Hyderabad: The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Reliance Foundation (RF), a non-profit organisation that supports various philanthropic initiatives of Reliance Industries Limited, announced that the 10th consecutive year of the RF Jr NBA programme will tip off on Friday, July 22 and will feature free, nationwide basketball development clinics and tournaments for youth, coaches and teachers. The RF Jr NBA programme is a comprehensive youth basketball development initiative that teaches the values and fundamentals of basketball to positively impact the lives of Indian youth.
This year’s program will feature a national championship tournament for the under-12 14 on 3×3 format in Chennai, Kottayam, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Delhi, Aizawl and Jamshedpur – culminating with the RF Jr NBA National Championship in Delhi in September that will crown the boys and girls U-12 and U-14 RF Jr. NBA national champions.
A coaches’ clinic will also be held for local coaches and physical education teachers that will teach techniques and best practices for team and player development at any level, including strength and conditioning, mental well-being and nutrition.
The programme will offer additional training opportunities to select standout players in Aizawl and Chennai, as 10 boys and 10 girls from each city will be selected to participate in fortnightly weekend clinics throughout the year. Participants will also receive complimentary basketball equipment to support their training and development.
“Basketball has a vast followership in India across varied geographies, with immense potential amongst young talent to pursue the sport,” said a Reliance Foundation spokesperson.