On Thursday, Nov. 18, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) launched the country's much-awaited basketball league.
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So, what is the INBL? Here's what we know:
What is the INBL?
The INBL is the BFI's (Basketball Federation of India) recently launched basketball league. The federation launched the 'Indian National Basketball League' with full pomp last month.
Glimpses from the Launch Ceremony of Indian National Basketball League 🏀@Iam_KGovindaraj @ChanderMukhiS @inbl_basketball #donehiding #INBL #IndiaBasketball #BFI #India3x3 #BFI3x3 #INBL3x3 #Bengaluru3x3 #fiba3x3 #3x3basketball #streetstoolympics #Indiaroadtoolympics pic.twitter.com/65cc4M6cNe
— #IndiaBasketball (@BFI_basketball) November 23, 2021
Over the past decade, there has certainly been no shortage of promising young basketball talent in India. The lack of a national professional league has always been looked at as a serious handicap that could have otherwise facilitated the advancement of that talent.
Attempts were made with the UBA (United Basketball Alliance), the first-ever men's professional basketball league in India which played out four seasons between 2015 and 2017 and although it showed promising signs, it never took off as BFI banned players participating in the UBA by not permitting them to participate in any All-India tournament, national and international tournaments.
From the league's announcement on Nov. 18 to the star-studded launch ceremony over the ensuing weekend, a lot has been said and reported regarding the league.
After scanning through all the reports, here's all we know about the INBL:
What is the format and schedule for INBL?
As the league was made official by the federation's top officials on a Wednesday in the middle of November, it was stated the new league will be conducted in a home-and-away format following the conclusion of the Senior Nationals.
The upcoming Senior National championship, the 71st edition of the tournament, will be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh early in 2022.
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In addition, during the announcement of the league, it was learned that the INBL will not include the 'franchise' model and the Federation has no plans of including foreign players.
While not including foreign players does reduce the potential of what the league could achieve, just the increased competitive basketball played between the top talents in the country could at least raise the standard of play.
Who are the participating teams for INBL?
As per reports, 18 teams will participate in the league - nine each from the men's and women's categories. The nine teams chosen will be the ones to finish as the Top 9 in the Senior National Championship.
Who is organising the INBL?
Headstart Arena India, a recreational, cultural and sporting activities company based in Punjab with some business interests in Australia, has been granted a five-year license to run, organise and manage this new league while also promoting the BFI's 3x3 version of this league.
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