Meek said the NBA would hold a similar set of scouting events

Central Coast coach Paul Okon insists his team wont be using their four-day turnaround as an excuse in Thursdays A-League encounter with Perth.Okon on Wednesday hinted at possible changes to his starting line-up to counter the extra two days preparation the Glory had enjoyed for the fixture in Gosford.Maybe there is a little bit of fatigue but its part and parcel of it, Okon said.Well maybe look to freshen things up where we can and make sure our energy levels are high because Perth have had a couple of days extra to prepare for this.We wont be using that as an excuse. Im sure the boys will be up for the game.The Mariners have already been forced into one change following the automatic one-match ban for defender Liam Roses red card in Sundays derby draw with Newcastle.Harry Ascroft is expected to line up in central defence, while Scott Galloway returns from injury and rookie Reece Papadimitrios is added to the bench.The Mariners are second last on the table with just one win, but Okon is hopeful of using back-to-back home games at Central Coast Stadium to kickstart his teams lagging campaign.They first need to break a drought of seven straight defeats in Gosford.Its a really important game for us, most of all because were back home and we want to win our home games, Okon said.We have back-to-back home games - we have the Wanderers in 10 days time. Its important these two games we try and get as many points as we can.Perth are likely to keep the same match-day squad who consolidated fourth spot with a strong 3-1 win over defending champions Adelaide that included a brace from Andy Keogh.They would have anything up to $2 million worth of talent in their front third. Were aware of that. They had a good win at home, and theyre a good side, Okon said.Theyre physical; they know how to win football games. Its a tough game, but theres no easy games in the A-League, especially after a four-day turnaround.STATS THAT MATTER:* There have been 18 goals scored in the past four games between these two teams, including six in their most-recent encounter, with only one clean sheet in that span* Central Coast have attempted more than 200 additional passes within their own half than any other team this season, including a 90 per cent passing accuracy second only to Melbourne City* Central Coast are yet to concede a goal from outside the 18-yard box this season, though theyve conceded a joint league-high 13 goals from within it Dave Cowens Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. 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Eager to expedite the growth of basketball in a largely untapped market of nearly 1.3 billion people, the NBA announced plans on Tuesday to open a training facility for top prospects in India.The announcement marks a major step forward in the effort to recruit athletes from India and develop talent to compete at the highest international levels, and it comes a month after the launch of similar facilities in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi, China. NBA Academy India will focus on instruction for athletes ages 14 to 18 and will be located in the National Capital Region. It is scheduled to begin operation in April 2017 and will provide academic education through a school partnership.Our mission with this academy is to develop and grow basketball in India, NBA vice president of international basketball operations Brooks Meek said. Its focused on improving the level of the players on the national team and to really give a vision to Indian kids that theres a chance and a pathway for them in basketball.NBA representatives will hold a series of scouting camps across the country to select the first 24 male scholarship athletes that will attend and reside at NBA Academy India. Those prospects will be selected by February 2017. The league is also in the process of selecting coaches, scouts and consultants who will staff and instruct at the academy. The academy plans to begin assembling a roster of top female athletes to train there soon after the facility begins operation.The strategy is a holistic approach, Meek said. This is off-court and on-court education, all of the things we feel that we want to have a direct impact on influencing the 360-degree development of an elite basketball player.NBA Academy India prospects will play against top domestic adult teams and also compete internationally. Ultimately, the most promising players at NBA Academy India will be considered for promotion to the NBA Global Academy, which the league recently established in partnership with Basketball Australia in Canberra as an international hub for the training of elite prospects.What we want to do is schedule the toughest and best competition for these kids to play against, knowing that its not about wins and losses, Meek said. Its about player development and achieving your best by playing against the best. Thats a key strategic point for all of these academies.Meek was part of the initial NBA delegation to India in 2005, sent to gather information, scout facilitiess and lay the groundwork for the growth of basketball in the worlds second-most populous nation.dddddddddddd Six years later, the NBA officially planted a flag by establishing an office in Mumbai. Since turning its attention to India, the NBA has held 1,500-plus grassroots events across the country, reaching more than 3.5 million youths and thousands of physical education teachers and coaches, thereby creating the framework of a network where gifted athletes can be discovered.Recently, the NBA Jump talent search tapped 22-year-old Palpreet Singh Brar as the top player among a field of 32 prospects from across India. He then tried out for the NBA Developmental League and was drafted last month by the Long Island Nets, although he did not make the teams season-opening roster. Meek said the NBA would hold a similar set of scouting events, focused on younger athletes, to select the first group of NBA Academy India students.Although still in the formative stage, basketball is undeniably on the rise in India. Many NBA players have made promotional visits to India over the years, including Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett. Earlier this year, Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry and Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez conducted youth clinics in Noida and Mumbai.Some other key developments in recent years:May 2013: Mumbai native Vivek Ranadive purchases a majority stake in the NBAs Sacramento Kings.July 2014: The India mens national team defeats China for the first time, stunning the top-ranked hosts of the FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan.April 2015: Canadian center Sim Bhullar becomes the first player of Indian descent to appear in an NBA game.June 2015: Punjab native Satnam Singh becomes the first player from India ever selected in the NBA draft when the Dallas Mavericks identify him in the second round -- No. 52 overall. (He currently plays for the Texas Legends of the NBA Developmental League and has yet to appear in an official NBA game.)September 2016: India again upset top-ranked China, this time at the FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran. India ultimately lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Iran.The next landmark will occur in April when NBA Academy India creates a virtual pipeline connecting boys and girls from every corner of the nation to the highest levels of competition around the world. ' ' '