Youth National Basketball C'ship this November in Maharashtra?
BFI President Aadhav Arjuna indicated the same in his speech to Maharashtra Basketball officials and players on October 15.
The much-delayed Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship 2023 - which was originally scheduled to be held earlier this year - will probably take place in November, most likely in Maharashtra.
This #NewsbrEK came to the fore during BFI President Aadhav Arjuna’s interaction with Maharashtra Basketball officials, players, and fans, earlier today at Don Bosco High School, Matunga.
It is critical to note that in the absence of the Youth Nationals being conducted at the appropriate time - India’s U16 teams had to be picked via direct selection tryouts. So while this year’s upcoming Youth National Basketball Championship may not serve its traditional function of acting as a scouting platform for India’s national U16 teams, it will nonetheless provide a platform for players to represent their States at the national level.
‘Maharashtra Basketball Officials should stop fighting’
In his nearly 23-minute long speech, Mr Arjuna urged the warring Maharashtra Basketball officials to keep aside their differences and come together to regain Maharashtra’s pride of place among India’s top state teams.
Mr Arjuna noted that hosting the Youth National Basketball Championship - which would be Maharashtra’s first national event after more than 10 years - will be the perfect opportunity for the Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA) to show a united front to the entire Indian basketball community.
Mr Arjuna also underlined the fact that Maharashtra - specifically Mumbai - being the country’s financial capital and the headquarters of NBA India, needs to play a leading role in popularizing basketball across the nation.
Watch the Mr Arjuna’s full speech:
