Kathmandu, September 12:

Nepal Basketball Association (NeBA) released the draw for the seventh Men’s and sixth Women’s Samsung National Open Basketball Tournament on Wednesday.

The tournament, which is scheduled to begin at the National Sports Council covered hall from September 18, includes 18 teams in men’s and eight in women’s section. RIBS, Gyanodaya College, K&K College, Golden Gate Club are in Group ‘A’ while Rato Bangala, The Times Club, Public Youth Campus (PYC), Shrine Academy and Sambotta Alumni Association are in Group ‘B’. Likewise district teams, Sunsari, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Kaski and Rupandehi are in Group ‘C’ and Himalayan White House, LRI, Nepal Basketball Academy and Shanker Dev are in Group ‘D’ in men’s section. Top two teams from each of the four groups will advance into the quarter-finals.

The women’s teams have been divided into two groups with Rato Bangala, Mahendra Bhawan, RIBS and Kaski pitted in Pool ‘A’ and Little Angels’, Bishalnagar Youth Club, Shooters and Prime Sports in Pool ‘B’. Top two teams in the women’s section will qualify for the semi-finals.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both the men’s and women’s section will be awarded with with a purse of Rs 25,000 each, said NeBA president Lama Tendi Sherpa today.

Meanwhile, the NeBA also said that it had nominated Nabin Pun and Ratna Laxmi Shrestha as vice-presidents of its central executive committee.