Jaipur, March 3 (IANS): The National Basketball Association (NBA) had announced the launch of the leagues first Dribble-a-thon in India, a basketball challenge event featuring participants aged six and above dribbling a basketball across a one-kilometre course. The event which kicked-off on February 29 in Chandigarh witnessed the registration of over 4,000 participants.

The upcoming Dribble-a-thon is scheduled for March 8 at the University of Rajasthan Ground, JLN Marg, Bapunagar, Jaipur.

"We launched Dribble-a-thon to promote basketball participation in a fun and unique way," said NBA India Managing Director Rajesh Sethi.

"With the increasing popularity of basketball and the NBA across India, we are always looking for new and exciting ways to engage with our fans."

In addition to the on-court challenge, 10 lucky participants in each city will be randomly selected to win a smartphone.

Dribble-a-thon will also offer fan experiences including basketball arcade games, NBA 2K competitions and more.

The NBA will unveil a 16-feet basketball that will travel from Chandigarh to all the cities where the Dribble-a-thon will be held.

Participants and fans across all cities will be able to write messages on the ball to connect with one another and express what basketball means to them.