Basketball League Kerala conducts training program with Australia's Adelaide Lightning
Around 35 talented girls from the U14 and U19 categories of BLK Season 1, along with a select group of promising players from Kochi, participated in the session.
Basketball League Kerala (BLK) took another significant step in its vision of creating international pathways for basketball development with the successful conduct of BLK Elevate 2026, organized jointly by Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd. and the Kerala Basketball Association (KBA) at Kochi on July 1, 2026.
The highlight of the program was the participation of a high-level delegation from Adelaide Lightning, one of the oldest and most respected clubs in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).
The delegation was led by Tess Madgen, General Manager of Adelaide Lightning and one of Australia’s most accomplished basketball players, having represented the country at the 2018 (Silver Medal) and 2022 (Bronze Medal) FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups.
BLK Elevate 2026
As part of BLK Elevate, around 35 talented girls from the U14 and U19 categories of BLK Season 1, along with a select group of promising players from Kochi, participated in an exclusive two-hour High Performance Skill Session conducted by Madgen at the Regional Sports Centre, Kochi.
The young athletes had the opportunity to learn modern training methods, game intelligence, and player development techniques. The session generated tremendous enthusiasm among the participants, who described the experience as both inspiring and transformative.
Coach Workshop
Following the player development program, Madgen conducted an exclusive Coach Education Workshop for six BLK coaches, focusing on contemporary coaching practices, athlete development, leadership, and creating sustainable pathways for young basketball players.
The workshop reinforced the importance of investing in coach education as the foundation for long-term player development.
Speaking after the sessions, Madgen said:
“I have been impressed by the enthusiasm, commitment and potential shown by the young players. Kerala has a strong talent pool, and with consistent access to structured coaching, international exposure and long-term player development programmes, many of these athletes have the potential to compete at much higher levels.”
The day’s activities concluded with a Leadership & Business Roundtable, bringing together representatives from Adelaide Lightning, Starting Five Sports Management, the Kerala Basketball Association, and members of Kerala’s business community.
The discussions focused on creating a structured three-year partnership aimed at strengthening girls’ and women’s basketball, grassroots participation, coach education, international exchange programs, sports industry workforce development, WNBL fan engagement, and broader basketball ecosystem development in Kerala.
Representing Starting Five Sports Management were Directors Mr. P. Jacob and Mr. Zubin Meeran, along with Founder Promoters Mr. Joseph C. Joseph, Mr. Anil Kumar and Mr. Ajikumar Nair, who presented the long-term vision of building Basketball League Kerala into an internationally connected development platform.
Kerala-Australia Pathway
The roundtable concluded with a decision to jointly develop a strategic framework exploring collaboration between Kerala and Australia through basketball.
The proposed strategy will seek to leverage Kerala–Australia trade and business relationships to attract investment, build sustainable development programs, and enhance the visibility of women’s basketball.
The leadership of the Kerala Basketball Association, including President Mr. Jacob Joseph, Secretary Mr. P. C. Antony, and Life President Mr. P. J. Sunny, also actively participated and reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to supporting future collaborative initiatives arising from BLK Elevate.
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