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More than 500 turned for the NBA Skill challenge in Kozhikode

Calicut : It’s a week after the NBA India conducted a day-long training session at the SilverHill HSS Kozhikode for the sports teachers of the region. The initiative that applies the values of basketball to positively impact the lives of boys and girls from the districts of Calicut, Malapuram, Kannur and Palakkad is a part of the Jr National Basketball Association, NBA Reliance Foundation

The American association that organizes world’s best basketball league made the school students in both the boys and girls’ category work out in a Skills Challenge at the twin Basketball courts of Govt Physical Education College West Hill in Kozhikode.

The competition is a mini basketball skills challenge for kids of U-12 ,U14 and U16 years of age. This was the first one in the state out of the 3 events that will run across the 3 centers during the course of this Month in Kerala. The second one will be in at SFS school Ettumanoor on 18th January 2019 and last one at Green field stadium opp Karyavattom University campus in Thiruvanthapuram on 21st January2019

In this programme at calicut more than 500 students, mostly the first timers, from over 50 schools tested their skills on the basics of basketball.

The skills challenge conducted by Sara Gayler the coach from USA , who is with NBA in India explained what the kids have to do in the five specially designed stations for the workouts. All the participants were made to go through the five challenges to test their skills on the footwork, lay-up, passing, dribbling and hotshot stations. After a player clears all the five skill sections they were given the participation certificate and depending on their performance 24 best players were respectively awarded. While explaining the details about the event,Sarah told the gathering of kids and coaches about the NBA India initiative. She said, “The Jr NBA is the league’s youth basketball participation programme that provides a fun environment for kids to learn the fundamentals and values of the game and the skills challenge is an initial initiative in that process.” Sara added: “The Jr NBA is focused on helping grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.” As the league continues to expand in India,with the first pre season games coming over to India in October the NBA India’s maiden initiative was conducted in three age categories for boys and girls below 16 years.

The programme, which was free for all participants, includes individual skills competitions; a timed circuit-based challenge incorporating dribbling, passing and shooting. Like many first timers, one of the local sports teachers from Malapuram AMUPS Pallikkal Kondotty , who picked the basketball in his school first time, liked the sport so much that he prepared special basketball kit for his school kids and was seen learning in some of the passing drills on the court. National Basketball Association NBA Reliance Foundation Jr NBA