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Ann Mary  a versatile all-rounder from the cradle of Mount Carmel GHSS, Kottayam, Kerala. She can score, while efficiently guiding an offence.    Congrats to Ann Mary Zachariah for receiving a  scholarship offer from Kansas State Life Prep Academy along with Siya Deodhar from Nagpur  . She will be transferring from Mount Carmel School, Kottayam to Kansas State Life Prep Academy for her junior and senior years of high school (i.e. 11th and 12th standards/grades), and thereafter be aiming for an NCAA D1 scholarship.

Current U16 and U18 Indian Player Ann Mary Zachariah is the First Women player from the Kerala State to receive a scholarship from USA.

The 16-year-old is one of the four girls from India who were invited to the NCAA’s Next Generation program .at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa florida 2019 and a couple of basketball without borders camps

 Represented India at the Asian championships at Bangalore and won the U-17 and U-18 FIBA Championship level 2 .

She  started representing Kerala at Sub Jr Level and  helped Kerala emerge as champions in youth and junior level

Ann Mary Zachariah the tall lanky 6 ft 2inches with good ball skills is a prospect who is making the right moves. She played very well recently during Khelo India Youth Games 2020.

As the daughter of India’s former international  basketball players Zachariah Thomas and Jeena Zachariah, she was naturally attracted to the game.  She started playing basketball at the age of 10, watching her  parents and eventually both of them motivated her to take it. Basketball slowly became her passion.  She  also been fortunate enough to get the right opportunities and training from  the NBA Academy women’s programme and also from the coaches in Kerala  -ably supported by Kerala Basketball Association   presently under Rajamon Mount Carmel Kottayam    According to her  the most competitive player is Harsimran Kaur from Punjab incidentally who also had the scholarship to USA .” She is an amazing player and has a great team chemistry.

Her personal goals this year are to play well, be efficient with my shooting, and be a threat to every team that I will play. I am trying to bring everything that I have right now with me to the next level: hard work, coachability, toughness, and unselfishness.

Those who are playing abroad are  Kavitha Akula from Chhattisgarh is the first one to get D1 scholarship have graduated from Grand Canyon University — in the United States.  Bharkhar Sonkar (UP) at Hillsborough Community College – Plant City Campu Asmat Kaur Taunque Maharastra ) – The Lawrenceville School, New Jersey last year  itself  seven of them are there in different universities abroad  women’s Sanjana Ramesh(Karnataka) – North Arizona University,, Khushi Dongre(Maharashtra )- ASA College, Miami, Vaishnavi Yadav(U P) – Pensacola State College, Florida  and  HarsImaran kaur (Punjab)  Central Pointe Academy/University of San Diego Pensacola State College, Florida, Srishti Suren(Tamil Nadu) – University of Winnipeg, Canada Jagshaan Bir Singh (Punjab) – Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Aashay Verma- Butte College, California

 From the above  players already there  , at least seven  have got recruited directly or indirectly by the exposure received from, and initiatives run by, the NBA Academy.Academy Women’s Program ’ launched in 2018, has especially been paying dividends. Its heartening to see that  India’s upcoming basketball talent is on par with the rest of the world. But sad to note and its high time  for us to  have a School or college league or pro 5 x 5 league.