2019 Sub-Junior Nationals: Mizoram Boys and Tamil Nadu rise to capture the gold in Cuttack

Sometimes the best thing about basketball is watching a dominant force unleash its dominance, over and over again, executing the game to its most beautiful conclusion. At other times, the joy of the game is in the underdog stories, of surprises, of being witness to a 'Cinderella' run to the title, in David defeating Goliath.

Both these instances were on showcase over the past week at the 46th Sub Junior (U14) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Cuttack (Odisha) from September 3-9. Organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Odisha Basketball Association, the Sub-Junior Nationals featured participation from 24 boys' and 25 girls' teams from around India. At the finals on Monday, Mizoram (Boys) became the 'Cinderella' story, winning the gold, while Tamil Nadu (Girls) captured the top spot after last year's runners-up finish. The championship was held in Cuttack's Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium and the Indoor Complex in Barabati

The girls' final was a rematch of last year's event in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), with Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra squaring up again in the finals. Maharashtra, the reigning champions, stayed on course on Monday as well, as both teams started with a tie after the first quarter and TN only held a slim, 32-30 lead at halftime. But it was the incredible third period explosion by TN that proved to be the differene, as they outscored Maharashtra 33-13, and then put the nail in the coffin in the fourth to run away with a 85-67 victory. Antheya Daisy of TN was the best individual performer of the day, scoring 31 in the win. Juana Chrisolin added 18 points in TN's winning effort.

The boys' finale featured two very different teams: the favourites, Punjab, who had been dominating every level of the game with their size and athleticism; and the relative newcomers from the basketball-mad northeast state of Mizoram, who had surprised bigger teams en route to the final with their speed and shooting. The neck-to-neck game remained close for three quarters, as Punjab held a slim 35-34 advantage. But it was the Mizos who ended in style, hitting the big baskets and the getting the biggest stops in the fourth quarter to edge away to a 51-46 win, their third in Sub-Junior nationals history. Emmanuel of Mizoram led all scorers with 17 points.

The third-place match-ups of the losing semi-finalists were also held on Monday. In the boys' game, Maharashtra and Haryana went the stretch in a close contest, and the Maha boys eventually sneaked away with a 75-73 victory. Shaik Taufiq scored 26 to pace Maharashtra, while Kaushal of Haryana had a game-high 28.

In the girls' game, Karnataka had an easy ride against Delhi, routing their opponents 56-34 to return home with a bronze medal.

Final Scores

Girls: Tamil Nadu (Antheya Daisy 31, Juana Chrisolin 18) bt. Maharashtra 85-67 [18-18, 14-12, 33-13, 20-22].

Boys: Mizoram (Emmanuel 17) bt. Punjab 51-46 [12-13, 10-8, 12-14, 17-11].
Final Standings

Girls

• 1. Tamil Nadu
• 2. Maharashtra
• 3. Karnataka
• 4. Delhi
• 5. Kerala

Boys

• 1. Mizoram
• 2. Punjab
• 3. Maharashtra
• 4. Haryana
• 5. Tamil Nadu

Shiba Maggon - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

A player, a coach, a referee, a leader. Shiba Maggon, called 'The Queen of Basketball', has found a way to be involved in Indian basketball for decades in a variety of roles. She has already given a lifetime of service to the game - and has a lifetime more left to give. For all this and more, she is now an entrant into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Born in Karnal, Haryana in 1976, Maggon found basketball success early in her life coming through the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Chandigarh. The untimely death of her sister - an international netball and aspiring basketball player - thrust Maggon more passionately into the basketball realm from the early 90s. She later joined Western Railways, Ajmer in 1996 and was with them till 2002. In 2002 Shiba joined MTNL Delhi and played with them till Jan 2011. Her glittering domestic basketball career included seven gold medals and eight silvers for Railways and Delhi in the Senior Nationals, plus three gold medals and three bronzes in Federation Cups, between 1997-2011.

Maggon was selected for India's junior national team in 1992 and soon graduated to the seniors, for whom she became a staple for nearly 15 years of action. Maggon served often as India's captain and played in five FIBA Asia Championships for Women in the course of her career, and was ranked in the top 5 for Asian players in 2002. She was also part of Indian basketball team to take part at Commonwealth Games for the first time at Australia in 2006.

In 1998, Maggon got a scholarship to the Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1998, where she majored in Physical Education. She also completed a diploma course in Olympism and Humanism with the International Olympic Academy in Athens, Greece. Maggon is credited as being one of the first Indian woman to be an international FIBA certified referee. She has also served as a basketball voice-over commentator and a lead coordinator for NBA India.

Her post-retirement career has since seen her succeed in different avenues of basketball, most notably coaching India's national teams at the senior, junior, and youth levels, as well as coaching Delhi in several domestic nationals. She has been a part of India's national women's team coaching staff for several important international events, including the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, and more. She will continue the journey for India at the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup for Women. She is also in contention for the Dhyan Chand Award this year.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Haryana (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) take home the gold at the 2019 Youth Nationals in Coimbatore

India's biggest national under-16 basketball tournament - the 36th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls - came to a conclusion in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) on Tuesday, with Haryana (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) sitting atop the rankings. It was a major improvement for both these sides, as neither of them finished in the top three in last year's edition of the tournament.

Organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA), the Youth Nationals were held at the PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore from May 14-21, 2019. 26 teams each in the boys' and girls' divisions took part from all over the country.

Kerala were well-represented in the final stage, featuring a team in each of the two championship games on the day. In the boys' final, Kerala were halted in their tracks by Haryana and their star player Sahil Taya, who continued his impressive play as it had been through the course of the tournament with 31 points. His teammate Akshay added 17 to aid Haryana's 81-74 victory. Pranav Prince and Jim Paul Kothulil each scored 19 for Kerala in the loss.

Kerala's girls faced off in their final against hosts Tamil Nadu. Led by experienced youngster Ann Mary Zachariah's 40 points, Kerala were able to create the separation needed to win 80-69. Zachariah added to her strong form all tournament, coming on the back of her appearance at the NCAA Next Generation camp in the USA earlier this year. For TN, Sathya scored 31 points in a losing effort.

The high scorers in the finals for each of the winnings teams - Haryana's Sahil Taya and Kerala's Ann Mary Zachariah - were named the Best Players of the tournament.

Rajasthan won third place earlier in the day in both the boys' and girls' divisions. Rajasthan Boys were led by Digvijay Singh (36) and Amendra (23) in a 92-68 win over Karnataka. Karnataka's Achintya had a game-high 38 in the loss, while Manoj added 18.

Rajasthan's girls sneaked past Punjab in a low-scoring affair, 48-47, to win the bronze, led by Manvi Srivastava's 18 points. Harsimran Kaur, the Punjabi player who turned a lot of heads after her performances at the NBA Academy Women's camp earlier this year, had 29 her side.

