In a watershed moment for Indian basketball, the nation's top administrative body, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has formally granted recognition to '3BL', India's only FIBA recognized 3x3 professional basketball league.
With the recognition and support of BFI the sport of basketball is set to get a mega boost in the country, especially in the shorter 3x3 format and drastically improve India's qualification chances for the 3x3 basketball events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Speaking about the association of 3BL and BFI, 3BL Chairman Yoshiya Kato said, "We are thrilled as well as excited to be exclusively recognized by BFI and FIBA. This elevates us among the only 3x3 basketball professional leagues in the world to be exclusively recognized by the international and national bodies. India has all the potential for becoming a basketball superpower in the 21st century and 3BL is keen to play a constructive role by building a pathway for top talent right from the grassroots to the world stage."
Besides serving as a shot in the arm for India's future Olympic qualification chances, the association between the country's top basketball administrator and the organizers of India's only professional basketball league will herald multiple mutually beneficial advantages.
More importantly, it will bring paradigm shift for aspiring basketball players in India to pursue professional playing opportunities within India as well as through representing their country at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters.
"3BL is striving to improve the 3x3 competition and environment in India, especially for Indian basketball players. We will be working together with BFI to ensure India becomes a dominant force in 3x3 basketball in the world. We are very thankful to Govindaraj Kempareddy and Chander Mukhi Sharma for entrusting us with this journey we call Road to Olympics" told Rohit Bakshi, Commissioner 3BL, on the association.
The association of 3BL and BFI to benefit the sports and players in multiple ways. Now men and women 3x3 teams can qualify for future Olympics, starting with the 2024 Paris Olympics. The ranking system for players will provide points, and improve the overall FIBA ranking of the country in 3x3 basketball. Availability of India's top national team players for participation in 3BL.
Additional domestic competitive exposure for both men and women players, who will get a chance to play with and against elite foreign and NRI professional players. In future 3BL will become a key fixture in India's national basketball calendar that currently includes National Championships across age groups, as well as the Federation Cup for top club teams.
Participation in 3BL will help maintain the playing fitness of India's national team members and therefore translate to improved performances while representing the country in FIBA's premier international events. Greater promotion for 3x3 basketball in India, will make it one of the fastest growing urban sport in the world, which is now an Olympic sport.
Another highlight of 3BL and BFI would be a that it will provide higher visibility for scouting of talented players, through the ready availability of game footage and statistics. The improved exposure for younger players, with 3BL for grassroots talent to rise into the national team ranks.
Players to get access to high-class training facilities associated with individual 3BL franchises which will result in increased & diverse participation of players from across states in 3BL tryouts, thereby raising the overall standard of the League.
The Basketball Federation of India or BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. BFI has been involved in conducting camps, clinics, events, and training sessions at its academies for the development of basketball. BFI came into being in 1935 and took complete control over Indian basketball in 1950.
Prior to that time, the Indian Olympic Association handled the conduct of Indian basketball championships. Since 1950, the BFI has been conducting various such championships, from the grassroots to senior team participation in international tournaments. In addition, the BFI has been responsible for the establishment of strong sub-junior and junior level programs. The BFI has to its credit produced several international players of repute, among them 19 have been bestowed with the honour of Arjuna Awards, and two have been conferred the Padma Shri.
3BL, 3x3 Pro Basketball League Indian Sub-continent, is an intellectual property of YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. It has 6 Women's teams and 12 Men's teams competing in the professional circuit. 3BL is the exclusive rights holder for 3x3 basketball in India officially approved and recognized by FIBA, International Basketball Federation, and BFI, Basketball Federation of India.
3BL is the only exclusive provider for an opportunity to compete at FIBA 3x3's international circuit such as Challengers and World Tours from the Indian Sub-continent directly.
This story is provided by ThePRTree.will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor