The Basketball federation of India (BFI) and 3×3 Pro Basketball League Indian Sub-continent (3BL) have announced to sign an exclusive contract to promote 3×3 Professional Basketball in India.
The 3BL Season 3 will now be staged between March 5 and 27, 2022 in the city of Chandigarh, it has been announced.
These announcements were made by Chander Mukhi Sharma, Secretary General – BFI, alongside Rohit Bakshi, 3BL Commissioner whilesenior India international players from Punjab, Amjyot Singh Gill and Palpreet Singh Brar, and female international player Raspreet Sidhu were also present on the occassion.
Commenting on the development, Sharma said: “BFI granted the exclusive rights to 3BL in order to promote 3×3 Professional Basketball in India. 3BL will provide additional income and additional exposure to many Indian Basketball athletes.”
“3BL will act as a feeder system for our national teams, especially those that will be participating at the 3×3 events at next year’s Commonwealth Games,” he added.
On the other hand, Bakshi said: “We are extremely grateful to BFI for granting exclusive rights to promote 3×3 Professional Basketball in India. 3BL is committed to providing a valuable source of income to players, besides exposure to play alongside and against international talents. In addition to BFI’s national recognition.”
“3BL is also exclusively recognized by the international federation (FIBA), which provides multiple unique benefits for many Indian Basketball players,” he added.
Notably, the Indian basketball players who participate in 3BL ensures all them to gain high FIBA 3×3 ranking points, which further raises the overall FIBA ranking of the BFI, thereby increasing India’s qualification chances for the Olympics.
Moreover, top ranked 3BL teams also get the chance to participate in FIBA 3×3 International Championships, which will raise the profile of India’s basketball players.
After the BFI’s recognition, 3BL has become a key fixture in India’s national basketball calendar that currently includes National Championships across age groups, as well as the Federation Cup for top club teams. Participation in 3BL will help maintain the playing fitness of India’s national team members and therefore translate to improved performances while representing the country in FIBA’s premier international events.