NeBA organizes National 3X3 basketball for U-19 and seniors in both boys´ and girls´ category as well as it hosts full court basketball for the U-19 and seniors in both men´s and women´s category. Despite all this, NeBA has not yet been able to start league matches.[break]
League matches are essential for maintaining the quality of basketball. In the USA, where basketball is one of the four major sports event, National Basketball Association (NBA) organizes league every year. Players from the USA and from other parts of the globe participate in the NBA league. NBA consists 30 franchised member clubs, of which 29 are from the USA and one from Canada. The league was founded in 1946 and it got its official name NBA in 1949.
NeBA General Secretary Dinesh Thapa admits that league matches are necessary for the development of basketball. “We have to introduce league matches in Nepal but we don´t have adequate infrastructure. We don´t have 24 seconds buzzer clock and we lack many more things required to conduct league matches.”
Lama Tendi Sherpa, the president of NeBA, also admitted that league matches are necessary for the development of the game but Nepal does not have enough players to play in the league. “We do not have proper infrastructure and adequate players.”
“We are planning to conduct open championship like Indian Premier League (cricket) where foreign players will be brought and distributed among different teams. Those teams will be competing in the league matches,” added Sherpa.
General Secretary Thapa added that the association will shortly organize league matches for the college and school level. “We are targeting the junior level league match so that we may produce good players. We are in the developing phaseand we want to produce more players before we conduct the league.”
Bipindra Maharjan, senior national player, said that league matches are important for the development of basketball. “League matches are required for the quality of the game.”
Maharjan has been playing basketball since 1997 and has also played all the national games organized by NeBA. “In the current national games, teams participate from colleges and the quality of the game is also below par.”
Another basketball player, Paresh Shrestha says that league matches must be conducted to give more match experiences to the players. “If the association cannot organize league matches, they can organize international invitational basketball tournaments to give exposure to the players.”
President Sherpa informed that a Commissioner of FIBA has also asked NeBA not to conduct any league. “Basketball powerhouse of South Asia like India has not conducted any league, so we will not start the league anytime soon.”
While the NeBA has been unable to start the league, a US returnee Arniko Singh has already conducted a double league. Singh is now prepared to conduct the second season in the home and away format.
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