Hoopdarshan Episode 99: Aparna Rajkumar on Women's basketball and broadcasting in India

A true hoops lifer, Aparna Rajkumar
has been the voice behind many of top Indian basketball broadcast over the years, commenting on national and international tournaments and hosting India's top women's players on her online show, 'Stree Got Game'. Rajkumar joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok on the Hoopdarshan podcast to discuss basketball broadcasting in country, challenges faced by India's top female players, watching Magic Johnson on the court, and the Indian women's GOAT.

Rajkumar is a sportscaster and a former multi-sport athlete. As a broadcaster, she has commentated on multiple Indian national championships for Doordarshan, the FIBA Asia Championship in Chennai, 3x3BL in India, Khelo India Games, and a number of other national, state, and invitational tournaments. She played basketball for Tamil Nadu state at al the levels.  

 In addition to our special guest interview, Kaushik and Karan also recap India's recent showing at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifying window and preview the upcoming NBA season. 

Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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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

Sozhasingarayer Robinson - Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

It's time to shower much-overdue love on a true Indian basketball legend. Sozhasingarayer Robinson might've never won big national awards or given the true respect he deserved during his playing days. But the 6-8 forward was pound-for-pound one of the greatest Indians to ever play the game, a player who took the sport into new frontiers for India, and in the process gathered a cult following behind him. For all this and more, Robinson is today's entrant into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Born in Puducherry, raised in Gujarat, and dominant eventually for Tamil Nadu, Robinson was a standout athlete and one of the first Indian players to play professionally abroad. After dominating at the state and national level, he gained fame in larger circles after leading India to a surprise win over South Korea in 2004's FIBA Asia Stancovic Cup, pouring in a scintillating 36 points in the victory. Robinson was in and out of the national team in the early part of the 2000s. His performances were impressive enough for him to be offered contracts to play in Iran for Negar Sang Sharekord and Farsh Mashad.

Back home, Robinson played for IOB (Chennai), and later, for the Indian Army, aside from his duties to the TN state team. He was a swashbuckling forward capable of hot shooting streaks, attacking from the perimeter, and finishing on the inside. Robinson was offered to play in New Zealand for the Auckland Stars after strong performances against their national team, but eventually wasn't able to complete the transaction.

A game-changing moment in Robinson's career came when he faced suspension from Tamil Nadu for missing training camp in 2006. In protest of the lack of support for India's national team, Robinson retired from the game the same year, only to un-retire a few years later to finish off his hoops journey.

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

India's Srishti Suren will be taking her talents to Canada to play for the University of Winnipeg

The dam has broken, and basketball talent is oozing out. After many recent success stories of young Indian women heading abroad for college basketball opportunities, another rising star joins the list. 19-year-old Srishti Suren will become the first Indian woman to play high-level college ball in Canada. The University of Winnipeg announced on Tuesday that Suren has committed to the Wesmen for the 2019-20 season and will have five years of eligibility.

Suren, a 5'11 forward from Chennai, most-recently represented India at the 2018 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women held in Bengaluru. She averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and helped the squad win Division B in front of the home fans. Suren also played for India's side at the 2016 version of the FIBA U18 ABC and the 2015 FIBA U16 ABC. She has been a part of the Tamil Nadu under-age teams since she was a sub-junior player.

Suren now joins a number of young Indian women who have recently played or committed to play in universities in North America, including Kavita Akula, Barkha Sonkar, Sanjana Ramesh, and Vaishnavi Yadav. According to ChrisD.ca Winnipeg News, Suren was initially recruited to play for NCAA Division I San Francisco for last season, but was unable to pursue a roster spot because of commitments to Team India at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship.

According to the official website of the Winnipeg Wesmen, Suren will enroll in Psychology and plans to minor in neuroscience.

"I feel my international experience has given me more confidence to face the court globally and taught me how important communication on and off court with my team is," said Suren. "Playing internationally has also developed my friendship skills on and off the court, which I will help me have a good understanding with my teammates. I've been wanting to fly high in life and I think this is one step closer to my dreams of playing in one of the top basketball leagues in the future."