Final Scores

• Boys: Haryana (Sahil Taya 31, Akshay 17) bt. Kerala (Pranav Prince 19, Jim Paul Kothulil 19) 81-74.
• Girls: Kerala (Ann Mary Zachariah 40) bt. Tamil Nadu (Sathya 31) 80-69.

Final Standings

Boys

• 1. Haryana
• 2. Kerala
• 3. Rajasthan

Girls

• 1. Kerala
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Rajasthan

Khushi Ram: Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

The man who was once called 'The Magician of Basketball in India' and 'The Scoring Machine of Asia', Khushi Ram is remembered as one of the country's best-ever players, and one of the top talents in Asia in his prime years. A former captain of India's national Men's team, Kumar was handed with the Arjuna Award in 1967. Today, he becomes the newest addition to the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ram was born in Jhamri village in Jhajjar district in Haryana in 1936. He made his debut as a youth player at the National Basketball Championship in 1952 representing the Armed Forces team. From a young age, he was known for his shooting ability - which helped him become an unstoppable scorer for the course of his career - and for his high IQ and sense of the game. The Armed Force team won India's National Basketball title 10 consecutive years, with Ram leading the helm several times as the tournament's best player. In 1969, he moved to Kota (Rajasthan) to join Shri Ram Rayons. He represented the state of Rajasthan for the next five years in National Basketball Championships.

Ram was an integral part of India's national team from 1964-72, and captained India in 1965 at their first ever appearance at the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship (now known as the FIBA Asia Championship) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India finished 7th at the tournament. He was the highest scorer at the championship (the only Indian at the Senior Men's level to be the tournament's highest scorer). In the next two Asian Championships in Seoul (Korea) and Bangkok (Thailand), he was the tournament's second and third highest scorer respectively. Ram's fame was at its height in 1970, when he dominated at the 10th Anniversary Celebrations Championship in Manila and scoring 43 points (highest by an Indian in an international) against the hosts Philippines.

After retirement, he continued to be deeply involved in coaching at the state and school level until his death at age 77 in 2013. Ram was also the father of another Indian basketball legend, the Dhyan Chand Award Winner Ram Kumar, and of the late Asok Kumar. In 2015, Ram was immortalised with a statue in his village of Jhamri.

Click here for more of the Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ajmer Singh Chopra - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

The very first inductee into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame is Ajmer Singh Chopra, the 6’5” swingman who is one of the most-accomplished Indian hoopers in history. Chopra’s career highlights include starring as India’s best player in our only Olympic basketball appearance (Moscow 1980), winning the 1982 Arjuna Award, and dominating in many more international and domestic championships.

Chopra was born in Rukanpur village near Karnal (Haryana) in 1953, just three years after the establishment of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). He moved to Kota to hone his basketball skills, where he played for Rajasthan University. Chopra’s skills got him hired by Indian Railways, whom he represented domestically for several years of success, and continued to work for after retirement from the game. He played in 22 consecutive national championships for Haryana, Rajasthan, and Railways, and finished with 8 gold medals.

Internationally, Chopra represented India in multiple FIBA Asia Championships. His career peak, however, came in India’s unlikely qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the first and only time that India has played basketball on the Olympic stage. Although India lost all seven games they participated in, Chopra shone individually, averaging a team-high 21.3 points per game to go with 5.4 rpg as well. He ended up as one of the top scorers in thr tournament. Two years later, in the 1982 Asian Games, he was again the tournament’s top scorer. Through the 70s and 80s, Chopra also represented Indian Railways in many international tournaments abroad.

Chopra was known to be an unstoppable scorer who was the country’s top option during their earlier “golden age” of basketball in the 70s/80s. In 1982, he was handed one of the nation’s top scoring honours, the Arjuna Award. He also received the highest sporting honours by both Haryana and Rajasthan states.

Click here for more of the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) win basketball tournament at first-ever Khelo India School Games

Two finals: one nailbiter, one a dominant blowout. And a complete display of Indian basketball's future talent. The basketball tournament at the first-ever Khelo India School Games (KISG) came to a conclusion on Thursday, February 8, with Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) going home with the gold at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

The flagship Khelo India School Games (KISG), a nationwide gathering of school-going athletes participating in sixteen sporting disciplines, will be held in New Delhi from January 1 - February 8. At the first KISG, under-17 athletes were invited to participate across 26 disciplines, including basketball.

Kerala's girls team - who originally were only considered among the small fray of teams in the tournament through a wild-card entry - proved to be an unstoppable force in the tournament. Powered by India's junior internationals Sreekala R (33) and Ann Mary Zacharia (21), they blew past Haryana to win 90-47 in the final. Ritika scored 17 for Haryana in the loss.

The Men's final was a close neck-to-neck contest between two of the best junior states in basketball in the country, Punjab and the home team, Delhi. Punjab were led by Rajan (26) and NBA Academy India standout Princepal Singh (21); Princepal hit a last grasp shot to help Punjab edge out a close victory, 78-76. Jai Prakash scored 16 for Delhi in a losing effort.

Led by Divyaraj Singh Rathore (30) and Mani Thakur (16) Madhya Pradesh defeated Haryana 89-84 to win the boys' bronze medal, despite good performances by Kapil Mor (22) and Rampal (20). In the girls' bronze medal game, hosts Delhi defeated Karnataka 70-57, led by 19-points apiece by Kritika Dhingra and Khushi Ahlawat.

With an overall tally of 38 gold medals, Haryana were crowned overall champions of the KISG.

Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Games will assist in scouting youth (under 17) talent in various disciplines by a High-Powered Committee. The plan is to provide the identified talents with annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

2018 Khelo India School Games - Basketball Final Standings

Girls

• 1. Kerala
• 2. Haryana
• 3. Delhi

Boys

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Delhi
• 3. Madhya Pradesh

India's Sub-Junior National trophies retained by Madhya Pradesh (Boys) and Chhattisgarh (Girls) in Hyderabad

The best continued to get better. It was a familiar conclusion at the end of the 43rd Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls on the afternoon of Friday, October 7 in Hyderabad, as the reigning champions in both the boys' and girls' divisions - Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively - won their final matches to retain their trophies. For MP, there was added cause for celebration as this gave them their third consecutive title as the best of the 'mini' age group.

The Sub-Junior Nationals featured India's finest under-14 basketball talent from around the country. The week-long tournament, tipping off on October 1, was held at the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATS) Indoor Stadium in Saroornagar. A total of 47 combined teams in the two divisions representing states from all over India too part. The tournament was organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Telengana Basketball Association (TBA) and sponsored by Arise Steel.

The girls' final on Friday pitted the last two winners of the trophy, Kerala and Chhattisgarh, to compete for the best sub-junior team in the nation. The game lived up to its billing with both teams sticking close to each other till the final minutes. Chhattisgarh caught fire at the right time in the final quarter to eventually create some separation and head to a 57-48 victory. Kirti (20) and Urvashi Baghel (16) led the scoring charge for the winning side, while Ann Mary Zachariah led Kerala with 19. The gold was the hundredth medal in a national basketball competition for Chhattisgarh's legendary head coach Rajesh Patel.

