2015 Junior Nationals: Tamil Nadu Boys and Chhattisgarh Girls win title in Ludhiana

In one of the most hallowed grounds for Indian basketball, the next generation of the country's basketball stars (under 18s) showcased their skill-sets and their potential, the future merged into the present, and new stars were born. The 66th Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls were held at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana (Punjab) from October 2-9. At the tournament's finale on Friday, October 9th, Tamil Nadu Boys rose above the competition to win the gold medal, while Chhattisgarh's unstoppable girls team notched another victory, completing an impressive threepeat in the championship.

The 'Junior Nationals' were organized by the Punjab Basketball Federation under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). 24 teams each in the boys' and girls' section from all over India participated.

Both the defending champions from last year - Chhattisgarh Girls and Punjab Boys (who also enjoyed a strong home support - reached the final again this year and had the opportunity to repeat. Chhattisgarh faced an improving Karnataka squad in the final that turned out to be a classic battle between two rising stars of the game, Chhattisgarh's Riya Verma and Karnataka's Bhandavya HM, who had recently returned from national team duty for India at the 2015 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship. While Chhattisgarh started as favourites, it was Karnataka that took the strong early lead, opening up a 24-11 advantage in the first quarter. Karnataka had command for the majority of the game, and found themselves holding on to a comfortable 54-39 lead before the final period began. But it was the fourth quarter that showed Chhattisgarh's true mettle: In a comeback for the ages, Chhattisgarh caught fire from the three-point line in the fourth to outscore Karnataka 28-9 in the period, eventually holding on to a slim 67-63 lead as time expired. Riya Verma scored 37 points in the game, including five three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. Bhandavya HM had 31 for Karnataka in the loss.

Starting as reigning champions and hosts, Punjab were certainly the favourites in the boys' final. But they were facing a deep and experienced Tamil Nadu squad. The two teams matched their firepower in another final for the ages. Little separated the two teams in this back and forth contest. TN had a slim, 43-40 lead at halftime, which Punjab quickly recovered, and then lost again. And back and forth they went. R. Hari Ram (21) managed to put TN up in front in the final minute by getting to the charity stripe and knocking down clutch free-throws. His teammate Baladhaneshwar (18) forced a crucial turnoA ver with under a minute to go in the game by stealing the ball from Rahul Mehla (28). TN won the game 91-86. A. Daniel Richards added 16 for the winners, while Mehla's effort for Punjab was aided by Jaipal Singh Mann (19).

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

The winners, Chhattisgarh girls and Tamil Nadu boys, were awarded gold medals and cash prizes of INR 75,000 each. The second placed teams, Karnataka girls and Punjab boys were awarded silver medals and INR 50,000 each, while the third placed teams, Kerala girls and Delhi boys were awarded INR 30,000 each.

Satnam Singh, the product of Ludhiana's Basketball Academy who this summer made history by becoming the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, was present at the awards ceremony of the Junior Nationals and greeted the participating players.

The boys’ Most Valuable Player was awarded to R. Hari Ram from Tamil Nadu. Chhattisgarh captain Riya Verma won the girls’ Most Valuable Player.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

In the third-place games earlier on Sunday, Kerala Girls defeated Punjab and Delhi boys beat Haryana to win their respective bronze medals.

A day earlier, Karnataka's Girls outlasted neighbours Kerala 76-66 to win their semi-final clash. Bhoomika P scored 21 for Karnataka in the win while Bhandavya (19) and Priyanka P (16) helped with the offensive firepower. Kerala's leading scorer was Mayuka with 17 points. In the other girls' semi-final, Chhattisgarh showed no mercy to silence Punjab in front of their home crowd en route to a 78-49 win. Vandana paced Chhattisgarh with 23 while Punjab's leading scorer was Gagandeep Kaur (17).

MVP R. Hari Ram was on fire in the boys' semi-final for TN against Haryana, scoring 35 points to lead all scorers in a 99-85 win. Haryana kept pace with TN For three quarters and held a four point lead before the start of the fourth. But Hari Ram and TN took over from their, outscoring their opponents by 18 in the final period for the decisive win. P. Baladhaneshwar added 20 for TN while S. Kalidas had 19. Haryana were paced by Sonu Kumar (20) and Deepak (18) in the loss. In the other semi-final, Punjab outlasted Delhi and a magnificent individual effort by Sunil Kumar (32) to win 85-74. Punjab trailed by a close margin for most of the game, but once again, the fourth quarter proved to be the difference, as they turned a one-point disadvantage into an 11-point win. Dilpreet scored 21 for Punjab, while Delhi's Erash Hooda scored 17 in the loss.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

Final Scores

• Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 37) bt Karnataka (Bhandavya Mahesha 31, Priyanka P. 15) 67-63 (11-24, 18-12, 10-18, 28-9).
  
• Boys: Tamil Nadu (R. Hari Ram 21, P. Baladhaneshwar 18, A. Daniel Richards 16) bt Punjab (Rahul Mehla 28, Jaipal Singh Mann 19) 91-86 (23-20, 23-23, 20-22, 25-21).
  

