Maharashtra Youth Basketball Championship to tip off in Mumbai

Mumbai, 18^th May 2015: Starting tomorrow, Mumbai Central District will play host to the 32^nd Maharashtra Youth Basketball Championships for U-16 boys and girls from May 19^th to May 23^rd 2015 at the Indian Gymkhana Grounds – Matunga, Khalsa College – Matunga and the Naigaon Police Grounds – Dadar. This year’s event is being organised and sponsored by the sports management conglomerate of Elevate Sports and KOOH Sports.

The games are going to see participation from 52 teams in the boys and girls sections combined. The camp for the state team will be held immediately post the championships, which will act as a preparatory camp for the u-16 National Championship to be held in Guwahati from June 11^th to June 18^th.

This will be the first state championships held under the stewardship of its newly elected President of the Maharashtra State Basketball Association, Mrs. Poonam Mahajan, Honourable Member of Parliament from Mumbai North Central Constituency and the Hon. Gen. Secretary, Krishnan Muthukumar. The State championships are being held in the city of Mumbai after a gap of almost 12 years and the new managing committee has vowed to bring basketball back to its original glory.

Mrs. Poonam Mahajan says, “It is indeed an honour to be elected as the President of the MSBA but I am here to see that we improve basketball infrastructure, we produce players on a consistent basis and most of all we give talented youngsters a platform to perform at the highest level. This is the first state championships under my leadership and we want to set a fine example so that it can be replicated throughout the state.”

“I think this state championship is going to be one of its kind. Never before have we seen such wide participation and I would just like to reiterate what our President, Mrs Poonamji Mahajan said. Our duty is to improve the playing conditions across the state and we begin our endeavour with this state championship by an earnest effort to provide better facilities”, says the Hon Gen Secretary, Mr Krishnan Muthukumar.

The organising district will provide food, accommodation and transport to the venues for all participants. The total cost of the tournament exceeds more than Rs. 15,00,000. For this state championship, the players are being provided a fully furnished 2 bedroom apartment and food at extremely subsidised rates apart from transportation to the playing facilities.

The new formed MSBA has taken the responsibility of developing the game in Maharashtra and in the next four years they are planning to build basic basketball infrastructure across all 37 districts of Maharashtra.

About the Maharashtra Youth Basketball Championship

The Maharashtra State Basketball Association, which is the custodian of basketball in the state of Maharashtra affiliated to the Basketball Federation of India and the Maharashtra Olympic Association, conducts its annual Inter District Championships for all age groups. These state championships are conducted at the Under 13, Under 16, Under 18 and senior levels for both boys and girls. These championships are a feeder system for the state teams and the state teams participate in the National Championships conducted by the BFI. The state championships see participation from all 37 districts in Maharashtra which includes around 750 boys and girls and around 100 officials from the remotest part of Maharashtra.

32^ND MAHARASHTRA STATE INTER DISTRICT BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR UNDER 16 YEARS YOUTH BOYS AND GIRLS

ORGANISED AND SPONSORED BY: ELEVATE SPORTS & KOOH SPORTS

VENUES: COURT 1. POLICE GROUND;  COURT 2. IND GYMKHANA; 3. KHALSA COLLEGE COURT                                                                         

TOP THREE TEAMS WILL QUALIFY FOR THE KNOCK OUT FROM LEVEL ONE

TOP ONE TEAM FROM BOYS AND TWO TEAMS FROM GIRLS WILL QUALIFY FOR THE KNOCK OUT FROM LEVEL TWO

 LEVEL 1 (Knockout)

 LEVEL 2 (Knockout)