The men's finalists featured Madhya Pradhesh - with an asterisk. This was technically the 'BFI-MP' team, an independent squad of players from MP given one-time approval by the BFI to take part in this tournament under the 'MP' banner. This technicality surely arose from the differing loyalties of the state federations after the break-up of the BFI last year. MP faced Rajasthan, one of the top teams in the tournament, in a promising final clash. It turned out to be a topsy-turvy contests of crazy runs. After holding Rajasthan down to just six points in the first quarter, MP saw their opponents explode for 37 in the second. At halftime, Rajasthan held on to a 43-31 lead. But MP bounced back in the third to take a one-point advantage, and held on in a close finale to win 69-66. Virat Dhakad scored 19 for MP in the win, while Rajasthan were led by their star player Mahaveer Banjara (29).

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu girls blew past Maharashtra after a close first quarter to win their bronze-medal encounter 70-50. The undeniable trio of Nitika A (19), Sathya K 19, and Varshini J (18) were the leading scorers for TN. Siya Deodhar led Maharashtra with 18 in the loss. The boys' third-place game was won by Haryana, who disappointed cheering home fans to defeat Andhra Pradesh comfortably, 73-42. Gourav led Haryana with 19 in the victory.

P Niranjan Reddy, the vice Chairman of Telangana Government Planning Commission distributed the winning boys’ medals and trophy. Aadhav Arjuna, Managing Director of Arise Steel Industries was the special guest for the second day running. Also seen distributing the trophies and medals were Chander Mukhi Sharma, Secretary-General of Basketball Federation of India, M Rajender Reddy, President, Telangana Basketball Association, R Sridhar Reddy, President, Organising Committee (and also President of the Hyderabad District Basketball Association) and other dignitaries.

The semi-finals of the tournament was held on Thursday. In the first girls' semi, Chhattisgarh took a sizable 20-6 lead in the first quarter over Maharashtra, and for the rest of the game, fought back all the comeback attempts from their opponents to hold on to an eventual 51-45 win. Khushboo Gupta wrecked havoc for Chhattisgarh with a game-high 19 points. The second girls' semi-final was a classic back-and-forth battle between two neighbouring southern states: Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala fought back from an early disadvantage with a game-changing second-quarter run. The two teams fought back and forth in the second half, and Kerala held on to to win the close game, 66-62. Ann Mary Zachariah (21) and Gouri (17) led the way for Kerala, while Sathya K poured in 29 points in a losing effort for TN.

Haryana started off their boys' semi-final clash against MP in high spirits, running off to a 18-9 early lead. But led by Sachindra Sharma (23), MP charted a patient comeback, eventually taking the lead by the third quarter, and then extending their advantage to hold on to a 66-54 win by the end. Depender scored 17 for Haryana in the loss. The last game of Thursday was a blowout semi-final victory for Rajasthan over Andhra Pradesh. The game was tied at 12-all at the end of the first quarter, but it was all Rajasthan after that. The duo of Seikh Saifali (32) and Mahaveer Banjara (24) were unstoppable as Rajasthan cruised to a 95-65 win. Shaik Ahmed Alisha scored 20 for AP.

Final Scores

• Girls: Chhattisgarh (Kirti 20, Urvashi Baghel 16) bt Kerala (Ann Mary Zachariah 19) 57-48 (18-16, 19-15, 8-11, 12-6).
• Boys: Madhya Pradesh (Virat Dhakad 19, Aman Negi 13) bt Rajasthan (Mahaveer Banjara 29) 69-66 (14-6, 17-37, 24-11, 14-12).

Bronze Medal Games

• Girls: Tamil Nadu (Nitika A 19, Sathya K 19, Varshini J 18) bt Maharashtra (Siya Deodhar 18, Chaitaali Bafna 14) 70-50 (16-14, 14-7, 27-16, 13-13)
• Boys: Haryana (Gourav 19) bt Andhra Pradesh 73-42 (17-6, 25-10, 12-19, 19-7).

Final Standings

Girls

• 1. Chhattisgarh
• 2. Kerala
• 3. Tamil Nadu
• 4. Maharashtra
• 5. Rajasthan

Boys

• 1. Madhya Pradesh
• 2. Rajasthan
• 3. Haryana
• 4. Andhra Pradesh
• 5. Telangana

ONGC win 1st ever All India Basketball Tournament in Rohtak (Haryana)

New location, same excellence.

For the first time, an All India Basketball Tournament was brought to Haryana, as the city of Rohtak hosted a national-level Men's tournament from August 2-6. But even in this new space, the big dogs continued their same old tricks. Dehradun's ONGC, one of the most successful basketball units in India in recent history, were crowned champions of the tournament with a dominant win over Indian Railways in the Final on Saturday, August 7.

Eight Men's teams took part in the inaugural All India Basketball Tournament in Rohtak, which was organised by the Basketball Club of Haryana (BCH) under the aegis of the Haryana State Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The tournament was held at the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex in the city's Sector-6.

After a close first-quarter, ONGC blew open the dam in the second period led by India's national captain Amrit Pal Singh (18) and veteran guard Riyazuddin (35), who hit seven threes in the final. Leading 55-36 at halftime, ONGC continued their easy dominance in the second period, as international star Vishesh Bhriguvanshi also chipped in 24 points. ONGC closed the game out in style with a 90-62 victory. Himanshu scored a team-high 16 for Indian Railways.

ONGC's Amrit Pal Singh was named tournament's MVP and was awarded a cash prize of INR 5100. The winning team ONGC received INR 1,00,000/- and a trophy while runners up Indian Railway got INR 50,000/-. Additionally, every man of the match throughout the tournament received INR 2100/- and trophies.

Devender Kalyan, Commissioner-Income Tax (Gurugram) was the chief guest of the occasion. Krishan Hooda, Contractor (Haryana Urban Developmental Authority) was the guest of honour. Also present as guests were Pardeep Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rohtak) and Prof Dalbir Singh Kharab, Secretary of Haryana State Basketball Association. Two past players hailing from Haryana, Arjuna Awardee Om Prakash Sr and Dhyan Chand Awardee Ram Kumar were felicitated.

Participating Teams in Rohtak 1st All India Basketball Tournament

• Group A: ONGC, Income Tax, Indian Air Force, Haryana.
• Group B: Indian Railways, Punjab, Indian Army, Basketball Club of Haryana (BCH).

Tamil Nadu (Boys) and Karnataka (Girls) become 2016 Junior Nationals champions in Puducherry

The finest young basketball talent in India came under the same umbrella to Puducherry for the 2016 Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, and the tournament concluded with victories for Tamil Nadu (Boys) and Karnataka (Girls), who both pulled off impressive finals victories at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday. TN's Girls lost in the finals to Karnataka, while TN Boys beat Kerala.