Final Standings Girls

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

Boys

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

2015 Junior (U18) National Basketball Championship tips off in Ludhiana (Punjab)

There is a 'Wall of Fame' at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) at the Punjabi city's Guru Nanak Indoor Stadium, featuring photographs of some of the greatest basketball products of the academy and the coaches or patrons who helped the success from above. The Wall features faces of the legendary late LBA coach Dr S Subramanian and former late Basketball Federation of India (BFI) CEO Harish Sharma over the faces of LBA talents of the past, present, and future, including Palpreet Singh, Amjyot Singh, Jagdeep Singh Bains, Ranbir Chopra, and Satnam Singh. Every new basketball prospect that enters the arena remains close to the watchful gaze of these legends and is only an inspired moment away from following in their footsteps.

On Friday, October 2, Ludhiana - already a hotbed for Indian basketball - became the center of attention for hoops in the country again, bringing together of hundreds of under-18 basketball talents to find inspiration in the hallowed ground of the Guru Nanak Stadium for India's largest junior basketball meet. The 66th Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls tipped off on October 2nd and is set to be held until October 9th in Ludhiana. 24 boys' and 24 girls' teams from all over India have descended to Punjab for the tournament, which is being organized by the Punjab Basketball Association under the aegis of the BFI.

The hosts Punjab's boys team will step out to the tournament with heavy expectations: they are the tournament's reigning champions after clinching the title last year in Kochi and will have the advantage of home court and passionate home fans behind them this year. 2013 winners and 2014 runners-up Delhi will look to give Punjab a run for their money again, while Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra will also field strong squads. In the girls' division, Chhattisgarh will look to make it three wins in three years, but will have to fend strong opponents like Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and hosts Punjab.

2015 Junior Nationals Participating Teams

Boys

• Group A: Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka.
  
• Group B: Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh.
  
• Group C: Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• Group D: Odisha, Gujarat, Puducherry.
  
• Group E: Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, West Bengal.
  
• Group F: Chandigarh, Bihar, Tripura, Uttarakhand.
  

Girls

• Group A: Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Karnataka, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh.
  
• Group B: Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, West Bengal.
  
• Group C: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh.
  
• Group D: Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• Group E: Odisha, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Uttarakhand.
  
• Group F: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Tripura.
  

The tournament's opening ceremony featured chief guest for the occasion was Ramesh Wadhera (CEO of Feather Line Impex Pvt. Ltd.), former BFI President RS Gill and Teja Singh Dhaliwal, Secretary General of the Punjab Basketball Association.

Uttar Pradesh girls got off to a winning start as they pulled away in the fourth quarter against Haryana in a Group B win. UP's Shreyasi scored 18 to open her account for the tournament. In another Group B clash, Kerala showed no mercy to West Bengal, holding their opponents down to less than five points her quarter en route to a 59-15 win.

The boys' division saw two athletic squads - Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka - give the fans something to cheer for. MP's Mithun (18) and Karnataka's Karthikh (19) went head to head in an exciting game. After leading by one at the beginning of the fourth quarter, MP finally pulled away in the end and won 58-50. In another boys' clash, Tamil Nadu showcased their offensive firepower to blow out Kerala 80-59. R. Hari Ram and A. Surya each scored 23 for TN who held an 11 point lead at halftime and found themselves up by 20 in the third before taking their feet off the pedal a little as the game ended.

Selected Opening Day Scores Girls

• Uttar Pradesh (Shreyasi 18) bt Haryana (Bharti 15, Surya 14) 56-47 (13-15, 20-6, 8-15, 15-11).
  
• Kerala (Nivyaraj PP 14) bt West Bengal 59-15 (17-4, 18-3, 12-4, 12-4).
  
• Goa bt Jammu and Kashmir 36-16 (5-4, 14-4, 10-4, 9-4).
  

Boys

• Madhya Pradesh (Mithun 18, Ashish 13) bt Karnataka (Karthikh 19) 58-50 (8-11, 16-11, 14-15, 20-13).
  
• Tamil Nadu (R. Hari Ram 23, A. Surya 23, P. Baladhaneshwar 14) bt Kerala 80-59 (25-16, 18-16, 22-11, 15-16).
  
• Haryana (Naveen 17, Deepak 15) bt Andhra Pradesh (S. Harsha Reddy 17) 89-38 (29-14, 23-0, 26-9, 11-15).
  

2013-14 BFI IMG Reliance College Basketball League tips off in Ludhiana

The Indian Basketball inter-city college league now enters a new city to thrill a whole new group young athletes and fans.

After successful starts in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi, the 2013/14 season of the BFI IMG Reliance College Basketball League tipped off in the city of Ludhiana, Punjab, on Sunday, February 9th. Following the same format as the earlier iterations of the league, the College league in Ludhiana features 20 teams, 10 each in the men and women's divisions. The league was tipped off at the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana and was inaugurated by Dr. Ravinder Kaur Dhaliwal (Director Student's Welfare).

Teams from various different cities in Punjab are participating in the league. The tournament is being organized along with the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA).

