The National School League (NSL) Basketball tips off this weekend with the opening round of games on Saturday, April 18.
The Victoria International School of Sharjah (VISS) will play host to five games on Saturday in both the U-14 and U-16 age groups.
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Ben Slimane, technical director of the UAE Basketball Association, believes the NSL will serve to identify up-and-coming talent and further grow the game in the region.
“It is fantastic to see schools across the country embrace the opportunity to take part in the National School League Basketball,” Slimane said.
“The professionally-run league will be huge for the development of grassroots basketball in the country and will also assist with talent identification across the sport. The UAE Basketball Association are looking forward to seeing the first games take place this Saturday.”
Along with Sharjah, the league is divided into two other geographical groups: Dubai and Abu Dhabi & Al Ain.
VISS will be the home for all competition in Sharjah, while games in Dubai will be played at GEMS Sports Academy, Silicon Oasis, and games in Abu Dhabi & Al Ain will be at New York University.
All venues boast hardwood courts which are standard with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
The 36 teams across 24 schools will play in a round-robin format to determine the top two teams from each group, who will qualify for the quarter-finals, which will be the start of a knock-out format.
Beginning 18 April – #NSL360 #basketball #uae #dubai #abudhabi #sharjah #school #sport #bball #uaebasketbal… https://t.co/DJmyxHvNSd
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Games will be played on Friday and Saturday and will consist of four 10-minute quarters with running clock, except for the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. If a game is tied, teams will play a two-minute extra period to determine the winner.
The International School Choueifat Abu Dhabi are one of the teams eager to get on the court and match-up against fellow schools in their area, with coach Stefanita Buzatu believing the NSL is perfect not only for his group of kids, but for all the players who will take part.
“I think every single tournament is important,” Buzatu said. “At this age especially, because they’ll have more games and get experience.”
Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be in action for the first time the following weekend as the NSL gets into full swing, with the season running until June.
Sport360° will have all the coverage of the tournament and followers can stay up-to-date through the integrated NSL Basketball website, which will feature stats, game highlights, live scoring and news.
