camp in Delhi will determine India’s Youth National teams for FIBA Asia U16 Championships later in the year. The Indian U16 Boys side will get an opportunity to qualify for the 2nd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Boys in Nha Trang City (Vietnam) from October 18-28, 2011. The Indian U16 Girls side will participate in the 2nd FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Girls in Urumqui (China) from October 5-12, 2011.

In addition to the players selected from the Youth Nationals, the eight Indian youngsters currently getting training at the IMG-Academy in Bradenton, Florida (USA) have also been invited to the camp in New Delhi.

Youth Probables

Boys

Om Jaiswal (Chhattisgarh)
Akash Bhasin (Chhattisgarh)
P. Murli (Chhattisgarh)
Ajay Pratap Singh (Chhattisgarh)
Dinesh Mishra (IMG Academy / Chhattisgarh)
Sanjeev Kumar (IMG Academy / Chhattisgarh)
Lawkesh Sharma (Chhattisgarh)
Narender (Delhi)
Akimjeet Singh Sohal (Delhi)
Pradeep Kumar (Delhi)
Panjak Rathee (Delhi)
Gaurav Ohlyan (Delhi)
Rohan Pethani (Gujarat)
Rajesh Sangwan (Haryana)
Himanshu Sharma (Haryana)
Vivek Sandhu (Haryana)
Shubham Mishra (Madhya Pradesh)
Syed Anam Ali (Madhya Pradesh)
Gopal Singh Rathee (Madhya Pradesh)
Ashiv Jain (IMG Academy / Madhya Pradesh)
Jagtap Rohan Ramesh (Maharashtra)
Shaikh Ibrahim Riyaz (Maharashtra)
Malik Saleem Mohd. Ibrahim (Maharashtra)
Kushmeet Singh (Punjab)
Loveneet Singh (Punjab)
Satnam Singh Bhamara (IMG Academy / Punjab)
Akashdeep Hazra (Punjab)
Navjot Singh (Rajasthan)
S. Karthickeyan (Tamil Nadu)
Himanshu Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
Abhishek Rai (Uttar Pradesh)
Sagar Joshi (West Bengal)

Girls

Sangeeta Das (Chhattisgarh)
Anjana Daisy Ekka (Chhattisgarh)
Poonam Chaturvedi (Chhattisgarh)
Pooja Ambishta (IMG Academy / Chhattisgarh)
A. Kavita (IMG Academy / Chhattisgarh)
Sangeetha Kaur (Chhattisgarh)
Sharanjeet Kaur (Chhattisgarh)
Soumya Babbar (IMG Academy / Delhi)
Rimpy Hooda (Haryana)
Anju Bhalotlia (Haryana)
Bharti Sihag (Haryana)
Komal Yadav (Haryana)
Praneetha S (Karnataka)
Karishma Rajan (Karnataka)
Prami P. Lal (Kerala)
Elizabeth Hilarious (Kerala)
Anathy Vimal (Kerala)
Poojamol KS (Kerala)
Ashwathy S. Thampi (Kerala)
Monika Gurjar (Madhya Pradesh)
Sruthi Menon (Maharashtra)
Ishwari Pingle (Maharashtra)
Krithika Divadkar (Maharashtra)
Shireen Limaye (Maharashtra)
Nirmal Kaur (Punjab)
Kulwinder Kaur (Punjab)
K. Devi Rajalaksmi (Tamil Nadu)
R. Sharmila (Tamil Nadu)
Shruti (Uttar Pradesh)
Barkha Sonkar (IMG Academy / Uttar Pradesh)
Madhu Kumari (West Bengal)

Definitely some interesting young players on the list - several of them have been in the fray for a while now, and a few made their mark at the Nagpur Youth Nationals recently.

First off, these are the kids who are at the IMG Academy in the USA, and will definitely be playing at the highest level because of their training and competition level - Boys: Satnam Singh Bhamara, Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Mishra, and Ashiv Jain. Girls: Barkha Sonkar, Pooja Ambishta, Soumya Babbar, and A. Kavita. These eight kids have been studying and playing there for almost a year now. The standout name amongst them is obviously of 7 foot 1 youngster Satnam Singh Bhamara, who, with his combination of size, skill, and youth, has become the Big Indian Basketball Hope.

Amongst the girls, the other star youngster is Maharashtra's Shireen Limaye, who is also the youngest player to be called up for India's Sr. Women's camp. Highly experienced at her age, Shireen will be one of the superstars of India's U16 Girls' squad.

Other players who had impressive outings at the Nagpur Youth Nationals are Kerala's Poojamal, who scored 40 points to go with 13 rebounds to lead her team to a gold medal win in the Girls' final, Chhattisgarh's Anjana Ekka, Maharashtra's Sruthi Menon, and Haryana's Rimpy Hooda.

One of the most interesting names in the girls' probables is of Poonam Chaturvedi, who at 6 foot 6 inches, is India's tallest female basketball player, and is still almost a month short of her 16th birthday. Originally from UP, Chaturvedi played for Chhattisgarh at the Youth Nationals, and despite her inexperience, was a major force in helping her team bag the silver medal.

In the Boys' list, there are several players from the gold winners Delhi, including Akimjeet Singh Sohal, Narendar, and Pradeep Kumar. Runners-up MP are represented by 3 players, including Syed Anam Ali and sharpshooter Shubham Mishra. Punjab's high-scoring 'Singh duo' of Loveneet and Kushmeet will also be attending. Other impressive performers were Akash Bhasin (Chhattisgarh), Saleem Ibrahim (Maharashtra), and Rakesh Sangwan (Haryana).

