Empowering Indian Basketball

Kochi: Aimed at promot ing basketball in grassroots level, the training programme for physical education teachers across schools is becoming a success 150 physical education teachers are being trained and each school gets 24 balls and other playing aids as part of the programme.

The training pro gramme for the physi cal education teachers conducted by the National Basketball Association coaches in Kerala is turning out to be a huge success, The programme, which is free for children and coaches, is happen ing at about 100 schools in cen tral Kerala.

NBA has dedicated five of its certified coaches for the pro gramme. Each school is given 24 balls and other playing aids as part of the programme.

Also, about 150 physical edu cation teachers from these 100 hundred schools in Alappuzha, Kottayam, E r n a k u l a m , Pathanamthitta a n d Irinjalakuda, are also trained in basketball. also trained in basketball.

“That's the idea, to give every child a chance to play basketball,“ said Yannick Colaco, the Managing Director of NBA India. The five international coaches associated with the programme are Jim Corrona and Isuara Guzman (from US) Caroline Flyn From Ireland , Adrian Newell from Australia and Christian Alicpala from Canada.

“Everyone says bring more (foreign) coaches. But I don't want to bring 100 coaches. I've brought five coaches and we want to empower the Indian coaches, who in turn will coach the students. After the training of physical educa tion teachers, they will tion teachers, they will be able to continue the coaching,“ explained Colaco.

“We would like to do it every year. Next year also, we plan to conduct the classes for another set f 150 coaches. By doing of 150 coaches. By doing their best to promote the sport at the grassroots level, the NBA hopes basketball will emerge as a strong sport in India,“ he said.