The tournament was organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Puducherry Basketball Association. TN Boys were winners in last year's Junior Nationals in Ludhiana, while Chhattisgarh Girls beat Karnataka in the Final.

In the Girls' final, both the teams came to the occasion prepared and were neck and neck at the end of the first quarter. Both the teams were playing zone defense and their respective shooters maximized on the opportunities and were able to score from behind the arc. Tamil Nadu led, 16-14, after the first ten minutes. The intensity changed in the second quarter as Karnataka shifted to man to man defense and were able to stop the three pointers of Tamil Nadu. In the third quarter, Karnataka took a huge lead as their pressure defense forced the Tamil Nadu players into many turnovers. The turnover led to easy transition baskets, many of which were converted by its senior international star Bhandavya (28). In the fourth quarter, Karnataka maintained its double digit lead despite Tamil Nadu switching to a full court press in desperation. Karnataka overcome their loss in last year's final to win 64-44.

In the first quarter of the boys' final between TN and Kerala, TN's first quarter performance set the tone for the game. TN opened the game with a 23-16 advantage, as their stars Hari Ram (29) and P. Baladhaneshwar (19) leading the way. TN kept a composed lead to take a 43-35 advantage by halftime, and continued to match every spurt by Kerala with one of their own. Despite strong performances by the Kerala duo of Md Shiras (23) and Prem (22), TN moved on to win 88-77.

BFI President K Govindaraj was the chief guest for the prize distribution ceremony. Aadhav Arjuna, Chairman of the Organizing Committee & Managing Director of Arise Industries & Agency Pvt. Ltd. was the guest of honour. Dr T Sundararajan, the principal of Pondicherry Engineering College presided over the ceremony, with V Rajasekar, Managing Director, Raman Roadways felicitating the guests. Other dignitaries overseeing the ceremony included Rev Fr MS John Bosco, President-PBA and Dr V Ragothaman, Honorary Secretary-PBA.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Boys secured third place with a hard-fought win over Haryana, 77-72. Vishal scored 17 for Delhi. The Girls' bronze medal game was a classic encounter, too, as Shruti scored 27 points to help Maharashtra edge away for a 60-58 win against Chhattisgarh.

A day earlier, Chhattisgarh, last year's Girls' champions, were beaten in overtime in the semi-final by an incredible late comeback by Tamil Nadu, 63-57. Avanti scored 18 for TN, edging ahead of Chattisgarh's Riya Verma's 17. In the second girls' semi-final, Karnataka's Bhandavya HM led the way with 24 to help her team beat Maharashtra 73-63. Shreema had 16 for the losing side.

Both the boys' semi-finals were neck-to-neck clashes that were only decided in the final moments of the games. Prem scored 28 for Kerala as his team outscored Delhi 35-15 in the final quarter and pull off a shock 72-68 victory. Rachit (18) and Vishal (17) led thew way for Delhi. In the other boys' semi-final, TN's trio of Hari Ram (32), Daniel (20), and Baladhaneshwar (17) helped their team beat Haryana 83-79. Haryana's top scorers were Sonu (18) and Deepak (17).

Finals

• Boys: Tamil Nadu (Hari Ram 29, P. Baladhaneshwar 19) bt Kerala (Shiras 23, Prem 22) 88-77 [23-16, 20-19, 18-17, 27-25].
• Girls: Karnataka (Bhandavya HM 29) bt Tamil Nadu 64-44 [14-16, 19-9, 19-3, 12-16].

Bronze Medal Games

• Boys: Delhi (Vishal 17, Hasraj 14) bt Haryana (Sonu Kumar 14) 77-72 [11-12, 20-17, 20-20, 26-23].
• Girls: Maharashtra (Shruti 27, Neha 15) bt Chhattisgarh (Vaniana 15, Gulabsha 14) 60-58 [10-13, 16-15, 11-9, 23-21].

Final Standings

Boys

• 1. Tamil Nadu
• 2. Kerala
• 3. Delhi
• 4. Haryana
• 5. Punjab

Girls

• 1. Karnataka
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Maharashtra
• 4. Chhattisgarh
• 5. Kerala

2015 Junior Nationals: Tamil Nadu Boys and Chhattisgarh Girls win title in Ludhiana

In one of the most hallowed grounds for Indian basketball, the next generation of the country's basketball stars (under 18s) showcased their skill-sets and their potential, the future merged into the present, and new stars were born. The 66th Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls were held at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana (Punjab) from October 2-9. At the tournament's finale on Friday, October 9th, Tamil Nadu Boys rose above the competition to win the gold medal, while Chhattisgarh's unstoppable girls team notched another victory, completing an impressive threepeat in the championship.

The 'Junior Nationals' were organized by the Punjab Basketball Federation under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). 24 teams each in the boys' and girls' section from all over India participated.

Both the defending champions from last year - Chhattisgarh Girls and Punjab Boys (who also enjoyed a strong home support - reached the final again this year and had the opportunity to repeat. Chhattisgarh faced an improving Karnataka squad in the final that turned out to be a classic battle between two rising stars of the game, Chhattisgarh's Riya Verma and Karnataka's Bhandavya HM, who had recently returned from national team duty for India at the 2015 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship. While Chhattisgarh started as favourites, it was Karnataka that took the strong early lead, opening up a 24-11 advantage in the first quarter. Karnataka had command for the majority of the game, and found themselves holding on to a comfortable 54-39 lead before the final period began. But it was the fourth quarter that showed Chhattisgarh's true mettle: In a comeback for the ages, Chhattisgarh caught fire from the three-point line in the fourth to outscore Karnataka 28-9 in the period, eventually holding on to a slim 67-63 lead as time expired. Riya Verma scored 37 points in the game, including five three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. Bhandavya HM had 31 for Karnataka in the loss.

Starting as reigning champions and hosts, Punjab were certainly the favourites in the boys' final. But they were facing a deep and experienced Tamil Nadu squad. The two teams matched their firepower in another final for the ages. Little separated the two teams in this back and forth contest. TN had a slim, 43-40 lead at halftime, which Punjab quickly recovered, and then lost again. And back and forth they went. R. Hari Ram (21) managed to put TN up in front in the final minute by getting to the charity stripe and knocking down clutch free-throws. His teammate Baladhaneshwar (18) forced a crucial turnoA ver with under a minute to go in the game by stealing the ball from Rahul Mehla (28). TN won the game 91-86. A. Daniel Richards added 16 for the winners, while Mehla's effort for Punjab was aided by Jaipal Singh Mann (19).

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

The winners, Chhattisgarh girls and Tamil Nadu boys, were awarded gold medals and cash prizes of INR 75,000 each. The second placed teams, Karnataka girls and Punjab boys were awarded silver medals and INR 50,000 each, while the third placed teams, Kerala girls and Delhi boys were awarded INR 30,000 each.

