73rd Senior National Basketball Championships set to thrill audiences in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, November 5, 2023: The city of Ludhiana is all set to host the 73rd Senior National Basketball Championships (Men & Women) from December 3- 10 at the iconic Guru Nanak Dev Stadium. This prestigious sporting event, sanctioned by the Basketball Federation of India, promises an exhilarating display of basketball excellence. Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu has consented to  be the Chairman of the organising committee of the games.  

The championships will feature a total of 63 teams, with 33 teams in the men's category and 30 teams in the women's category representing 33 States and UTs from across India. Each team comprises 12 players, 1 coach, and 1 manager, ready to showcase their skills and compete for the coveted national championship titles.

The tournament format includes groupings, league matches, pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, and finals, culminating in a total of 190 matches. These matches will be spread across 4 playgrounds equipped with electronic scoreboards, 24-second devices, and dunking poles and boards of international specifications.

The event will be managed by more than 100 technical officials, ensuring fair and efficient gameplay.

Furthermore, stakes for Punjab teams itself are very high to win Championship titles, since they are the defending champions since last 2 years and they have won the recent gold medal at the National Games in Goa. The last edition of the championships was held in Udaipur, where Punjab emerged as the champions.

With over 50 international players participating in both the men's and women's categories, the championship is expected to be the most exciting basketball spectacle in the nation. It is worth noting that basketball has garnered a massive following with 215 countries associated globally, and 44 nations in Asia actively participating in the sport.

The participating teams and officials will be accommodated in hotels, provided with quality food and transportation, and would have access to medical and other essential services. The PBA is also organising special tourism support for all the visiting teams.

The championships will also feature a substantial prize money of 1 crore for the winning teams.

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee would be Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Commissioner, Ludhiana. He is gearing up for a spectacular event that pays homage to Ludhiana's legacy as the birthplace of basketball in India.

A lot of local and national brands and companies have come forward to sponsor and support this Championship and make it a very successful event. The 73rd Senior National Basketball Championships is not just a sporting event but a celebration of basketball's rich history and the boundless talents of the players who have made the nation proud.

Ludhiana has a rich history of basketball excellence: The first-ever national basketball tournament was conducted in Ludhiana in 1951, making it the perfect host city for this monumental event. There have been  remarkable achievements of Punjab in basketball, including the state's reign as the national champion for the past two years and the current Gold Medal won just last week at the National Games in Goa. PBA has the unique distinction as the only state to send players to the prestigious NBA in the United States. The Punjab Basketball Association has been instrumental in nurturing this talent and fostering a culture of excellence in the sport. The Ludhiana Basketball Academy under the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) is producing numerous players who have achieved international recognition, both at the NBA in the United States and by FIBA. The stakes for Punjab teams are high, and excitement will be at an all-time high in Ludhiana. Sponsors are requested to support the games wholeheartedly in the interest of sports prestige of the state.