Chennai: The first-ever India finals of Red Bull Reign – a unique global 3 on 3 basketball tournament was hosted at Indian Gymkhana in Matunga, Mumbai, on 8 June and Northern Spartans, Amritsar, won the championship after beating Team Dropstep from Goa 17-11.
Sixteen teams participated in the national finals, which witnessed 39 matches. In a tightly-contested final, it was Northern Spartans from Amritsar that were crowned the first ever Red Bull Reign National Finals winners and they will now get the glorious opportunity of travelling to Toronto, Canada and representing the nation at the World Finals later this year.
The National Finals of Red Bull Reign saw some star players that have represented the country at various levels with players like Amritpal Singh, former India senior team’s captain and a regular member of the Indian basketball team, Arshpreet Singh, current member of India’s 3×3 basketball team, Dhruv Barman, No. 1 ranked 3×3 player in the country, Pratyanshu Tomar, one of the top performers for India at the FIBA U-18 Asian Championship in Thailand and part of the Indian senior national team at the age of 18, and Vinay Kaushik, part of the Indian team that beat China in 2014 and 2016.
Amritpal Singh from Northern Spartans, said, “We are elated to be the first India champions of Red Bull Reign. Red Bull is doing a great job in promoting 3×3 basketball in the country and it is definitely giving wings to young basketball players to participate and showcase their talent. Tournaments like Red Bull Reign will help to redefine the future of 3×3 basketball in our country. We look forward to travel to Canada and compete against top teams across the world.”