Based in Manitoba, the Winnipeg Wesmen play in the Canada West University Athletics Association of the U Sports in Canada. The Women's basketball team won a three-peat of national championships in Canada in the mid-90s, but haven't made a finals appearance since 2006. Last year the Wesmen Women ended their season with an 8-12 record.

"We're getting a kid who's played FIBA international, has a lot of basketball under her belt and has travelled the world so she's not afraid to leave to play," said Tanya McKay, head coach of Wesmen Women, on the team's official website. "She comes here with five years of eligibility, so I think the timing is great for the program."

"She just plays so athletic... She can hit the three, she can drive, she defends well and uses her length. She's a kid who's played a lot of basketball and I think that's contagious. She's coming to play basketball, so she'll help elevate practices and be driven to compete."

Punjab Police (Men) and Eastern Railway (Women) lift 2019 Federation Cup trophies in Greater Noida

Sometimes, basketball can be completely uncomplicated, when the most basic of tenets of the game shine brighter than all the rest: size and talent. At the 33rd Federation Cup Basketball Championship for Men and Women held over the past week in Greater Noida, these were the tenets that made the difference, as the best squads separated themselves from the rest. At the tournaments finals on Sunday, June 16, the two biggest and deepest teams - Punjab Police (Men) and Eastern Railway (Women) - rose to the challenge and secured the prestigious gold medals.

Organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Uttar Pradesh Basketball Association (UPBA), the Federation Cup was held from June 12-16, 2019 at the Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, featuring 9 teams from top men's units and 8 of the women's top state teams from around India taking part.

On the final day, Eastern Railway Women were led by Libina MJ (28) and India's tallest women basketball player Poonam Chaturvedi (26) to an easy victory over Tamil Nadu, 86-67. Eastern Railway got off to a sensational 29-15 start and road the momentum towards their victory. TN's rising young star Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu had 19 for her side in the losing effort.

The Men's final saw the tournament's most impressive team - Punjab Police - complete their rout to secure this championship. Featuring two international professional players Amritpal Singh and late-addition Amjyot Singh, Punjab Police had been stellar all week, and capped off their run with a 91-71 win over the physical Indian Army squad. Arsh Preet Bhullar led the Punjabis with 24 points and Amjyot added 20. For Army, Sunil Rathee (18) and Gopal Ram (16) were the top scorers in the loss.

Earlier on Sunday, Gnanasekaran Sivabalan scored 34 for Income Tax (Chennai) to help them secure third place with a blowout win - 96-70 - over Chandigarh's Shri Guru Gobind Singh College. P. Jeevananthan added 17 for IT's win. Mithun Das (21) and P. Pandey (17) were Shri Guru Gobind Singh's leading scorers. In the women's bronze medal game, last year's champs Kerala survived a one-woman show by Maharashtra's Shruthi Aravind to win 91-70. Aravind's game-high 41 points were enough to lead the charge against a balanced Kerala squad, who were led by Anjanna PG (26), Poojamol Kochuparambu (16) and others.

Newly-minted Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju was present on Sunday to felicitate the medalists at the Cup. The top three teams received Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 50,000, and Rs. 25,000 respectively.

Arsh Preet Bhullar (Punjab Police) and Libina MJ (Eastern Railway) were named Men and Women's MVP respectively at the tournament.

Final Scores

• Women: Eastern Railway (Libina MJ 28, Poonam Chaturvedi 26, Sitamani Tudu 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (Dharshini Thirunavukkarasu 19, M Nishanthi 13) 86-67 [29-15,17-22,21-13,19-12].
• Men: Punjab Police (Arsh Preet Bhullar 24, Amjyot Singh 20, Ranbir Singh 18) bt. Indian Army (Sunil Rathee 18, Gopal Ram 16) 91-71.

Final Standings

Women

1. Eastern Railway
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Kerala

Men

1. Punjab Police
2. Indian Army
3. Income Tax

Jayasankar Menon: Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame

Jayasankar Menon has been crucial to the development of Indian basketball both on and off the court. As a player, he set new records for individual performances with the national team in the 1980s-90s. After retirement, he has been involved with the welfare and growth of the game as the IBPA founder and a coach. Today, he is named into the Hoopistani Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Originally from Wadakanchery in Kerala's Thrissur district, Menon got his start in Kerala, but eventually came to be associated closely with basketball in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, he played for Southern Railways from 1987 and played a major role in the dominant Indian Railways side from the late 80s to the 90s that were always the favourites in the national championships. In 15 Nationals with Railways and TN, he won five golds, a silver, and a bronze.

