Sport360 unveil new National School League for basketball in the UAE

Jay Asser 03:47 16/02/2015
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  • Sport360 will have plenty of content for players and followers to stay up-to-date through a fully integrated NSL Basketball website.

    In a continued effort to grow sport at the grassroots level in the UAE, Sport360 will on Monday announce a new National School League (NSL) for emerging basketball players.

    Following the success of the NSL’s cricket competition, basketball will look to build on the groundwork and help develop local youth talent, while giving opportunities for UAE selection.

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    The league – the first national tournament of its kind in the UAE – is backed with the full support of the UAE Basketball Association and will run from April to June.

    “After an extremely successful first season for the Sport360 National School Cricket League, where we saw kids from 38 schools embrace and enjoy competing against each other in a professional setting and under the media spotlight, Sport360° has decided to launch its next venture – the National School League Basketball,” said Sport360 CEO Michael Chalhoub.

    “Under the patronage of the UAE Basketball Association, we have decided to put together with the same organisation and professionalism a five-a-side basketball league for the competitive players from schools around the UAE.

    “As per our research, basketball is the UAE’s third-most played sport, being one of the most popular for the Lebanese, Syrian, Iranian, Egyptian, Turkish, Filipino, Canadian and American communities.

    “It is also a sport that could use the additional support and organisation, from professional event organisers to media outlets, from grassroots level upwards, as there are no other professionally organised five-a-side competitions to cater for this popular demand.”

    The structure of the league is based on the format of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the governing body for international basketball competition, with each participating school developing its own brand.

    There will be two age divisions in U14s and U16s, with approximately 30 schools in each. The league will be played across three geographical groups – Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, Sharjah and Northern Emirates, and Dubai split into two regions.

    Every school will play each other in the same age group during the round-robin stage. The winner will earn an automatic entry to the quarter-finals, while the runner-up and third-placed team battle for the final qualifying berth.

    The final will be similar to the NBA’s style of playoffs with a bestof- three series to decide the championship. All games will be played on FIBA standard hardwood courts at neutral venues and will have four, 10-minute quarters with continuous clock until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. A total of 138 games, taking place on Fridays and Saturdays, will be played over the course of the league.

    Sport360 will have plenty of content for players and followers to stay up-to-date through a fully integrated NSL Basketball website featuring news, game highlights, stats and live scoring to be launched soon. For any inquiry about the NSL, contact 0522443906 or nsl@ sport360.com.

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