The Basketball Federation of India is the country's official basketball regulating body. It organizes basketball championships in accordance with FIBA standards. It is a member of FIBA, FIBA Asia, and the International Olympic Committee. Basketball originally became popular in India in 1930, when it was played for the first time. In 1934, the first Indian National Championship for men was held in New Delhi. In 1950, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) was established to regulate the sport in India. Basketball is popular in India's high schools, colleges, and institutions. There are numerous championships for boys and girls at the senior, junior, and youth levels.
India, as one of the first countries to adopt basketball has produced a plethora of exceptional basketball players who have gained international acclaim. Indian basketball players have won several trophies for their country. A wide number of national and state-level associations located around the country primarily organized and controlled basketball in India. The following is a list of significant tournaments in India that develop Indian players and provide them with the necessary exposure to compete worldwide.
1. UBL Pro League
The United Basketball Alliance Pro Basketball League (UBA) is India's first professional men's basketball league. There are eight teams in total. It is India's top men's professional basketball league. The UBA currently has eight teams divided into two divisions, with the North Division consisting of Mumbai Challengers, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Steelers, and Haryana Gold, and the South Division consisting of Chennai Slam, Pune Peshwas, Bengaluru Beast, and Hyderabad Sky. Teams compete in two divisions and are seeded in a league-wide knockout style. In Season 1, the Chennai Slam won the UBA Championship. In the third edition, they earned their second UBL title. Pune and Mumbai Challengers are the other champions.
2. Senior National Basketball Championship
The National Championships are India's oldest basketball competition. The Basketball Federation of India is hosting this competition. Every Indian basketball player aspires to win this renowned award. The Indian National Championships are held in three age categories: Junior Men and Women, Sub-Junior Men and Women, and Senior Men and Women. It's a league tournament with a knockout structure. The Indian Senior National Basketball Championship was conducted for the 70th time in 2019. Punjab defeated Tamil Nadu by a score of 93-75. Tamil Nadu couldn't handle the frontcourt of Amritpal Singh, Amjyot Singh, and Princepal Singh.
3. 3BL 3X3
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) recognizes the 3BL as an international professional 3x3 basketball league in India. 3x3 is FIBA's second official discipline, which was featured at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and will be featured at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. 3BL is administered by YKBK Enterprise Private Limited, a Haryana-based firm with its headquarters in Gurugram. In the professional circuit, there are six women's teams and twelve men's teams. 3BL is the only exclusive source of an option to compete in FIBA 3-3's international circuit, including Challengers and World Tours, straight from the Indian Subcontinent, which is every 3-3 baller's dream.
4. Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and Indian College Basketball League (ICBL)
The ISBL and ISCL are two new leagues in India that aim to develop basketball at the grassroots level in schools and universities. It is a self-sustaining structured system that acts as a foundation for increasing grassroots organized basketball involvement. As a result, the Indian National Teams' talent development structure is based on this. These leagues might last anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. Because this is a league rather than a tournament, each team only has one match per week. In addition, the School Leagues have rules in place to ensure that each player gets enough playing time to exhibit their abilities.
5. Federation Cup Basketball Championship
The Federation Cup is one of India's most prominent basketball competitions. Every year, a League cum Knockout structure is used in the annual event, which features nine clubs. The competition pits the top eight teams from the men's and women's sections of the senior Nationals against each other, as well as the host state. In addition, the men's championship winners also represent India in the Asia Champions Cup. Punjab Police defeated the Indian Army with a score of 91-71 in the 33rd edition of the Cup. Harshpreet Singh Bhullar, Amjyot Singh, and Ranbir Singh did the majority of the scoring. Eastern Railway defeated Tamil Nadu 86-67 to win the women's title.
