Mumbai, June 24 (IANS) Two teams from India will be representing the country in the inaugural NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league’s first regional high-school basketball tournament that will feature boys’ and girls’ teams from 11 countries across Asia-Pacific.

The event will tip off on Wednesday (June 25) at the Kallang Tennis Hub in Singapore as part of a multiday immersive basketball and entertainment festival.

The two teams that will be representing India in the prestigious competition will be Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi Public School, Rajnandgaon.

This will put 20 young players from the country, who will comprise these two teams, on the international stage, which will be watched by more than 50 basketball scouts and coaches, who will attend the NBA Rising Stars Invitational.

In all, 220 high school players will participate in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational. The tournament will feature boys’ and girls’ teams from 11 countries across Asia-Pacific: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

The players will also take part in skill development, social responsibility programming, and off-court activities promoting cultural exchange. Additionally, top individual performers from the event will have the opportunity to attend future NBA basketball development camps, showcases, and programs.

Operated by NBA Singapore, the NBA Rising Stars Invitational is part of the league’s multiyear collaboration with Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The five-day tournament will tip off with round-robin play from June 25-27 before advancing to single-elimination semifinals and final games on June 28 and 29.

In addition to the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the festival will feature a range of interactive experiences for fans of all ages, including player appearances and meet-and-greets, open court sessions, photo opportunities with authentic NBA memorabilia including the Larry O’Brien Trophy, official NBA merchandise for sale, and performances by the Los Angeles Lakers dance team, the Laker Girls, and Miami Heat mascot Burnie.

The multi-day festival features 12 different events to engage fans, players, and the local community. Highlights include Basketball Without Borders Asia, the NBA, and the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) global basketball development and community outreach program that took place from June 19-22. Additional events include the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and Her Time to Play clinics, culminated with the NBA Rising Stars Invitational.

Six current and former NBA and WNBA players will participate in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational. They include three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania); two-time WNBA champion Lauren Jackson (Australia); current Phoenix Suns players Ryan Dunn (U.S.) and Oso Ighodaro (U.S.); and former NBA G League player and current B.LEAGUE player Keisei Tominaga (Japan).

NBA legend Yao Ming (China) will make special appearances, including attending the opening ceremony on June 25. The players and legends will interact with youth participants off the court and make appearances at the NBA Fan Zone throughout the week.

–IANS

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