Satnam Singh, the product of Ludhiana's Basketball Academy who this summer made history by becoming the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, was present at the awards ceremony of the Junior Nationals and greeted the participating players.

The boys’ Most Valuable Player was awarded to R. Hari Ram from Tamil Nadu. Chhattisgarh captain Riya Verma won the girls’ Most Valuable Player.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

In the third-place games earlier on Sunday, Kerala Girls defeated Punjab and Delhi boys beat Haryana to win their respective bronze medals.

A day earlier, Karnataka's Girls outlasted neighbours Kerala 76-66 to win their semi-final clash. Bhoomika P scored 21 for Karnataka in the win while Bhandavya (19) and Priyanka P (16) helped with the offensive firepower. Kerala's leading scorer was Mayuka with 17 points. In the other girls' semi-final, Chhattisgarh showed no mercy to silence Punjab in front of their home crowd en route to a 78-49 win. Vandana paced Chhattisgarh with 23 while Punjab's leading scorer was Gagandeep Kaur (17).

MVP R. Hari Ram was on fire in the boys' semi-final for TN against Haryana, scoring 35 points to lead all scorers in a 99-85 win. Haryana kept pace with TN For three quarters and held a four point lead before the start of the fourth. But Hari Ram and TN took over from their, outscoring their opponents by 18 in the final period for the decisive win. P. Baladhaneshwar added 20 for TN while S. Kalidas had 19. Haryana were paced by Sonu Kumar (20) and Deepak (18) in the loss. In the other semi-final, Punjab outlasted Delhi and a magnificent individual effort by Sunil Kumar (32) to win 85-74. Punjab trailed by a close margin for most of the game, but once again, the fourth quarter proved to be the difference, as they turned a one-point disadvantage into an 11-point win. Dilpreet scored 21 for Punjab, while Delhi's Erash Hooda scored 17 in the loss.

Photo Courtesy: Ekalavyas

Final Scores

• Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 37) bt Karnataka (Bhandavya Mahesha 31, Priyanka P. 15) 67-63 (11-24, 18-12, 10-18, 28-9).
  
• Boys: Tamil Nadu (R. Hari Ram 21, P. Baladhaneshwar 18, A. Daniel Richards 16) bt Punjab (Rahul Mehla 28, Jaipal Singh Mann 19) 91-86 (23-20, 23-23, 20-22, 25-21).
  

Final Standings Girls

• 1. Chhattisgarh
  
• 2. Karnataka
  
• 3. Kerala
  
• 4. Punjab
  
• 5. Tamil Nadu
  

Boys

• 1. Tamil Nadu
  
• 2. Punjab
  
• 3. Delhi
  
• 4. Haryana
  
• 5. Kerala
  

Rain disrupts 2015 Youth Nationals Finals; Tamil Nadu/Delhi (Boys) and Tamil Nadu/Chhattisgarh (Girls) declared joint winners

The 32nd Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in Bhavnagar (Gujarat) began under the unkind threat of rain last week. And by the time the tournament - featuring India's finest under-16 basketball players - concluded on Monday, September 21, the rain remained the only thing undefeated.

Heavy rainfall washed out the boys and girls Finals the games at the MK Bhavnagar University on Monday, leaving the Basketball Federation of India's (BFI) Technical Commission with no choice but to cancel all the contests and declare all participants 'winners'. Tamil Nadu and Delhi shared the gold medal in the boys' category while Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh were declared champions in the girls' section.

It isn't a surprise that the tailend of the monsoon season provides heavy rainfall in various parts of the country, including Gujarat. But what is a shock is that the tournament's organizers did not have an indoor venue to conduct the games. In recent years, all of the national BFI tournaments have been conducted at indoor courts, with only a few games at an alternative outdoor venue. But the Youth Nationals - the first national conducted by the new BFI executive committee - was an exception, as all the games were held on outdoor courts, despite the threat of unfriendly weather.

The BFI split into two opposing committees earlier this year, with each questioning the legality of the other in an ongoing off-court battle. But Team Govindraj - the BFI faction behind the organization of the 32nd Youth Nationals - have held firm of their stand atop the federation and continued to hold events in India and abroad as normal.

Tamil Nadu did a double in both boys and girls category at the Youth Nationals last year and were looking to repeat the feat this time around. However, they have had to settle for sharing the title with Delhi and Chhattisgarh in the boys' and girls' section respectively.

P. Baladhaneshwar from Tamil Nadu was named as the boys’ MVP for the tournament. This is his second MVP trophy in two years at the Youth National Basketball Championship. For the girls, Chhattisgarh’s Gulabsha Ali was named MVP.

Maharashtra Girls defeated Punjab 51-42 behind 17 points by Rujata Pawar in the Bronze Medal game to finish third. The Boys' Bronze Medal game was also washed out due to rain and thus, both Haryana and Punjab were adjudged to finish at third place.

A day earlier, the Semi-Finals had given basketball fans a little more reason to cheer. In the Girls' section, Chhattisgarh's rising new talent Gulabsha Ali scored 24 points to help her side defeat Maharashtra to enter the Final. After a close first quarter, a 22-9 run by Chhattisgarh in the second quarter sealed the deal, and Chhattisgarh never looked back. The second girls' semi-final between TN and Punjab got off to a low-scoring start, with Punjab leading 16-15 at halftime. But scoring - chiefly from TN's end - got into a higher gear after the halftime break, and TN finished the final two quarters clinically to win 52-39. Punjab's Sakshi had 18 in a losing effort.

The boys' semi final between TN and Haryana saw several exceptional individual performances, including TN's duo of P. Baladhaneshwar (23) and GK Manikandan (20) and Haryana's Rinku (22). But it was TN who kept their command of the game most of the way, and were untroubled except a late run by Haryana. TN won 72-62. In the second boys' semi-final, Delhi started the first quarter against Punjab in ruthless fashion, putting forward a 24-4 to take away all hope from their opponents. The rest of the game was a cruise for Delhi en route to a 67-47 win. Manik (21), Hansraj (19), and Sourav (17) were the top scorers for Delhi, while Abhi Kumar scored 22 for Punjab in a losing effort.

Final Scores

• Boys: Tamil Nadu vs. Delhi - washed out.
  
• Girls: Tamil Nadu vs. Chhattisgarh - washed out.
  

Third/Fourth Place

• Boys: Punjab vs. Haryana - washed out.
  
• Girls: Maharashtra (Rutuja Pawar 17, Neha Vinod Shahu 14, Shruti Sherigar 13) bt. Punjab (Sakshi Sharma 14) 51-42 (11-9, 6-11, 15-10, 19-12).
  

Final Standings

Boys

1. Tamil Nadu and Delhi
3. Haryana and Punjab
5. Kerala

Girls

1. Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh

3. Maharashtra 

4. Punjab 

5. Madhya Pradesh

32nd Youth National Basketball Championship tipped off in Bhavnagar yesterday

When rainfall hit the courts at Bhavnagar (Gujarat) on Monday afternoon, all the outdoor basketball action came to a halt. It took a couple of hours before the dark clouds cleared the skies and the Youth Nationals - India's best domestic exhibition of U16 basketball talent - continued.