This season's set of leagues is the largest ever, featuring a stop in eight Indian cities. The college winners from all the states will participate in the National Champions Cup to be held in April/May, 2014 in New Delhi.

Participating Teams

Men

• Group A: Government College (Ludhiana), DAV College (Amritsar), Layalpur Khalsa College (Jalandhar), Physical Education College (Samanna), College of Agriculture - PAU (Ludhiana).
  
• Group B: DAV College for Boys (Jalandhar), Khalsa College for Boys (Amritsar), Mata Gurji College (Fatehgarh Sahib), Lovely College of Engineering (Phagwara), College of Veterinary Sciences (Ludhiana).
  

Women

• Group A: Government College (Ludhiana), BBKDAV College (Ludhiana), Akal Degree College (Mastuana), College of Agriculture - PAU (Ludhiana), Guru Teg Bahadur College (Dasuya).
  
• Group B: Khalsa College (Ludhiana), Government College (Amritsar), HMV College (Jalandhar), College of Veterinary Sciences (Ludhiana), Government College of Physical Education (Patiala).

BFI/IMG-Reliance launch 1st ever school basketball league in Punjab

After success in the past few years in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) along with IMG-Reliance will launched the 1st Punjab School Basketball League at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab, on September 28th. 12 boys’ school teams and 8 girls’ teams from various parts of the state will be taking part. The 3-day tournament will conclude on October 1.

The competition is being held under the auspices of the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA).

PBA’s general secretary Teja Singh Dhaliwal has announced a cash prize of Rs 75,000 for the champions, Rs 40,000 for first runner-up, and Rs 30,000 for second runner-up, in both categories.

A national school league will be held between the winners from all the different cities in November.

India’s U16s attend coaching camp in Ludhiana to prepare for ‘Children of Asia’ Games

15 under-16 boys from all parts of India have been chosen by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) for a 20-day coaching camp at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, from June 12 – July 1. This coaching camp will help prepare India’s U16 Basketball Team to travel to Russia for the 5th Children of Asia International Sports Games.

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The Mahindra NBA Challenge to tip off Season two in Ludhiana

NBA Press Release: MUMBAI, India– The Mahindra NBA Challenge, the largest, multi-city, community-based basketball league in India, is returning to Ludhiana for its second season on July 30. The programme, conducted in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Punjab State Basketball Association, will run for eight weeks, culminating on September 18.

In order to give more youth the opportunity to participate this year, the programme has expanded to four divisions, up from three in season one: sub-junior for ages 12 to 13, youth for ages 14 to16, and junior for ages 16 to 18 and adults 19 and over. This has resulted in 120 teams registering to play in Ludhiana, up from 72 last season.

Participants in the Mahindra NBA Challenge will receive NBA-style basketball training in a fun environment and have the chance to compete against each other over the course of eight weeks at the Guru Nanak Stadium. Season two of the programme, which already visited Mumbai and Delhi starting in November 2010, has seen participation increase by 30% from the first season.

The league will culminate with a weekend-long celebration of basketball from September 16 to 18 that will feature an All-Star Game, semi-finals and finals. The event will engage the community with NBA-style entertainment, musical and dance performances and on-court basketball contests where fans can win exciting prizes.

The inaugural Mahindra NBA Challenge, held from April 2010 to September 2010, included leagues in Mumbai, Ludhiana, and Bangalore and attracted thousands of participants, including members of India’s Men’s and Women’s National Basketball Team. For more information please visit www.facebook.com/mahindranbachallenge.

Arjuna Awardee basketball player Anil Kumar Punj passes away at 63

Anil Kumar Punj, Arjuna Awardee, former outstanding International Basketball Player of India died on January 14, 2011 in Delhi. He was 63 years old.

Punj had an illustrious career in the Border Security Force from 1968 to 2004 from where he retired as Commandant. He distinguished himself at the international and national level and was a member of the Indian Basketball Teams which participated in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, and two Asian Basketball Championships - 1971 (Tokyo) and 1973 (Manila). Anil Kumar Punj was a highly talented, brilliant and respected player. He was famed for his sportsmanship and for always gave his best to the team.

Over his career Punj bagged two Gold, four Silver and four Bronze Medals in National Basketball Championships and also 13 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals in All India Police Games. He was decorated with the Arjuna Award by the Govt. of India in 1976 and Police Medal for Meritorious Services 1992. He was also decorated with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award by the Punjab Govt. in 1986.

The Punjab Basketball Association (PBA), in a special meeting presided over by Basketball Federation of India (BFI) President R.S. Gill, IPS (Retd.), condoled the sudden demise of Punj. In this hour of grief, the PBA has promised to stand the family of the deceased and offer all help wherever and whenever required.

Harish Sharma, the Secretary-General of the BFI offered his condolences to Punj's family and friends. "This is great loss to basketball in India," said Sharma, "Anil Kumar Punj was a legendary basketball player."

Teja Singh Dhaliwal, the Secretary-General of the PBA, said, "It is a sad moment for the basketball society. We have lost a great player and a great friend."