Now, a Basketball league to rock India
Mahindra and NBA partner to launch Basketball league in the country
By Audience Matters News Desk
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
 First it was cricket, then football and now basketball seems to have caught the fever of league matches.
Looking at the success of various leagues in India, industrial conglomerate, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), with operations in the automotive, farm equipment, financial services, IT among others has announced a partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA), a professional sports league, to launch a Basketball league in India.
The multi-city community-based recreational basketball league to be known as ‘Mahindra NBA Challenge’ will kick off in Mumbai, Bangalore and Ludhiana in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
The league, which will run for seven weeks in two divisions annually, will see M&M as the title sponsor for the event. As per their collaboration, BFI will work with the NBA to implement and oversee league operations across all markets. The Mahindra NBA Challenge will provide basketball enthusiasts and newcomers to the game the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game and apply their skills in a fun, competitive environment.
“We are delighted to partner with the NBA for creating a multi-city recreational league in India. We feel it is important to encourage other sports as well and we believe basketball is perfectly suited to bring communities together and promote healthy, active lifestyles to Indian youth,” said Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and MD, Mahindra Group.
The first set of Mahindra NBA Challenge will begin play on April 17, 2010 at the St. Dominic Savio and Mustan YMCA courts in Mumbai. The teams will play one game a week over a seven-week season. League champions will be decided in a weekend-long postseason knock-out tournament at the conclusion of the regular season in each city. People between the age group of 14-17 will be termed as the junior group while people above 18 years of age will comprise as the senior team.
Harish Sharma, secretary general of BFI says, “The launch by Basketball Federation of India and the NBA of the Mahindra NBA Challenge is very exciting and will help accelerate the basketball development of Indian youngsters. Youngsters in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai will have the opportunity to play in an organized league and further develop their skills.”
“Mahindra is the perfect partner for the creation of a new recreational basketball league for Indian fans. The BFI, Mahindra and the NBA share a long-term commitment to growing the game in India and to using the values of our game to make a positive, lasting impact in Indian communities,” said David Stern commissioner, NBA.
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