But the metaphorical dark clouds have remained hovering over all basketball activities in India all year. It is to the credit of this resilient, disputed faction of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) that the show has continued to go on, and Indian basketball - domestic and international - hasn't yet come to a complete halt despite the speed-bumps on the way.

On Monday, September 14th, the 32nd Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls tipped off at the outdoor courts of Bhavnagar University. The week-long tournament is set to feature 22 boys' teams and 21 girls' teams in a showcase of the finest next-generation basketball players in India. The championship is being organized by the Gujarat State Basketball Association under the aegis of one of the two disputing factions of the BFI. The BFI split into two opposing committees earlier this year, with each questioning the legality of the other in an ongoing off-court battle. But Team Govindraj - the BFI faction behind the organization of the 32nd Youth Nationals - have held firm of their stand atop the federation and continued to hold events in India and abroad as normal.

On-court, the action promises to be much more palatable for fans of the game itself. Tamil Nadu have entered the tournament as reigning champions in both boys and girls divisions from last year's Youth Nationals in Chandigarh. Kerala - the runners-up in both divisions - will look to finish one better this time, while the squads from Karnataka and Maharashtra (Girls) and Haryana and Chhattisgarh (Boys) will have their eyes on the prize, too. The finals of the tournament will be held on September 20.

The first morning of the tournament saw Tamil Nadu Girls cruise to an easy victory over southern neighbours Andhra Pradesh 49-12. In the other Level 1 game in the girls’ category, Haryana pulled off an unlikely 61-49 victory against last year’s runners up Kerala, on the back of Meena’s 22 points. In the boys' division, Karnataka notched a win over Jammu and Kashmir Chandigarh scraped past West Bengal.

32nd Youth Nationals Participating Teams and Groupings

Boys

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
  
• Level 1, Group B: Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra.
  
• Level 2, Group C: Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry.
  
• Level 2, Group D: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana.
  
• Level 2, Group E: Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand.
  
• Level 2, Group F: Bihar, Chandigarh, West Bengal.
  

Girls

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab.
  
• Level 1, Group B: Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Delhi.
  
• Level 2, Group C: Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• Level 2, Group D: West Bengal, Gujarat, Puducherry.
  
• Level 2, Group E: Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Telangana.
  
• Level 2, Group F: Goa, Bihar.
  

At the tournament's opening ceremony on Monday, all the invited teams participated in a march-past led by a trained marching band. Chief Guest for the ceremony was Nanubhai Vanani, the Sports Minister of Gujarat. Other dignitaries present included Mansukhbhai Mandaviya (M.P., Rajya Sabha) and Jitubhai Vaghani (M.L.A., Bhavnagar West). From the BFI, Secretary General Chander Mukhi Sharma was present and addressed the crowd. He requested all coaches to ensure maximum output from their team players as the selection committee was watching all games and all teams. Dr. Shailesh Zala, Vice Chancellor, Bhavnagar University, declared the event open. Karp Impex Group, involved in the business of diamond polishing, crafting and sale and based out of Surat, Gujarat, is the main sponsor for the event.

And yes, although rainfall interrupted the day's basketball events a little bit, the skies cleared and games eventually went on as scheduled. Hopefully, the skies over the BFI infighting can clear soon, too, and Indian basketball can continue uninterrupted in the future.

Selected Opening Day Results

Girls

• Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 49-12 (19-3, 15-0, 13-4, 2-5).
  
• Haryana (Meena 22) bt Kerala 61-49 (18-14, 10-9, 19-10, 14-16).

Indian basketball legend - the late Khushi Ram - immortalized with statue in Haryana village

During his prime, Khushi Ram always found a way atop the basketball score card, dominating Asian tournaments and rising above competitors from across the world as one of the finest Indian basketball players of his generation. As years passed, hindsight titled the man affectionately referred to as 'The Magician of Basketball' as one of the greatest Indians to ever play the game. And now, two years after his death (at 77), Ram's legacy has been immortalized forever.

Earlier this week, a statue of Khushi Ram was unveiled in his home village of Jhamri, in the Jhajjar district of Haryana. The marble statue was a first-of-its-kind to be given to honour a basketball player in India. A former captain of India's national Men's team, Kumar was handed with the Arjuna Award in 1967. His son Ram Kumar (also an Arjuna Awardee for basketball), former basketball legend Ajmer Singh, and many members of the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA) were among the many present to unveil this statue in Jhamri.

The 6-foot4 Ram was one of the leaders of an era when Indian basketball was on the rise. He was an integral part of India's national team from 1964-72, and captained India in 1965 at their first ever appearance at the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship (now known as the FIBA Asia Championship) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India finished 7th at the tournament. He was the highest scorer at the championship (the only Indian at the Senior Men's level to be the tournament's highest scorer). In the next two Asian Championships in Seoul (Korea) and Bangkok (Thailand), he was the tournament's second and third highest scorer respectively.

Born in Jhamri on August 7, 1936. His interest for basketball began at age 14 when he joined the Delhi-based Army unit Rajputana Rifles as a Boy Recruit in 1950. He made his debut as a youth player at the National Basketball Championship in 1952 representing the Armed Forces team. From a young age, he was known for his shooting ability - which helped him become an unstoppable scorer for the course of his career - and for his high IQ and sense of the game.

Ram's fame was at its height in 1970, when he dominated at the 10th Anniversary Celebrations Championship in Manila and scoring 43 points (highest by an Indian in an international) against the hosts Philippines.

After retirement and even until his final years, Ram was coaching basketball to students at the Modern School in Kota.

The Indian Express' Shivani Naik wrote in further detail about the statue unveiling and Ram's past glories.

His son Ram Kumar, an Arjuna Award-winner just like him and a coach of equal repute with the Railways, believes that it was important to set down the legacy in stone. “I personally went to Jaipur and this was made by sculptors who specialize in marble work and took two months to complete,” he says. “India’s attention is on basketball and everyone’s looking ahead to developments in NBA. But we also need to honour our past, because Indian basketball has a rich history, and Khushi Ram was a legend,” he said.
A dozen boys trained by the doyen in his final years, also played an exhibition game, as his work continues in the little-known village. Jhamri promises to be a rare basketball nursery even as the rest of Haryana is swept by myriad other sports — hockey, volleyball, boxing and even cricket. “The villagers came out in huge numbers because they knew what this man did for Indian basketball. I can’t expect the whole country to know him but it was heartening that the whole village turned up at the unveiling by another towering legend Ajmer Singh (who was India’s highest scorer in the 1980 Olympics),” Ramkumar said.
The legend of Khushi Ram is incomplete without the tale of the Philippines coach. The tiny island country were the dominant nations of Asian basketball in the 60s. A Philippines coach had once declared after an invitational tournament where Khushi Ram finished as the MVP of Asia, the highest scorer in Asia and best centre of the meet: “Give us Khushi Ram, and we’ll conquer the world.” Asia’s most formidable side in 1970s had just been humbled by a spirited India, riding on Khushi Ram’s exploits at Manila, and the rival coach made more than the polite enquiry into whether it was possible to poach India’s tall-man for good, before the team returned home.

“I know basketball players get lost in sands of time and are forgotten. But the statue will keep the spirit of this game and what it means to several village ball players alive. Future Satnams (Dallas Mavericks pick Satnam Singh) are bound to come from villages,” Ram Kumar added.

As far as I know through Uncle Google, Jhamri, with a population of a little over 2,000 people, is barely indistinguishable from one hot, farming Haryana village to another. Khushi Ram may have been the village's most accomplished son, and now, Jhamri can become the part of a unique Indian basketball pilgrimage. Pilgrims of other religions travel hundreds or thousands or miles to pay respect to their saints or their Gods around the world; for those whose true faith is basketball in India, this little village with the statue of one of our greatest talents, may become a minor 'tirth stahl' of its own.

Uttarakhand (Men) and Chattisgarh (Women) are India's 2015 national basketball champions at Bhilwara

For eight days, the best of Indian basketball was at Bhilwara (Rajasthan), welcoming the new year with the nation's biggest domestic hoops competition. The city played host to the 65th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women from December 29 - January 5. And after a combined 51 teams in the Men's and Women's sections displayed the top basketball talent in India from across the various states, units, and territories, two champions stood atop the podium at the very end. In the Women's section, Chhattisgarh repeated after last year's surprise win to once again win the gold. In the Men's tournament, 2013 champions Uttarakhand bounced back to reclaim their place at the top.

Organised by the Bhilwara District Basketball Association in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Basketball Association under the aegis of Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG-Reliance, the 'Senior Nationals' tipped off last week with some of India's top players looking to make a mark and bring home a trophy for their squads. After eight days of mesmerizing action, the tournament came to an end with the Men's and Women's finals at Bhilwara on Monday, January 6th.

A year after shocking Indian Railways in the final to win the 64th National Championship, Chhattisgarh found themselves in the Women's finale again, once more after defeating Railways at an earlier stage. Their opponent this time around were the experienced Delhi team, who returned to the final after a three-year gap. While Delhi were competitive earlier in the game, Chhattisgarh superstar Poonam Chaturvedi - India's tallest Women's basketball player at 6-foot-9 - continued her dominant run at the tournament with one of her finest individual performances. Chaturvedi let loose for 48 points to go with 12 rebounds for Chhattisgarh, helping her side blow out Delhi in the third quarter and hold on to their lead for a 84-75 win. Delhi lost the services of former Indian captain Prashanti Singh to injury earlier in the game. Sharanjeet Kaur added 18 for Chhattisgarh in the victory.

Chaturvedi was named the tournament's MVP after averaging around 30 points per game and rounded up her second national title in two years. This feat is even more amazing considering that she was diagnosed with brain tumour last year and battled back to regain her spot as one of the finest players in the country again. Another incredible fact? She is still just 19!

The Men's final pitted the winners of the last two years - Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand - against each other for an exciting battle of supremacy. The game also pitted two of India's finest big men and national team frontcourt teammates Amrit Pal Singh (Uttarakhand) and Amjyot Singh (TN) against each other, albeit Amjyot didn't play until the second half due to an ankle injury. It was the 2013 champs Uttarakhand who got off to a hot start, leading by 10 at the end of the first quarter and maintaining a double digit lead at halftime. With the help of Amjyot, TN attempted a second half comeback, but it wasn't enough as Uttarakhand held on to finish the game with a 72-63 win and the national title. Amrit Pal continued his fine form in the final, leading all scorers with 27 points and 14 rebounds. His teammate Yadwinder Singh added 16 to help Uttarakhand finish with a flourish.

Amrit Pal Singh was handed the MVP award in the Men's division.

Indian Railways Women had to settle for the bronze medal this year after a closely-fought 81-76 victory over Kerala in the Third/Fourth place matchup. Led by Smruthi Radhakrishnan (16) Railways were challenged till the very end by a talented young Kerala squad, which featured the likes of Poojamol KS (18) and Neenumol PS (16) leading the way. In the Men's bronze-medal game, India's national team starters Joginder Singh (22) and Narender Grewal (21) led the way to defeat the surprise team from Haryana, 87-70. After a wonderful run in the tournament, Haryana had to settle for fourth place, but not before their top scorers Deepak Rathee (23), Himanshu S (20), and Hemant S (20) gave Services a true run for their money.

The winning teams received Rs. 1.5 lakhs each, runners-up received Rs. 1 lakh each, and third-place received Rs 50,000 each.

At the semi-final stage a day earlier, Indian Railways Women had an opportunity to avenge last year's semi-final loss to Chhattisgarh. Despite a valiant effort by Railways' R Rajapriyadarshini (35 points, 16 rebounds), Railways came up short at the end of another classic encounter between the two sides. Behind Poonam Chaturvedi efforts (27 points, 13 rebounds), Chhattisgarh raced to a 12-point lead at halftime. But Rajapriyadarshini and Anju Lakra (20) led Railways all the way back in the third and fourth periods to a small lead. Unfortunately for them, Railways weren't able to hold on, and Chhattisgarh used a last valiant push to run past them for a 83-79 win. Sharanjeet Kaur aided Chaturvedi's monster night with 16 points in the win. Meanwhile, Delhi Women relied on the services of Pratima Singh (17) to break lose from a low-scoring start en route to a 71-63 win over Kerala. Jeena PS led Kerala with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.

In the first Men's semi-final, Uttarakhand ended Haryana's Cinderella run in style, using their experience and deep pool of talent to post a 86-64 win. Veteran international star Vishesh Bhriguvanshi led with 26 points and 10 rebounds for Uttarakhand while his international teammate Amrit Pal Singh added 16 and 13. Former international player Riyazuddin added 18 for Uttarakhand in the victory. Haryana's leading scorer was Himanshu S (19). In the second Men's final final, Amjyot Singh was in his finest form for TN, lighting up the night with 29 points and 13 rebounds in the 86-73 win for his side over Services. TN's A Aravind also added 22. For Services, Narender Grewal left it all on the line with 29 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

A day before the launch of the championship, the BFI celebrated 'Indian Basketball Day' in honour of late CEO Harish Sharma. On this day, the best players in the country took part in Men and Women's All Star games and a Slam Dunk contest. Cultural performances, prize distribution, and a remembrance ceremony for Sharma was also held.

Final Scores

• Women: Chhattisgarh (Poonam Chaturvedi 48, Sharanjeet Kaur 18) bt Delhi (Madhu Kumari 15, Pratima Singh 15, Akanksha Singh 13) 84-75 (19-22, 21-16, 26-11, 18-26).
  
• Men: Uttarakhand (Amritpal Singh 27 pts, Yadwinder Singh 16, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi 13) bt Tamil Nadu (Pratham Singh 15) 72-63 (22-12, 17-16, 10-15, 23-20).
  

Third/Fourth Place Matchups

• Women: Indian Railway (Smruthi Radhakrishnan 16, Sitamani Tudu 14, R Rajapriyadarshini 14) bt Kerala (Poojamol KS 18, Neenumol PS 16, Jeena PS 14) 81-76 (23-18, 11-13, 19-18, 28-27).
  
• Men: Services (Joginder Singh 22, Narender Grewal 21, Abhishek YP 15) bt Haryana (Deepak Rathee 23, Himanshu S 20, Hemant S 20) 87-70 (19-15, 28-24, 9-19, 31-12).
  

Final Standings

Women

• 1. Chhattisgarh
  
• 2. Delhi
  
• 3. Indian Railways
  
• 4. Kerala
  
• 5. Maharashtra
  
• 6. Tamil Nadu
  
• 7. Karnataka
  
• 8. Telangana
  
• 9. Madhya Pradesh
  
• 10. Punjab
  

Men

• 1. Uttarakhand
  
• 2. Tamil Nadu
  
• 3. Services
  
• 4. Haryana
  
• 5. Karnataka
  
• 6. Kerala
  
• 7. Indian Railways
  
• 8. Punjab
  
• 9. Delhi
  
• 10. Telangana
  

Madhya Pradesh (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) win 41st Sub Jr National Basketball Championship in Nashik

After winning a memorable double at last year's Sub Junior Nationals, Chhattisgarh's Boys and Girls had a chance to make it a 'double-double' when both teams qualified for the Finals at the tournament in Nashik (Maharashtra) this year. But their opponents had other plans: In two exciting final games at Nashik's Meenathai Thakrey Stadium on Friday, November 28, Madhya Pradesh (Boys) and Kerala (Girls) teams denied a repeat result at India's 41st Sub-Jr National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls by bringing back the gold their respective states. The two final games marked an end to the week-long tournament featuring 45 of the best under-14 boys and girls teams from across the country.

The tournament was organized by the Basketball Federation and India (BFI) and IMG Reliance along with the Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA).

The boys final was a rematch between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from last year. The two neighbouring states - one born out of the other over a decade ago - played in a tough, defensive final a year ago where Chhattisgarh emerged as winners. This was MP's third consecutive boys' final appearance, and finally, they ended their losing streak at the last stand of this competition with a high-scoring finish. After trailing by 13 in the first quarter, MP responded with a bang in the second and trailed by just three at halftime. Behind scintillating performances by Amit Singh Chouhan (31) and Manish Prasad (19), MP continued at their fast pace to stretch their lead out to a 94-82 win. Salim Ali (26) and Saif Ali Khan (24) were the leading scorers for Chhattisgarh.

The women's final was a meeting of familiar foes - Kerala and Chhattisgarh - two teams that marked the most successful junior girls basketball programmes in the country. Chhattisgarh had won every single girls' Sub-Junior title since 2002, an astonishing twelve titles in a row. But their dominant streak finally came to an end on Friday evening. Led by 36 points and nine rebounds by inspirational captain Sreekala R, Kerala overturned a two-point halftime deficit to charge ahead in the third quarter and hold off Chhattisgarh's comeback attempts in the final period to win 78-72. Despite their success at the youth and junior levels, this was actually Kerala's first Sub-Junior nationals victory in the tournament's 41-year history. For Chhattisgarh, Elizabeth Ekka scored a game-high 37 points while Neha Karva added 17.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards at the championship were handed to Kerala's Sreekala R (Girls) and MP's Mani Thakur (MP).

Earlier on in the day, the girls' bronze-medal game became an epic one-on-one encounter featuring two of the most impressive scoring performances ever seen at the national Sub-Junior level in India. Haryana's Meenu and Uttar Pradesh's Vaishnavi Yadav turned the game into their personal playground. Meenu scored a mammoth 65 points - a tournament high - breaking her own record of a 50-point game in the semi-final loss just a day earlier. In response, Yadav had 57 for UP to keep her side in the game. In a close back-and-forth contest, UP bounced back in the fourth quarter after trailing by five to win the game 98-95. In the boys' bronze game, Kuldeep S scored 21 to help Rajasthan defeat Odisha 73-61. Suresh D had 29 for Odisha in a losing effort.

On Thursday, Haryana's Meenu had taken part in a prior one-on-one duel, this time against the tournament's eventual MVP and champion Sreekala R of Kerala. The first girls' semi-final was held between Kerala and Haryana, which the former won quiet comfortably 96-78 after leading by just one at halftime. Once again, the story of the game however was an individual duel. Sreekala scored 42 to help her team win the match while Meenu poured in 50 in a losing effort. For Kerala, Aparna also added 28 in the win. In the other semi-final, Chhattisgarh defeated UP 73-65 thanks to 22 points by Elizabeth Ekka. Vaishnavi Yadav (34) and Shivangi G (16) were UP's leading scorers.

Eventual boys' winners MP fended off their semi-final challengers Odisha were relative ease, 78-61 behind 22 points by D. Raj and 16 by Harshwardhan. Odisha's best performers were Suresh Das (20) and Suresh (18). Chhattisgarh's duo of Salim Ali (18) and Saif Ali Khan (17) were at their best against Rajasthan in a high-scoring win, 96-85. While Chhattisgarh had a small edge to the game throughout, the single-handed efforts of Kuldeep Singh (36) kept Rajasthan contending till the very end.

Final Scores

• Girls: Kerala (Sreekala R. 36, Aparna Sadasivan 15, Danielie Mathews 13) bt Chhattisgarh (Elizabet Ekka 37, Neha Karva 17) 78-72 (22-18, 13-19, 21-11, 22-24).
  
• Boys: Madhya Pradesh (Amit Singh Chouhan 31, Manish Prasad 19, Mani Thakur 13) bt Chhattisgarh (Salim Ali 26, Saif Ali Khan 24) 94-82 (16-29, 28-18, 25-18, 25-17).
  

Third/Fourth Place Games

• Girls: Uttar Pradesh (Vaishnavi Yadav 57) bt Haryana (Meenu 65) 98-95 (27-27, 13-16, 24-26, 34-26).
  
• Boys: Rajasthan (Kuldeep S. 21) bt Odisha (Suresh Das 29) 73-61 (20-11, 11-10, 20-20, 22-20).
  

Final Standings Girls

• 1. Kerala
  
• 2. Chhattisgarh
  
• 3. Uttar Pradesh
  
• 4. Haryana
  
• 5. Tamil Nadu
  

Boys

• 1. Madhya Pradesh
  
• 2. Chhattisgarh
  
• 3. Rajasthan
  
• 4. Odisha
  
• 5. Haryana