Mahindra NBA Challenge to tip off in Ludhiana for 3rd time

NBA India Press Release: The Mahindra NBA Challenge, the largest, multi-city, community-based basketball league in India, is tipping off in Ludhiana (Punjab) on July 28 for the third time in the city. Conducted in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and Punjab Basketball Association, the program will run for seven weeks culminating on September 9.

This year the Mahindra NBA Challenge will feature a new player development programme in each city called Generation adidas. Forty up and coming players from the boys and girls U13 and U16 divisions will be selected to participate in two exclusive Generation adidas clinics during the season in Ludhiana on August 24 and September 6. The top eight players will be selected from the clinics and will receive one year of specialized training and adidas basketball gear.

The Ludhiana league will feature 112 teams and games will be played at Guru Nanak Stadium. For it's third season, the Mahindra NBA Challenge has already been held in Mumbai, Delhi, and following the on-going Kochi and Ludhiana stop, will be held in Bangalore. The five-city league features eight divisions total for males and females: sub-junior for ages 12 to 13, youth for ages 14 to 16, junior for ages 16 to 18 and adults ages 19 and over.

For the first time this year, the Mahindra NBA Challenge will feature a National Championship which will take place in Delhi from October 4-7, 2012. The winning teams from the Senior and U18 divisions, for both Men and Women, in each city will travel to Delhi to compete for the championship and train with an NBA Legend.

The programme has rapidly expanded since its introduction in 2009 with the number of teams participating doubling in the second season. The programme has helped to identify and develop top basketball talent, with the Indian National Team extending training camp invites to 20 male and female players that participated in the Mahindra NBA Challenge.