TN Sports Minister inaugurates 51st Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship in Vijayawada

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 while inaugurating the 51st Junior National Basketball Championship (Boys and Girls) at the Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada on Monday (September 28, 2026).

Held from September 28 to October 4, the eight-day sporting event is jointly organized by the Andhra Pradesh Basketball Association, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP).

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, AP Chairman Sports Bureau A. Ravi Naidu, MLA Gadde Rammohan, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Yalamanchili Satyanarayana (Sujana) Chowdary and Bode Prasad were also present during the launch 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 that holding national level competitions of this kind would further enhance the recognition of Vijayawada as a sports city.

A total of 54 teams from across the country came to the city to compete, including 28 boys’ and 26 girls’ teams. Over 640 young players will compete in the league-cum-knockout format. To accommodate the demanding schedule, matches are held concurrently at major indoor venues in the city, including Maris Stella College Indoor Stadium and Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 22:24 IST