Our History

Mini Basketball Association of Lanka was initially inaugurated in the year 1999, as the Mini Basketball Training Programme. It was the brainchild of two stalwarts of the Lanka Veterans Basketball Association, namely Nowfel Mahroof and Bernard Silva, who were national players themselves, they foresaw the need to provide opportunity to young boys and girls to enjoy their childhood through the game of Basketball.

These two pioneers had tremendous support from Jayanathan Jeewarathnam a dedicated and able administrator of the game to get this programme off ground.

The main aim of the architects of this programme was to impart to the children, between the ages 5, 12 years, the various skills and proper execution of fundamentals of the game of basketball which are the important ingredients to become a great player in the future. The initial coaching sessions were conducted at Police Park, with a very versatile and energetic group of coaches who very patiently endeared the tedious task to inculcate to the children the basics of the game. The coaches who volunteered at the initial sessions were Messrs. Nowfel Mahroof, Bernard Silva, Malsiri Perera, Tony Ganlath, Remigious Perera, M.Rizvi & Mrs. G.S. Dissanayake.

Nearly 150 young boys and girls took advantage from this programme which was offered to them without a fee. At the culmination of a six month week-end coaching sessions a Mini Basketball festival was held to evaluate the kids of their performance, which induced great thrill and joy to participate, and also receive mementoes which included very attractive playing kit, sports bag junior ball and a certificate of attendance. Special awards were presented to those who excelled taking in to account, their performance in the basic fundamentals and shooting ability.

This programme has been successfully conducted for more than a decade and nearly 1500 boys and girls have been groomed to be selected to their respective school teams. This programme has gone from strength to strength due to the solid foundation that has been provided by the loyal and the dedicated group of coaches, who have given their valuable time and their precious weekends to conduct these training sessions. The names of the following persons have to be placed on record for the dynamic contribution they made towards this programme during their tenure in their administrative capacities, to reach the heights it has reached today. They are Messrs Nilam Jayasinghe, Vishanth Fernando, Tony Ganlath, Shahnaz Weerasinghe, Chandrika Corea and Nandani Ganlath.

The boys and girls in this coaching programme through the years enthusiastically gave off their best to accomplish what was imparted to them and we are indeed proud to place on record that several of them have represented their schools in junior and senior age groups with distinction and few of them have been selected to represent the country in the junior and senior teams.

Currently the coaching sessions are conducted at the Otter Aquatic Courts which has emerged to be a valuable and convenient home venue. The programme received the guidance it needed from the Lanka Veterans Basketball Association throughout.

A logo is a graphic element, symbol, or icon designed to represent an organization, product or service. A distinctive logo is designed to create immediate recognition by the viewer. The logo of the Mini Basketball Association depicts a young lad expressing joy and celebrate with a basket he has scored. Thus fulfilling the main aim of Mini Basketball, were providing the opportunity for the children to derive fulfillment through the game.

This logo was designed by a basketball player himself (Vishanth Fernando) who has enjoyed the game to the fullest, and the passion for the game drove him to devote his leisure for the upliftment of the programme.