Puducherry [India], May 23 (ANI): The 76th National Basketball Championship officially commenced on Firday at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry. The prestigious tournament sees the participation of basketball players representing various states from across India.The mega sports event was jointly inaugurated by Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy and Tamil Nadu Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna, who hoisted the national and federation flags to mark the beginning of the championship.This national-level tournament is being jointly organised and hosted by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in collaboration with the Pondicherry Basketball Association (PBA), who have made extensive arrangements for the smooth conduct of the matches.Deepika, a member of the Uttar Pradesh team at the 76th National Basketball Championship, said the team is playing with strong coordination and confidence while lauding the good facilities and a positive environment in Puducherry. She also noted that many players are participating in the nationals for the first time and expressed hope that the team will win the tournament.”We are representing Uttar Pradesh as a family and we are coordinating and working as a team, we are playing with confidence and over here the stay is also good, the environment and all the decorations are very nice and I hope we win and win this tournament. We are here in Pondicherry for the first time. Many of us are nationals for the first time,” Deepika told reporters. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)