Telangana Junior Basketball League launched in Hyderabad

The Telangana Junior Basketball League was inaugurated by Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan in Hyderabad. Featuring Under-15 and Under-18 categories for boys and girls, the league has attracted nearly 3,000 registrations and aims to strengthen grassroots basketball development

Hyderabad: The inaugural edition of the Telangana Junior Basketball League (TJBL) was formally inaugurated by Mr Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to the Telangana Government, at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium (Yousufguda) here on Friday.

Messrs Sridhar Reddy, President, TBA, A Prudhvishwar Reddy, General Secretary, N Chandra Shekhar, Treasurer, Masood Bin Ahmad Zakir, Chairman of TBA, Pratap Reddy and others were also present.

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Mr Jayesh Ranjan said the sports ecosystem in India is fully gearing up. So are the players from Telangana. Telangana players are regularly finding a place in national and international teams. He appreciated TBA for conceptualising the TJBL. He also unveiled the league trophy and interacted with franchise owners and players.

TBA President Sridhar Reddy said TBA was more vibrant than ever before. “It is known now for pioneering leagues. Players from the state are also doing well nationally,” he said.

Prudhvishwar Reddy said, “The objective behind TJBL is to nurture talent from the grassroots level, provide access to quality coaching and professional infrastructure, and create a sustainable ecosystem for basketball to thrive in Telangana. We want to identify promising players at a young age and provide them with a clear pathway to excel at the state, national and international levels.”

The tournament features Under-15 and Under-18 categories for both boys and girls, marking a significant milestone in the development of grassroots basketball in the state.

The inaugural season of the league comprises six city-based franchises: Hyderabad Hurricanes, Nizam Royals, Warangal Stallions, Nalgonda Speed Strikers, Rangareddy Raptors and Vikarabad Mambas.

The franchise auction conducted in April set a new benchmark for junior sports leagues in Telangana, generating a total franchise valuation of Rs 1.48 crore. The highest bid was recorded for Hyderabad Hurricanes, which was acquired by Prospero Group for an impressive Rs 33 lakh.

The league has received an overwhelming response from across the state, with nearly 3,000 young athletes registering to participate.