Delhi, 27th May 2019: Kirori Mal College, New Delhi witnessed the first ever Delhi qualifier of Red Bull Reign - a global 3v3 basketball tournament in India. In some exhilarating display of quick pace basketball amongst the 32 teams (128 participants), Team Income Tax A beat their opponents Panjadrums in the finals 17-16 to clinch the Delhi qualifiers.
Panjadrums beat Income Tax B in the first semi-final (20-18) and Income Tax A beat Basket Brawlers (20-14) in the second semifinal. The Delhi city winners will now battle it out at the national finals in Mumbai on 8th June, and the India winner will move on to represent the country at the World Finals later in the year.
The Team Income Tax A had some talented players in their ranks. Harsh Mehta has won gold medal in the National Games in 2015 and has represented the senior National team in 2017. Abhyudaya Yadav won bronze at the All India Inter-University in 2017 and 2018 and has represented the Senior Nationals in 2014 and 2017. Pratit Rawat finished 2nd place in the All India Civil Services. Narender has won many accolades in his basketball career till date. He won silver medal at the U19 FIBA 3X3 tournament in Bangkok, won the U19 FIBA Asia championship in 2012 and 2014 and also won the Senior National Championship in 2015.
With a unique format lending itself to no downtime after made baskets to take a breather or get set on defense — plus no time to celebrate — Red Bull Reign is a test of stamina, endurance while trying to accumulate the most points possible to outlast the opponents within the given time (10mins).
Open for men who are 16+ years, Red Bull Reign uses a unique set of rules based on the gameplay of the FIBA rules. The FIBA 3 on 3 rules are:
- Half-court game
- Each team shall consist of 4 players (3 players on the court and 1 substitution)
- The first team which scores 21 points or more wins the game if it happens before the end of regular playing time
Match scorecard:
Semi Final 1: Panjandrums beat Income Tax B- (20-18)
Semi Final 2: Income Tax A beat Basket Brawlers- (20-14)
Delhi City Qualifiers Final: Team Income Tax A beat Panjandrums- (17-16)
Winning Team Members:
Team Members: Harsh Malik (C), Abhyudaya Yadav, Pratit Rawat, Narender
Red Bull has brought on-board Pursuit India as a partner to manage tournament operations across the country. Pursuit India is a leading sports management company in the sport of Basketball in India.
Vishnu Ravi Shankar, CEO – Pursuit India, said “We are excited to partner with Red Bull as they bring Red Bull Reign, their flagship 3x3 tournament to India. We feel that Red Bull Reign will promote basketball in India on multiple levels, as the format enables amateurs to compete on a national platform and the high-octane pace of the game will exhilarate spectators.”
With this initiative, energy drink giant Red Bull aims to create a new fan base for basketball in India by promoting basketball at a grassroots level and through wider outreach plans for both viewers and players.
Starting from April 6th, the basketball tournament is being held across 12 cities including Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Aizawl, Guwahati, Delhi, Ludhiana and Jaipur. The city winners will battle it out at the national finals in Mumbai in the first week of June, and the India winner will move on to represent the country at the World Finals later in the year. To participate, one can register on www.redbullreign.com
For more information, visit https://www.redbull.com/in-en/events/red-bull-reign-india
About Red Bull Reign:
Red Bull Reign is a unique 3-on-3 global basketball tournament, challenging the world’s top ballers to put their skills to the test for a chance to be crowned street ball champions. The dynamic competition pits hoop hopefuls from 16 nations against one and other in a high-endurance, offense-driven battle, culminating in the Red Bull Reign World Final.
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