NBA’s first India academy in NCR

Mumbai: The National Basketball Association has revealed its plans to launch the first NBA Academy India in National Capital Region in April next year. This elite basketball-training center will be for top prospects, both boys and girls, from across the country.
Their fifth elite training center globally, will be fully funded by the NBA.

“It will be the largest ever investment made by NBA globally in elite development center. We have identified about six facilities in NCR already but it may take 30-45 days more to finalise the center,” NBA India managing Director Yannick Colaco informed on Tuesday.

“The game has never been more popular in India. It is now right time to set such academy to raise the level of basketball in India. It is an option for Indian kids to explore their talent. It falls in our global strategy and the curriculum will be same as in all NBA academies,” said NBA Vice President, International Basketball Operations, Brooks Meek.

The NBA will conduct a national scouting program beginning later this month to identify the inaugural pool of 24 elite prospects who will receive scholarships and training at NBA Academy India. The 24 prospects will be selected by February 2017.

The announcement of NBA Academy India follows the launch of academies in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi, China in October 2016 and the planned launch of NBA Global Academy, the NBA’s elite training center at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport.