Top Indian basketball clubs set to participate in 2nd Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty All India tournament in Bengaluru

Soon after India's positive international basketball performances at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in China, the nation's top men players now return to their respective clubs and units back home to showcase their skills against each other. A year ago, Bengaluru's Sri Kantaveera stadium hosted the inaugural Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty tournament to a rousing success. Following on its heels, the tournament returns to the city this week to continue its new legacy and create new legends in Indian domestic hoops.

The 2nd Mulki SUnder Ram Shetty All India Basketball Tournament, an invitational championship, will be bringing together eight of India's top men clubs and units to Bengaluru starting on Wednesday, October 7. The five-day tournament is set to conclude with finals on Monday, October 11. The tournament is being organized and sponsored by Vijaya Bank and held in the memory of the Late Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty, a longstanding former Chairman who was instrumental in the growth of the bank through the 60s and 70s. It will be held under the auspices of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBBA).

Participating Teams

• Pool A: ONGC, Punjab, Income Tax, Karnataka.
  
• Pool B: Vijaya Bank, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), South Central Railway, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).
  

Last year's tournament was won by IOB who defeated their Chennai-city rivals ONGC in the final. Unfortunately, IOB will not be participating to defend their title; last year's runners-up ONGC and organizing hosts Vijaya Bank will be among the favourites to lift the title this year.

The opening day (October 7) will see a felicitation ceremony honouring G Dileep, a former Olympian basketballer who joined Vijaya Bank in 1984, and has recently retired from service. Current Vijaya Bank employees Arvind Arumugam and Rajesh Uppar (batch of 2012) will also be felicitated for being part of the Senior Indian men’s team that finished 8th in the FIBA Asia Basketball Championship that concluded last week in Changsha, China.