NBA teams up with Reliance Foundation to spread basketball in India

Mumbai: Reliance Foundation and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multi-year partnership to launch a comprehensive school-based youth basketball program in India. The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program will promote health, fitness and an active lifestyle through basketball, and teach the values of the game such as teamwork, sacrifice, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship. The program will feature a combination of in-school and after-school activities along with basketball competitions. [caption id=“attachment_1167549” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Miami Heat take on the Detroit Pistons in a pre-season NBA game. Reuters[/caption] In the first year, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program will teach basketball to more than 100,000 youth and train 300 coaches and physical education instructors to implement a turnkey NBA curriculum. Over the course of the long-term partnership, the goal is to reach one million youth and train 2,000 coaches and physical education instructors across India. “We are excited to partner with NBA, the world’s premier basketball league, in transforming India’s basketball landscape. India has a rich reservoir of sporting talents and schools are the fountainhead where those talents can be identified and nurtured,” said Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani. “Through this historic association, Reliance Foundation looks forward to bringing the NBA’s world-class expertise and curriculum and taking Indian basketball to greater standards of excellence.” The first year of the program will operate in more than 150 schools across Mumbai and Kochi from October 14 to February 8. “This is an important step in our commitment to grow basketball at the grassroots level and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle in India,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “Reliance Foundation is recognised for its tireless efforts to give back to communities, and we could not ask for a better partner to work with us to positively impact the lives of Indian youth.” PTI