Mumbai, Feb 5 (IANS): The National Basketball Association (NBA) on Monday announced the launch of 'Nets for Change', a new campaign to repurpose discarded underwater fishing nets at basketball courts in India. The discarded nets, which pose a threat to marine ecosystems, are being repurposed as basketball nets at courts that are missing a fundamental element of the game – a functional net.

In collaboration with Publicis Communications, Middle East and Africa, the pilot project was launched at a school in Mumbai with plans to expand to other markets. The league and Publicis are working closely with seaside communities in Mumbai to retrieve abandoned fishing nets, which are then transformed into durable, eco-friendly basketball nets.

“The launch of ‘Nets for Change’ reflects our commitments both to environmental responsibility and growing basketball across India,” said NBA India Head of Marketing Murtuza Madraswala. “Discarded underwater fishing nets pose a significant environmental threat, and through this initiative, we will give these nets a new purpose, so that aspiring players have higher-quality courts where they can come together to play the game.”

The NBA is committed to using the power of basketball to inspire fans and partners to minimize environmental impacts and help drive broader industry and societal progress. The 'Nets for Change' campaign video highlights the extent of the ecological damage caused by discarded fishing nets and how this initiative is helping combat it, one hoop at a time.