The Stage is set for Nagpur District Basketball Association (NDBA) to create history in Maharashtra. For the first time ever in the 70 years of basketball history in Maharashtra, the NDBA will become the first association to host two State championship simultaneously.
The NDBA will conduct the Mayor’s Cup Maharashtra State Inter-District Basketball Championship in the Junior (U-18) and Sub-Junior (U-13) age groups in both the boys and girls category from August 17 to 23. Matches will begin simultaneously at seven different clubs of the district from Saturday evening.
Sameeksha Chandak U-13 captain
Around 2000 players and officials will be participating in the championship which is being organized with the support of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
The mayor’s cup state championships will be officially inaugurated by the hands of union transport minister Nitinji Gadkari on August 19. The Inaugural function will be held at the courts of Nutan Bharat Yuwak Sangh in Bajaj Nagar at 6 pm on August 19. Mayo Nanda Jichkar and president of the NDBA Sandeepji Joshi will preside over the inaugural function in the presence of all officials of the NMC and NDBA.
From these state championships, the Maharashtra teams in both the boys’ and girls’ section in the junior (U-18) as well as in the Sub-Junior (U-13) categories will be selected.
As many as 112 teams in all the categories will be participating in the championship. These include 34 Boys and 25 teams in the Girls’ Under-18 (Junior) section. Similarly in the Under-13 (Sub-Junior) category 30 Boys and 23 teams in the Girls’ section will vie for the honours.
Sharvil Bomanwar U-18 captain
Over 250 matches are scheduled to be played in the Mayor’s Cup.
For the successful conduct of the championships, matches will be played at almost all corners of the city. As many as seven basketball courts belonging to various affiliated units of the NDBA will be utilized.
The basketball courts that will be used in the state championships include Nutan Bharat Yuwak Sangh (NBYS) Bajaj Nagar, Nagpur Amateur Sports Association (NASA) Surendra Nagar, Shivaji Nagar Gymkhana (SNG), Shivaji Nagar and Pawanbhoomi Krida Mandal (PKM) Pawanbhoomi. In addition, the indoor stadium of Divisional Sports Complex, Mankapur, will be utilized depending on the rains.
The NDBA and NMC will provide free lodging and boarding to all the participating players. All the teams will be accommodated at the MLA Hostel.
For the successful conduct of the championship an organizing committee under the chairmanship of NDBA president Mr. Sandip Joshi, Organizing Secretary Mr. Bhavesh Kuchanwar has been prepared. The chairman of the welcome committee will be city Mayor Smt Nandatai Jichkar.
The tournament begins with the matches of U-18 category from Saturday and Nagpur teams in both the boys and section will play their opening matches at the NBYS courts in Bajaj Nagar on Saturday.
At 6pm Nagpur boys will face Gadchiroli. At 7 pm Nagpur girls will face Aurangabad in their opening encounter.
Sarthak Dhuldhule U-13 captain
NAGPUR TEAMS
UNDER-13 (Girls): Sameeksha Chandak (captain), Swanandi Nagmote (both DKM), Gunjan Mantri, Samruddhi Kotriwar, Disha Agrawal (all SNG), Ishika Jivtode, Anushka Bokde (both GKM), Viajya Hiwase (NBYS), Samruddhi Agrawal (NKPS), Parnavi Dadhe (SKS), Ayushi Gupta (NASA), Mihira Dhote (Vison). Coach: Dhiraj Kadao; Asst Coach: Ayush Agrawal; Manager: Samir Shrivastava.
UNDER-13 (Boys): Sarthak Dhuldhule (Captain), Chitraksh Garge, Yash Mehta (all SNG), Prathamesh Khadtkar (Phoenix), Ojas Deshpande, Ashutosh Sharma (both NBYS), Pushkar Kalamdhar (PKM), Om Selokar, Devanshu Vairagade (both GKM), Khushal Agrawal (DKM), Aadarsh Shewale (NKM), Yatarth Punekar (NKPS). Coach: Mahesh Gaherwar, Asst Coach: Gaurav Reddy, Manager: Sharad Dewalkar.
UNDER-18 (Girls): Abha Lad (captain), Devashree Ambegaonkar (both NBYS), Siya Deodhar, Dhwiti Sanghani, Purvi Mahalle, Shomira Bidaye (all SNG), Dhara Phate, Richa Kalraiya (both DKM), Saee Deshmukh, Krupaee Sharma (both Vision), Bhagyashree Kolwadkar (SKS), Sanvi Tambe (NASA). Coach: Shatrughna Gokhale, Asst Coach: Arvind Garud, Manager: Dhiraj Kadao.
UNDER-18 (Boys): Sharvil Bomanwar (captain), Smeet Joshi, Varun Ahuja (all NBYS), Siddhesh Kulkarni, Sumedh Nipane, Ishant Kanojiya (all SNG), Gaurav Ahluwalia (DKM), Shiv Singh Sidhu (CPS), Sagar Tumpal (HKM), Himanshu Shende (NKM), Satvik Wanve (NASA), Nikhil Choudhary (GKM). Coach: Narendra Katole, Asst Coach: Anup Maske, Manager: Pushpak Tambekar.
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