Indian National Youth Basketball Championships Being Played For First Time on Sport Court™ Surfaces

"We Love The Safety and Beauty!" Say Players and Officials

Mumbai, India (PRWEB) May 14, 2009 -- The Indian National Youth Basketball Championships now underway in Mumbai mark the first time in the 26-year history of the event that the games are being played on an International Basketball Federation (FIBA)-approved outdoor synthetic competition basketball surface -- Connor Sport Court's PowerGame™.

More than 600 athletes from twenty five Indian states, representing 24 four boys' teams and 23 girls teams, are taking part from May 9 through May 16.

Said Basketball Federation of India Secretary General Harish Sharma, "I would like to thank Sport Court for their commitment to the development of basketball in India. We chose Sport Court as our partner because of its long-standing experience in creating attractive, safe and durable sports flooring surfaces.

"Sport Court's unique interlocking, portable application allows for ease of installation, pickup, storage and transport and will help us stage successful basketball events all over India," said the Secretary General.

Ryan Burke, Sport Court's International Business Manager, said the court took seven weeks to transport from the company's Salt Lake plant to the Port of Mumbai.

"It arrived at four p.m. only one day before the competition was to begin. With the help of 30 volunteers the court was installed in less than two hours," said Burke.

"I have never seen such a beautiful basketball court. Until now we have only played on cement courts in our home state, and we feel as if we can give one hundred per cent effort on this surface without fearing injury," said Vidyhadharini, the captain of the girls' team from the state of Pondicherry, who goes by a single name.

"The Sport Court surface has excellent grip and ball bounce. We feel safe playing on this court and it's much better on our knees and ankles," said Sartaj Sandhu, captain of the boys' team from the state of Chandigarh.

Burke said that the bright blue and bright red PowerGame surface was placed directly on top of an asphalt sub-base and Sport Court's patented Lateral Forgiveness™, combined with vertical suspension, transformed the former hard court into an attractive, international competition basketball surface.

"From a country where you hear about the sport of cricket so often, it is encouraging to see kids playing competitive basketball with such genuine interest and effort," said Andrew Gettig, Connor Sport Court's Vice President of International Sales.

About Connor Sport Court International:
More athletic events are played on Connor Sport Court surfaces than on any other sports flooring in the world. Connor sports floors have established themselves as the standard for professional and collegiate sports since the company was founded in 1872. Sport Court® is a registered trade mark of Connor Sport Court International. Since 1974, it has identified the original and authentic modular sport surface, continuously improved and patented to provide the highest levels of quality and performance.

For more Sport Court information contact:
Jeff Morton, Marketing Manager, Connor Sport Court, Salt Lake City, Utah
801-712-6411

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