7th Savio Cup tips off in Mumbai!

One of Mumbai's most respected and loved basketball tournaments returns: the 7th edition of the Savio Cup All India Basketball Tournament will be held at the Don Bosco High School in Matunga, Mumbai, from January 8-15, 2012. Once again, some of the best Men's and Women's club teams from around India - plus the now-regular American side 'Shooting For Success' - will take part in the tournament.

Six Men's teams and three Women's teams will take part in the competition, tipped off at 4 PM on Sunday, Jan 8th, with a Men's clash between hosts Maharashtra and the recent winners of the Senior National Basketball Championship, Punjab.

The inauguration ceremony was held at 6 PM on Sunday.

Fr. Bosco D'Mello, the Principal of the Don Bosco School said, "The Savio Cup Basketball tournament for Men and Women is back to enthrall and entertain us in 7th year in succession. It has been growing in reputation and stature year after year and this year in its 7th edition it promises to get even bigger."

The teams participating in the Savio Cup this year are:

Men: Punjab, Indian Railways, Services, Maharashtra, ONGC, Shooting For Success
Women: Southern Railway, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra

Railways were the team to beat last year in both the divisions: the Men's side defeated Shooting For Success in a classic final game, while Southern Railway Women also got their stiffest challenge in the final game against Chhattisgarh.

Shooting For Success, a San Antonio (USA) based basketball club and foundation, will be participating for the fifth consecutive year in the Savio Cup, and they have become one of the favourites of the locals for boasting their athletic lineup of stars. This team will be led once again by their point guard and leader David "DJ" Jones. This year, a new addition to the side will be 6'10" big man Timir Patel, an Indian-origin basketball player from Texas who has played at the highest level of college ball in the US as well as trying his skills in several different countries around the world.

Every year, the Savio Cup also features an exciting slam dunk contest: here is a short video of last year's dunk contest to whet your appetite for the 2012 Savio Cup!

Shooting For Success share high-flying exciting hoops in India

David “DJ” Jones was born in California and now spends his time working in San Antonio, Texas with his basketball camp/foundation, Shooting For Success (SFS). Funny then, that the city where he hears the crowds offering him the most home support these days is thousands of miles away from home... Mumbai.

With four years of participation in Mumbai’s Savio Cup, and this year, for the first time playing in the 2011 Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament (RMBT), SFS have certainly made a name for themselves in Mumbai. The club has been the only consistent foreign side visiting India for basketball competitions in recent years, and their fan following has now reached near-cult status.

SFS’ connection with India began when their team manager, Tushar Patel, first the team over here. “We always have a great experience here, and that is why we keep coming back,” said DJ, who is the captain and coach of the side, as well as the coach back home for the SFS camp in Texas. “It is the great experience that makes us keep coming back – teams that don’t come here are missing out!”

SFS are a crowd-favourite in Mumbai, as they exhibit amazing above the rim athleticism, swarming defense, and some hot shooting rarely seen on courts in India. DJ, who has played at the professional level in the States for over a decade, says that Mumbai has been one of the places that has shown him the most love. They chant his name ‘DJ! DJ! DJ!’ every time he gets on court; they scream in delight whenever he beats a man off his quick dribble or drains one of his many reliable three-pointers. “The fans treat us well here, so we keep coming back!” he says.

Apart from their captain, the current SFS side playing at the RMBT in the Indian Gymkhana in Matunga feature the tall and athletic forward Terry Fields, who is one of the most exciting dunkers in the team and won the Savio Cup’s Slam Dunk Competition. DJ also mention point guard Limar, who is a fantastic point guard and tough defender.

Still, it’s not all ‘showtime’ from SFS – At the Savio Cup a few months ago, the Indian Railways side, led by Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, shocked SFS in an exciting finale. SFS have returned for Ramu Memorial with another strong squad, hoping to prove themselves again. “We want to get better each time and keep the fans on the edge of their seat with excitement,” said DJ, “The Savio Cup loss left a bad taste in our mouth but we are back here to win.”

With two wins in their first two games, it seems that Shooting For Success certainly mean business!