Indian Federation’s INBL 3x3 Season 1 off to a flying start

BENGALURU (India): The Basketball Federation of India launched its flagship 3x3 program Indian National Basketball League 3x3 Season 1 and it couldn’t have asked for a more exciting start.

More than 90 teams were seen in action in the Eastern city of Kolkata in the opening weekend of Season 1, logging close to 400 players with 120 teams with close 500 players that ran simultaneously for the Bengaluru leg of the competition. The competitions in these two cities are a part of the 20-city competition format that BFI-INBL has put together with the season culminating in the National Finals in Bengaluru scheduled for May 27-29.

FIBA 3x3 competitions will be conducted in all the twenty cities in four categories – Men, Women, U18 Men and U18 Women – with the champion teams in each category qualifying for the National Finals.

The top four teams in each of the categories of the city competitions as well as the National Finals will earn prize money.

The twenty cities are Aizawl; Bengaluru; Bhavnagar; Bhilai; Chandigarh; Chennai; Cuttack; Delhi; Guwahati; Hyderabad; Indore; Jaipur; Kangra; Kochi; Kolkata; Ludhiana; Lucknow; Mumbai; Panjim; Puducherry.

Mission Paris

Mr K Govindaraj, President Basketball “The Indian National Basketball League was formed in November last year with a twin fold objective: to increase the popularity of basketball in India and to improve the quality of Indian basketball. And we are presented with a golden opportunity with the FIBA 3x3 to achieve both these objectives.

“Added to that the unique competition format that we have put together in the INBL 3x3 takes basketball to the grassroots yet at the same time putting them as a part of the qualification process to the Olympics.

“We are playing in 20 cities providing an opportunity for players in those cities to play right at their doorsteps and yet be a part of the FIBA 3×3 World Ranking system.

“This is our first step and we are hoping it will take us all the way for India to qualify to the 2024 Olympics.”

FIBA