The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is committed to nurturing grassroots talent and identifying the next generation of basketball stars to represent India on the international stage, said Aadhav Arjuna, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and BFI president.

The Minister was speaking during the inauguration of the 51st Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship (Boys and Girls) at the Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada on Monday (September 28, 2026).

The eight-day sports event, being held from September 28 to October 4, is being jointly organised by the Basketball Association in Andhra Pradesh, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP).

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, Sports Authority of A.P. chairman A. Ravi Naidu, MLAs Gadde Rammohan, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Yalamanchili Satyanarayana (Sujana) Chowdary, and Bode Prasad were also present during the opening ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vijayawada MP said it was a matter of pride that the basketball championship had returned to Andhra Pradesh after 22 years. He said hosting national-level competitions of this kind would further enhance Vijayawada’s recognition as a sports city.

A total of 54 teams from across the country, comprising 28 boys’ teams and 26 girls’ teams, have arrived in the city to compete. Over 640 young players will face off in a league-cum-knockout format. To accommodate the heavy schedule, matches are being conducted concurrently across major indoor venues in the city, including the Maris Stella College Indoor Stadium and the Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium.