This comparative study investigates differences in sports achievement motivation between medalist (n=15) and non-medalist (n=15) basketball players from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools in Uttar Pradesh, aged 15-18 years. Employing Dr. M.L. Kamlesh's (1990) Sports Achievement Motivation Test (SAMT), descriptive statistics revealed medalists with higher mean scores (M=25.33, SD=4.32) compared to non-medalists (M=22.27, SD=2.60). An independent samples t-test confirmed a statistically significant difference (t(28)=2.354, p=.026), indicating elevated motivation among successful athletes, highlighting motivation's role in competitive outcomes at school level. Results suggest targeted psychological interventions could enhance youth basketball performance.