Sudhakar Shanbhag
Panaji
The Goa Basketball Assocaition (GBA) by virtue of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) invite will host the National Federation Cup 2016 from March 9 to 14 at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Taleigao Plateau in association with the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG).
The GBA will field the men's and women's team at the national event given the fact that the national executive body headed by K Govindraj credited the recent performances by Goan basketball teams at various age groups at national events during the last one year and extended the invite.
"This is the first time that Goan teams will be seen in action at the Federation Cup eversince its inception and credit goes to BFI for recognising Goa's potentinal to play the host and the GBA accepted the invite merrily," disclosed Fr Ralin De Souza, President of GBA and Associate Secretary of BFI.
Elaborating further, Fr Ralin told The Goan Everyday that the Federation Cup is the best thing to have happened to Goan basketball eversince the Lusofonia Games in January 2014.
"That time (Lusofonia Games) only two Goans were seen in action in basketball, but with the Federation Cup happening in Goa next week, we will be fielding a full-strength contingent of men's and women's team with each comprising 12 players," stated Fr Ralin.
Most importantly, the Federation Cup will provide a major platform for Goan basketball talent to showcase their potential and rub shoulders with the best from the rest of the country.
Most of India's top international players will participate in the tournament as along with the Services and Railways, eleven basketball fanatic states will follow every match of the tournament.
"I would like to put it on record that national scouts will be present in Goa during the Federation Cup where players will be picked for India team. And, I sincerely hope that Goan talent would strive to put its best foot forward to impress the national selectors," Fr Ralin confessed with optimism, exuding confidence that Goan teams will put up a good show during the Federation Cup.
The teams
Men's
Uttarakhand
Tamil Nadu
Services (Champion Unit)
Karnataka
Punjab
Goa (Host)
Kerala
Inter Railways (Champion Unit)
Women's
Chhattisgarh
Delhi
Kerala
Inter Railways (Champion Unit)
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Karnataka
Goa (Host)
Telangana
Federation Cup 2016 Profile
Venue: Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium (Taleigao Plateau)
Official Ball: Cosco
Duration: 6 days
Teams: 18
Teams: 9 Men + 9 Women
Players: 270
Matches: 75
Officials: 30
BOX
GBA U-17 teams to play in Norway
GBA U-17 boys and girls teams have been invited in Norway to participate in a club tournament from May 10 this year. The 10-tour will serve as an exposure trip for Goan youth teams. A 12-member boys and girls teams with two standbys will be selected from a 30-members probables by March end. The final selection will undergo an extensive training in April, part of which will be held in Mumbai with Goa teams playing against different age group clubs to gear up for the Norway event.The GBA had received invite from the Norwegian authorities back in Novemeber, 2015.
The State association then picked 70 boys and 35 girls for a 2 and half month camp, following which teh list was pruned down to 30 boys and 30 girls.
