Telangana Junior Basketball League Kicks Off in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, June 19 (TNT): The Telangana Junior Basketball League (TJBL), a first-of-its-kind professional basketball league dedicated to nurturing young talent, commenced at the K.V.R. Indoor Stadium in Yousufguda here on Friday.
The tournament will continue till June 28, with matches scheduled daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The league features Under-15 and Under-18 categories for both boys and girls and is expected to play a key role in strengthening grassroots basketball development in Telangana.
The inaugural edition comprises six franchises — Hyderabad Hurricanes, Nizam Royals, Warangal Stallions, Nalgonda Speed Strikers, Rangareddy Raptors and Vikarabad Mambas.
Organisers said the franchise auction held in April generated a valuation of Rs 1.48 crore, with Hyderabad Hurricanes attracting the highest bid of Rs 33 lakh.
Nearly 3,000 young players registered for the league from across the State. Following a month-long training camp held in May, selected players were drafted into the franchises.
The opening day featured an Under-18 boys’ match between Hyderabad Hurricanes and Nizam Royals and an Under-15 girls’ match between Rangareddy Raptors and Vikarabad Mambas.
Inaugurating the league, Telangana Special Chief Secretary for Metropolitan Area and Urban Development Jayesh Ranjan said Telangana sportspersons are increasingly making their mark at national and international levels and lauded the Telangana Basketball Association (TBA) for launching the initiative.
He said India’s sports ecosystem is expanding rapidly and Telangana is emerging as a significant contributor to that growth. He also unveiled the league trophy and interacted with franchise owners and players.
The inaugural function was attended by TBA President Sridhar Reddy, General Secretary A. Prudhvishwar Reddy, Chairman Masood Bin Ahmad Zakir and other officials.
Sridhar Reddy said the association has been at the forefront of introducing innovative league formats and noted that basketball players from Telangana are performing well in national competitions.
Prudhvishwar Reddy said the league aims to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots level by providing quality coaching, professional infrastructure and competitive exposure.
“Our vision is to make Telangana the basketball capital of India by creating opportunities for talented youngsters across the State to excel in the sport,” he said.
Organisers expressed confidence that the league would strengthen Telangana’s basketball talent pipeline and encourage more youngsters to pursue the sport competitively.
TNT TS