On the international circuit, the power forward rose to become of the country's top players. He was the first Indian to be chosen for an Asian All Star team in 1997, was nominated for the Arjuna Award, won 2 gold medals for India in the South Asian Games, played in four FIBA ABCs, and captained Team India to the ABC in Korea where he was at his dominant best.

Over the years, Menon received various accolades for his influence on the sport, from the Tamil Nadu government, from Indian Bank, and more. However, despite all his accolades, the Arjuna Award has eluded him. He continued to play at the domestic level until his late 30s with Indian Bank. He found himself in controversy when a scuffle in 2005 left him with a 3-year ban on the game.

After retirement, Menon rebounded to give back to the game. He was the founder and General-Secretary of the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA), former member of the FICCI sports committee, and former director of Chennai's Professional Basketball Academy (PBA), among many more coaching and operational connections with the game. Menon is married to a former Indian national women's basketball captain, Prasanna Jayasankar.

Click here for more of the 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

India's National Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship 2019 tips off in Coimbatore

As many as 700 players young Indian basketball players, fresh faces set to be the future of Indian hoops, have gathered in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) this week for the 36th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. The tournament tipped off in Tuesday and is scheduled to be held from May 14-21 at the PSG College of Technology indoor stadium in Coimbatore. It is being organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA).

In October last year, hosts Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) won the respective golds at the 2018 Youth National Basketball Championship in Udaipur. Rajasthan's Boys will again be among the favourites this year, along with strong units from Maharashtra and hosts Tamil Nadu. For the girls, watch out for all of last year's top three finishers - Punjab, Karnataka, and Maharashtra - to put on a good show.

This year's participating teams are:

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

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

Boys' reigning champions Rajasthan started off their campaign in style on the first day of action, dismantling Delhi with a 85-29 scoreline. Hosts Tamil Nadu stumbled in their first match, losing to Haryana 82-65.

In the girls' division, Punjab began their claim for a repeat title with an exciting 74-69 win over Delhi. Last year's finalists Karnataka defeated Uttar Pradesh 63-36.

You can find the full schedule of games here.

Khelo India Youth Games 2019: Tamil Nadu and Punjab share basketball honours

If the history of recent basketball successes in India are starting to sound repetitive, it's because a couple of the country's strongest hubs seem to have gotten even stronger, fortifying their defences, and now, securing their future. At the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2019 in Pune - a showcase of the best young talent in different age group and gendered events from around the country - Tamil Nadu and Punjab teams qualified for three of the four finals each in the basketball tournament. And after the clinching games at the TT Hall Courts on Saturday, Tamil Nadu won both the U21 golds, while Punjab scored top-place in both the U17 events.

Earlier this month, India's top senior basketball teams took part in the National Championship in Gujarat. In a showcase of the best talent in the country, Punjab won the men's gold medal, while Tamil Nadu took bronze. In the women's event Indian Railways (based in TN) beat the TN state team in the final.

But if the 'Senior Nationals' were a showcase of the present of Indian basketball, the second KIYG were a nod towards its future. In an extended basketball fray to include teams of both U21 and U17 categories, it was the young talent from the same states that showcased that they are ready to stretch this North-South rivalry for many more years.

TN and Punjab faced-off in perhaps the most anticipated of the games on Saturday, the Boys U21 final. Led by Hariram Raghupathy (19) and Arvind Kumar (18), TN turned around a 20-12 first quarter deficit with a dominating second period, and never let their foot off the gas pedal to win 70-59. Ajay Kumar had 21 for Punjab in the loss.

TN's U21 girls repeated the boys' success against Karnataka. While it was a close 45-43 game at halftime TN were able to get into their groove in the second period to win 82-68. Pushpa Senthil Kumar, who was recently named MVP of the Senior Nationals, led all scorers with 27 for TN in the final, while her teammate Dharshani Thirunavukkarasu added 18. Bhandavya Hemmige led Karnataka with 21 and Lopamudra Thimmayam K added 17.

