ACG Jr. NBA 3v3 Delhi leg: Presidium School, Nehru World School crowned champions
Synopsis
At the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, Presidium School from Gurgaon and Nehru World School from Ghaziabad swept the girls' and boys' titles at the ACG Jr. NBA 3v3 Delhi leg, earning spots in the December 2026 national finals — part of a 10-city grassroots basketball drive that last year reached 8,000-plus young players across 900 schools.
Key Takeaways
Presidium School – Team A (Gurgaon) won the girls' title at the ACG Jr.
NBA 3v3 Delhi leg on 19 October 2026 .
Nehru World School – Team A (Ghaziabad) claimed the boys' championship at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium , New Delhi.
MVPs: Anaya Dhankhar (girls) and Darshil Singh (boys).
Top two teams per category plus one All-Star team each advance to the national finals in December 2026 .
The 2026 edition introduced an under-16 age classification under the theme 'Where Stars Are Born' .
The programme is run by the NBA , ACG , and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) across 10 Indian cities .
Presidium School – Team A from Gurgaon and Nehru World School – Team A from Ghaziabad were crowned the girls' and boys' champions, respectively, at the Delhi leg of the ACG Jr. NBA 3v3 Tournament on 19 October 2026, concluding at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The under-16 school basketball competition drew teams from across the National Capital Region and surrounding areas, with the top finishers now set to represent the Delhi leg at the national finals in December 2026.
Boys' Category Results
In the boys' draw, Nehru World School – Team A clinched the championship with a squad comprising Ansh Tomer, Jatin Sharma, Darshil Singh, and Vansh Sharma. Meerut Public School – Team A from Delhi finished as runners-up, while The Maan School – Team A, also from Delhi, claimed the bronze position. Darshil Singh was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the boys' division, recognising his standout contribution across the tournament's matches.
Girls' Category Results
Presidium School – Team A dominated the girls' competition, with Anaya Dhankhar, Ava Dahiya, Ayana Gupta, and Aahana Bisht forming the winning lineup. Shiv Nadar School – Team A from Noida finished second, and Meerut Public School – Team A secured third place. Anaya Dhankhar earned the MVP Award for the girls' division, underlining her pivotal role in Presidium's title run.
Road to the National Finals
The top two teams in each category, along with one All-Star team selected from each division, will advance to the national finals scheduled for December 2026. The All-Star selections provide an additional pathway for promising young players who may have narrowly missed a podium finish. The national competition spans 10 Indian cities — Ahmedabad, Indore, Kochi, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Prayagraj, and Ludhiana.
About the ACG Jr. NBA Programme
The 2026 edition of the ACG Jr. NBA marks a shift to an under-16 age classification, operating under the theme 'Where Stars Are Born'. The tournament is conducted by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in association with ACG and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Last year, the initiative engaged more than 8,000 players across 2,000 teams representing 900 schools, with over 2,700 games played across 10 cities. The programme sits within the NBA's broader India youth development ecosystem, which also includes the NBA Basketball School — a training network for boys and girls aged 6 to 18 across 13 cities, operated by India On Track.
With the Delhi leg complete, attention now turns to the remaining city stops before the national finals bring the country's best young basketball talent together in December.
Point of View
But the real measure of success will be how many of these school-level champions graduate to senior competitive basketball — a conversion rate India has historically struggled with. With 8,000-plus participants last year and a 10-city footprint, the programme has scale; what it still lacks is a visible pipeline into the national squad. The BFI's association is notable, but structural integration between grassroots tournaments like this and the senior development pathway remains a work in progress. Until that link is formalized, 'Where Stars Are Born' risks being an aspiration rather than a system.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the ACG Jr. NBA 3v3 Tournament Delhi leg 2026?
Presidium School – Team A from Gurgaon won the girls' category, and Nehru World School – Team A from Ghaziabad won the boys' category at the Delhi leg held on 19 October 2026 at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
Who were the MVP award winners at the Delhi leg?
Anaya Dhankhar of Presidium School won the MVP award in the girls' division, while Darshil Singh of Nehru World School took the boys' MVP honour. Both were recognised for their standout performances across the Delhi leg.
When and where are the ACG Jr. NBA national finals?
The national finals are scheduled for December 2026. The full venue has not been specified, but the competition visits 10 Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
Which teams qualify from the Delhi leg to the national finals?
The top two teams in each category — boys and girls — along with one All-Star team per division, qualify for the national finals in December 2026.
What is the ACG Jr. NBA programme in India?
The ACG Jr. NBA is an under-16 school basketball tournament conducted by the NBA in association with ACG and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). In its last edition, the programme reached over 8,000 players across 2,000 teams from 900 schools, with more than 2,700 games played across 10 cities.
