Chennai: American sailors in Chennai to participate in the Malabar Exercise 2017 joined students from YMCA College of Physical Education for a friendly basketball game on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The local students defeated the sailors 36 to 35.
The U.S. Consulate General, Chennai’s Acting Consul General David Ballard opened the match. He said, “On this 125th anniversary of the birth of basketball, I can’t think of a better place than the first basketball court in India for young American sailors and Indian students to strengthen the U.S.-India bilateral relationship through a friendly game of hoops.”
USS Nimitz Commanding Officer Captain Kevin Lenox also greeted the player. He said, “We talk about countries having relationships, but it is actually people having relationships.”Acting Consul General Ballard and Captain Lenox presented medals to the players.YMCA College of Physical Education Chairman Koshy Mathew, Principal Dr. George Abraham, and YMCA Southern India Regional Secretary Paulson Thomas also spoke at the event.
The game was organized by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, in association with the YMCA College of Physical Education, as one of several community relations activities for the American sailors participating in Malabar 2017.