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On a cold winter Thursday morning at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi, anyone who strayed in would have witnessed the strangest of sights - more than 1,000 teenage boys dressed in NBA team jerseys playing a series of eight-minute matches. A riot of colour - purples, yellows, greens, reds - and of noise as they vied to show off their skills.They were here for the Delhi leg of the NBA Jump 2016-17 open tryouts on December 15. At stake in this years programme, the second of its kind, are 40 spots for the best prospects at a three-day national camp next month. From there, the top 24 players will be eligible for scholarships and training at the NBA Academy India, scheduled to begin operations next April.The event was a novel experience for Rohan Singh Dhillon (15), though his association with the game is old. I lived in Boston. I started playing from when I was around six or seven years old, says Dhillon who, at six-foot-five, idolises Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who were skinny like him. I swam, played basketball and tennis growing up. I realised I wanted to play basketball because it really uses your height and its a more strategic game.ACG NBAJUMP Delhi 1000 players Working on Dreams https://t.co/u8wqyPvoNO- Carlos Barroca (@cbarroca61) 16 December 2016Dhillon fondly remembers having watched some of the games of the 2008 finals at TD Garden in Boston, when the Boston Celtics beat the LA Lakers. My first dream would be to get into the NBA and then become a really good player there, said Dhillon. I have been following the progress of Palpreet Singh Brar [who made it to the cusp of the NBAs Development league last month], since he looks like he could become a good player in the NBA. Hes extremely strong, tall and I think he will be able to dominate the post.Aryak Chauhan (16) started playing this year but already believes his game has improved enough for him to merit selection. The Golden State Warriors fan thinks that parents need to be more supportive of youngsters wanting to pursue the game. We have everything - the talent, good coaches and a good support system. But then parents think that you cant make a career out of playing this sport. That perception must change, says Chauhan.All the participants were divided into teams on the basis of age, height and weight, and made to play eight-minute matches with names of NBA teams. Utkarsh and Sanchit, both of whom have played at the zonal and district level, found themselves playing as forward and point guard for the Utah Jazz. Utkarsh, a Stephen Curry fan, finds juggling between sports and studies difficult, considering he has taken up science for his school finals. While he says an option of playing in the US might be a tempting one, he would take admission at the Indian Institute of Technology if given a choice. Sanchit, however, would choose sports. Always.A majority of the boys have come from well-to-do families and with the increased exposure to the NBA and its marquee names, attraction for the sport was a natural thing. Shubham, 13 comes from Jind in Haryana nearby and didnt know much about the game until he saw his elder brother Sandeep play. His introduction to the NBA happened through following Miami Heat, and becoming a fan of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Andersen.Its the second year, and everything we do after some experience becomes a new phase. I dont have the final numbers today, but I believe that we have exceeded 1,000 kids today. Considering that we are in India, making these kinds of things happen is really amazing, said Carlos Barroca, associate vice president of NBA Indias basketball operations.One of the things that is obvious is the growth of the motivation towards the game. There are more people playing the game, and more people with a commitment towards the game, said Barroca, when asked about how he has seen the game grow in the last few years. If theres success at the international competitions, it is good news. And good news always attracts people to the sport. So its not just us, it is everybody working together and their contribution towards making the game more attractive.And what attributes would the kids need to have to become the next Palpreet Singh? We are looking for size, athleticism and skills, says Barroca. Being an athlete is probably the most important thing, and the size is not the most decisive thing. Short or tall, basketball is a game for all.Cheap Astros Jerseys . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Jeff Bagwell Jersey Large . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/ . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Custom Jeff Bagwell Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Cheap Custom Astros Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play.Dane van Niekerk struck 63 off 43 balls as South Africa Women set up a series decider with a 17-run win over England Women on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-hit second T20 at Newlands. Van Niekerk and skipper Mignon de Preez (47no) propelled the hosts to 145-3 off 17.2 overs before bad weather interrupted the match for the second and final time.Sarah Taylors 66 off 52 balls - her 14th T20i half-century and second in as many games - had earlier steered England Women to 156-6 off their allocation.Taylor anchored Englands innings after the visitors were put in, sharing stands of 59 and 63 with Charlotte Edwards (34 off 22) and Heather Knight (29 off 20) respectively after the early loss of Tammy Beaumont.She pushed on after Edwards was bowled off-stump by Sune Luus (2-26) attempting to reverse sweep, reaching her fifty off 43 balls having been dropped by Chloe Tryon on 35.Knight offered bold support, striking the first six of the game over wide long on to take England to 107-3 off 15 overs before she picked out Marizanne Kapp in the deep off Shabnim Ismail when trying to clear the rope again.Sarah Taylor acknowledges the applause for her half-century Tayloor failed to bat through the innings when she was run out in a final over costing just four runs while attempting to come back for a second off Ismail, Jenny Gunn suffering the same fate two balls later.ddddddddddddouth Africa, like England, accumulated 52-1 off their first six overs - Trisha Chetty the sole casualty, run out after a horror mid-pitch mix-up with Van Niekerk.England had chances to remove Van Niekerk early but the opener was put down by Gunn on six and Edwards on 22.The 22-year-old struck the ball crisply all around the wicket to bring up her fifty off 34 balls, posting her fifty-run stand with Du Preez off 40 balls.But with the pressure building on England, Van Niekerk advanced looking to hit Rebecca Grundy down the ground and was stumped by Taylor to break a 68-run stand. The hosts were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis target - needing 49 runs off 42 balls to win - when rain brought a 10-minute break, South Africa on 108-2 off 13 overs at the time.On the restart Du Preez picked up where she left off, getting the chase down to less than a run-a-ball with four overs left as the 16th over - bowled by Shrubsole - cost 14.Kapp whipped Georgia Elwiss for six to keep the momentum up before falling lbw to the spinner and when rain returned, the hosts still had the edge, needing just 12 off 16 balls.Watch the third T20 between South Africa Women and England Women live on Sky Sports 2 from 7.55am on Sunday. ' ' '