Punjab had the run of the U17 basketball events. In a high-scoring boys' final, Navkaman Singh (28), Rajan (22), Avinder Singh (20) all pitched in to a 91-78 win over Rajasthan. Rajasthan trailed 55-29 at halftime and were able to make up some of their deficit thanks to efforts of Rishab Mathur (30) and Rajveer Bhati (21), but in the end, it wasn't enough.

U17 girls was, once again, Punjab against Tamil Nadu. In a tightly-contested game, Punjab held the advantage but TN remained close on their heels throughout. It was a heroic finale for Punjab's Harsimran Dhami, who exploded for 45 points to keep her squad racing ahead towards a 76-71 win. Sathiya was TN's high scorer with 23

The bronze medal games were also played on Saturday, and in what seemed like almost a coordinated effort, the teams from Kerala swept all four divisions. In the U21 section, high-flyer Sejin Mathew (28) and Muhammed Noushad (22) led the way to a close 79-73 win over hosts Maharashtra. Sameer Qureshi had a team-high 18 for Maharashtra in the loss. Kerala's U21 girls easily beat Uttar Pradesh 60-34 in the women's bronze-medal game, led by Jayalaxmi VJ (27).

Kerala's U17 boys relied on the trio of Aaron Blessen (20), Niyath (17), and Jeoram George (17) to blow past Haryana (Vikrany 21) 71-59 in their bronze medal triumph. Kerala's U17 girls defeated hosts Maharashtra 79-68 to finish third. Akshaya Philip led all scorers with 34 for Kerala while Ann Mary Zachariah added 17. Maharashtra were led by Suzzane Pinto's 21 in the loss.

Final Standings

U21 Men

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

U21 Women

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

U17 Men

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Rajasthan
• 3. Kerala

U17 Women

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

Punjab (Men) and Indian Railways (Women) are India's 2019 National Basketball Champions!

After eight days of the highest-level of basketball India had to offer, the last teams standings offered some familiar faces. Held in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, the 69th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women concluded on Saturday, January 12 with the finales. Indian Railways, the reigning women's champions, repeated their triumph again this year with a 88-71 victory over Tamil Nadu. The star-studded Punjab Men squad crept pass Services 74-65 to win the gold in their division.

The 'Senior Nationals', organised by the Gujarat State Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), featured 32 Men's and 27 Women's squads from state and units across India. The tournament was held at Bhavnagar's Sisdar Sports Complex and tipped off on January 5.

At the finals on Sunday, Railways started a little slow against the talented TN squad, but turned things around after the first quarter. Leading 42-40 at halftime, Railways kicked into top gear in the third with a 27-15 run that essentially pulled the game away for good. International stars Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi (23) and Navaneetha PU (16) led the way to a 88-71 Indian Railways triumph. Sathya scored 21 for TN in the loss.

The Men's finale was a closer affair most of the way, featuring two strong and gritty squads, Punjab and Services. Both teams remained neck to neck most of the way, with Punjab holding only a slim 53-51 lead after three quarters. Punjab, who had shocked holders TN in overtime on Friday, found their extra surge in the fourth quarter at the final. The duo of Arshpreet Singh Bhullar (24) and Jagdeep Singh Bains (19) helped see them through to the 74-65 win. India's international point guard Joginder Singh led Services with 26.

Punjab's Amritpal Singh, the international star who recovered from a serious injury to star in this tournament, was named the Men's MVP. The Women's MVP award went to Tamil Nadu's unstoppable post-threat Pushpa Senthil Kumar.

This was Indian Railways' incredible 29th title in the Nationals, while Punjab won theirs for the seventh time - and the first since Chennai 2011.

Tamil Nadu finished third in the Men's division with a 84-65 with over Karnataka, led by Muin Bek Hafeez (20), Justin Joseph (19), and Hariram Ragupathy (17). Jitender scored 17 for Karnataka while Rahul Sarathy added 16. The Women's third place was a high-octane matchup between Kerala and Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh's giant player Poonam Chaturvedi dropped 41 points, but Kerala survived to a 7--73 win led by their national team veterans Jeena Scaria (21) and Poojamol Kochuparambu (18).