Delhi Boys; Kerala Girls become 2011 Youth Champions

On an evening where India’s best young basketball talent competed against each other to win the top prize, the real winner was the spectacle basketball. The Finals of the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls were held at Divisional Sports Complex at Nagpur (Maharashtra) on Thursday – in both the boys’ and girls’ Finals, each team saved its best defense for last. The boys from the capital side Delhi used their length to snuff out a strong Madhya Pradesh side to lift the title. In the girls’ section, last year’s youth winners Kerala continued their hot streak, going undefeated in this year’s edition and beating a strong Chhattisgarh side in the final to become repeat champions.

The Boys Final was a defensive juggernaut, as both teams played their toughest defense to deny their opponents from getting any shots at the basket. Both teams were quick and athletic, but baskets weren’t coming easy for anyone. Delhi led most of the way though, especially behind the rare combination of skill and size shown by Pradeep Kumar. MP committed too many turnovers as Delhi took a big lead – MP attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, even making it a three point game with just 5:24 left on the clock, but Delhi regrouped well after a timeout and enjoyed their best offense in the tournament’s last five minutes, cruising to a 58-47 win.

Neither side was spectacular from the field, as MP shot 26 percent, and the winners, Delhi, just 21 percent. But Delhi’s players, led by Akimjeet Singh, did an incredible job attacking the basket, winning fouls and getting to the free throw line. The 17-5 difference in free throws made was also the difference maker between the two teams.

“We prepared for this tournament one day at a time,” said jubilant Delhi coach JN Nehra, “We studied the strategy and playing style of each opponent that we faced, and we prepared for each one differently. That helped us get to the top.”

There was no stopping Kerala as they out-dueled Chhattisgarh in an entertaining Girls’ final. Poojamol KS, who had been Kerala’s best player all tournament, put up her best performance in the Final, putting in 40 points and grabbing 13 rebounds – her opposite number, Anjana Ekka of Chhattisgarh, also gave a tough fight, scoring 37 points to go with 13 rebounds and game-high 6 blocks.

The Girls’ final started slowly, but Chhattisgarh quickly took control of the game. Kerala boasted of several long and athletic players, but they ran into a big roadblock as Chhattisgarh’s 6 foot 6 inch Centre Poonam Chaturvedi guarded the post. But Poojamal was too swift for even Chhattisgarh’s defense, and she shot a high percentage en-route to her 40 point night. Kerala did a great job in combating Chhattisgarh’s size with speed.

The game was reminiscent of Chhattisgarh’s semi-final with Maharashtra, where they came back big in the second half for a close win. It was a different story in the Final: Kerala continued to play well in the second, isolating Anjana Ekka who was on a shooting spree for Chhatisgarh. Poojamal and the rest of Kerala went blow for blow with Anjana, and in the end, there would be no comeback as Kerala won 70-61.

“I was very confident about this game,” Poojamal exclaimed after clinching the title for her side, “Our team had a lot of practice before this tournament to deal with pressure situations such as this final, and I was ready tonight. I am very happy about winning this championship and it is a great achievement for the state of Kerala.”

Mr. Harish Sharma, CEO of the BFI, congratulated all the players who participated in he championship, and added, "I'm proud of these young stars, they have worked hard for this achievement and I hope that they will have a great future. Basketball in India is at a turning point and it will be these young players who will lead the way in the coming years."

Earlier in the day, the host Maharashtra side, whose boys’ and girls’ teams had both lost at the Semi-Final stage, played in the third-place playoff matches. Maharashtra Boys faced a motivated Chhattisgarh, who led the game from start to end for a comfortable 73-56 win. Akash Bhasin, one of the tournament’s best scorers, had 32 points for Chhattisgarh, while T. Shantanu paced Maharashtra with 26.

In the Girls’ playoff, the highly-touted Maharashtra team shrugged off the disappointing semi-final loss to Chhattisgarh from a day earlier and won a highly-competitive game against the speedy girls from Haryana. Haryana Girls, one of the stories of the tournament, stayed neck to neck with Maharashtra throughout the game. In the third, Maharashtra finally opened up a big lead as their stars Shireen Limaye (17 points) and Shruti Menon (16) began to click. Haryana’s fourth quarter comeback wasn’t enough as they lost 70-63. Rimpy Hooda had 21 points for Haryana and Bharti Sihag added 18.

Final Scores

Boys: Delhi (Akimjeet Singh 16, Pradeep Kumar 15, Pankaj Rathi 15) bt. Madhya Pradesh (Shivam Mishra 23) 58-47 (14-9, 13-9, 7-13, 24-16).

Girls: Kerala (Poojamol KS 40, Arthy Vimal 12) bt. Chhattisgarh (Anjana Ekka 37) 70-61 (16-21, 9-15, 20-16, 16-18).

3rd/4th Place Playoffs

Boys: Chhattisgarh (Akash Basin 32, Saif Hashmi 10, M. David Boon 10) bt. Maharashtra (T. Shantanu 26, Rohan Ramesh 11) 73-56 (21-16, 19-15, 16-12, 17-13).

Girls: Maharashtra (Shireen Limaye 17, Sruthi Menon 16, Ishwari Pingle 11, Kritika Divadkar 11) bt. Haryana (Rimpy Hooda 21, Bharti Sihag 18, Monika Vats 11) 70-63 (23-21, 14-12, 22-12, 11-18).