Future Pranav Princes Loading? 'Basketball League Kerala' Tryouts Soon
BLK Development League Season 1 will take place in April 2026 and is meant exclusively for Kerala-based players. The formal player registration opens on December 10, 2025.
Kerala basketball entered a new era with the launch of the Basketball League Kerala (BLK), the state’s first official basketball league system.
Designed as a development-focused competition for Under-14 and Under-18 boys and girls, the BLK marks the beginning of a structured pathway for Kerala’s young hoopers that will eventually lead to full-fledged professional leagues for men and women.
The initiative is spearheaded by Kochi-based Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd. and Pune-based ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd., in partnership with the Kerala Basketball Association (KBA), which will provide full technical and regulatory support.
Youth Development League
The BLK Development League Season 1 will take place in April 2026 at a centralised venue and is open exclusively to Kerala-based players. The formal player registration opens on December 10, 2025.
The 10-day league will feature 24 teams across four categories (U-14 boys, U-14 girls, U-18 boys, U-18 girls) and aims to conduct 72 matches. The BLK will also integrate video analytics across all 72 games, enabling detailed performance breakdowns for players, coaches, and officials.
Before the season kicks off, all selected athletes will participate in a three-day centralised training camp in early April.
“This is the beginning of Kerala’s structured basketball ecosystem,” said P. Jacob, Managing Director of Starting Five Sports Management, highlighting the league’s long-term vision. “We are building a pathway from U-14 and U-18 all the way to men’s and women’s professional leagues.”
‘One Minute to Hoop’ Skill Challenge
Player identification begins with a statewide scouting initiative, the One Minute to Hoop Skill Challenge (OMH). Conducted across eight to ten major cities in Kerala, the OMH will evaluate players on dribbling, passing, and shooting skills, forming the first shortlist of athletes eligible for BLK Season 1.
Following OMH, shortlisted athletes will attend match-play trials in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode in late January. Roughly 100 players per category will then advance to a digital auction in February–March 2026, where the six franchise teams in each division will draft their squads.
Kerala Basketball Association’s Role
The Kerala Basketball Association and its 14 district units will oversee:
Codifying BLK rules and regulations
Supervising the OMH skill challenge
Appointing technical officials for tests, trials, and matches
Identifying 48 qualified coaches (two per team) to support scouting, drafting, and season operations
“KBA is proud to extend full technical support,” said Jacob Joseph, President, KBA. “This initiative will energise activity across districts and give young players unprecedented competitive exposure.”
“We are excited to partner with BLK and bring our experience from Maharashtra to Kerala. The scale of this programme and its development-driven approach make BLK a landmark project for Indian basketball,” said Anirudh Pole, CEO of ABCFF League Pvt. Ltd.
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