Final Scores

• Women: Indian Railways (Rajapriyadarshani Rajaganapathi 23, Navaneetha PU 16, Ramya 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (Sathya 21) 88-71 [18-23, 24-17, 27-15, 19-16].
• Men: Punjab (Arshpreet Singh Bhullar 24, Jagdeep Singh Bains 19, Amritpal Singh 15) bt. Services (Joginder Singh 26) 74-65 [22-19, 15-14, 17-18, 20-14].

Final Standings

Women

• 1. Indian Railways
• 2. Tamil Nadu
• 3. Kerala
• 4. Chhattisgarh
• 5. Telangana

Men

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Services
• 3. Tamil Nadu
• 4. Karnataka
• 5. Uttarakhand

Indian basketball's biggest domestic tournament - the Senior Nationals - begin in Bhavnagar, Gujarat

You would've seen the anticipation building over the past few days. Inter-state events around the country. Each state/unit team lining up for the long road trip. Blessings and wishes on social media. Nerves. Stress. Anticipation. Hope.

Today, the biggest festival of domestic hoops in India - the 69th National Basketball Championship for Men and Women - will tip off in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. The 'Senior Nationals', organised by the Gujarat State Basketball Association and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), will feature dozens of the top state and unit teams from January 5-12, 2019 at the city's Sisdar Sports Complex.

69th Senior Nationals Participating Teams

Men

• Level 1, Group A: Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat.
• Level 1, Group B: Services, Indian Railways, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Kerala.
• Level 2, Group C: Telangana, Delhi, Goa, Meghalaya, Mizoram.
• Level 2, Group D: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland.
• Level 2, Group E: Haryana, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Puducherry, West Bengal.
• Level 2, Group F: Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh.

Women

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

Last year's Senior Nationals were held in Chennai, and the host Men's team - Tamil Nadu - took home the gold medal in a final win over Services. The women's tournament was won by Indian Railways in a blowout over Chhattisgarh. All four of these teams will again be among the favourites for the title at Bhavnagar, as well as Punjab and Indian Railways (Men) and Karnataka and Kerala (Women).

2018: The Year in Indian Basketball

India is complicated: that is not breaking news. There are goods and there are bads, there are opportunities and risks, there is optimism in the horizon and pessimism that lurks in the dark corners.

And basketball in India, of course, is a microcosm of the country itself: complicated, topsy-turvy, and often undefinable. Indian basketball in 2018 positive results, negative news, losses (lots of losses), and big wins that signalled bleak hope from the future from alternative sources. Here's a look back at the year's biggest highlights:

- University of Calicut completed an incredible three-peat at India's most prestigious national women's collegiate title - the 2018 All India Inter University Women's Basketball Championship for Women - in Chennai in the beginning of the year.

- A couple of rivalries - some old, some new - were reignited at the biggest stage in domestic Indian basketball during the finals of the 2018 Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The tournament, featuring the finest teams and players in the country, came to a conclusion with big victories for Indian Railways (Women) and hosts Tamil Nadu (Men), both of whom lifted championship trophies with victories over Chhattisgarh and Services respectively.

- The basketball tournament at the first-ever Khelo India School Games (KISG) in February was won by Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

- Three Indian players - Sejin Mathew, Princepal Singh, and Pushpa Senthil Kumar - were among 43 prospects, ranging in age from 16-18, from 36 countries around the world for the Basketball Without Borders camp at the 2018 NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles, USA in mid February.

- And at the 18th Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event in Jakarta in mid February, India's Senior Men's team lost in the gold medal game to hosts Indonesia.

- Indian basketball descended into turmoil in late February when an alleged "clerical error" by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) disqualified two of India's top players - Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh - from taking part in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Bengaluru, despite both players having returned to India from their pro leagues in the NBA G-League and NBL Australia respectively. Without those two and the injured guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India lost both games to Jordan and Lebanon at home and fell to 0-4 in the qualifiers.

- Indian basketball stars Amjyot Singh and Jeena Scaria were honoured at the Times of India Sports Awards 2018.

- First-timers in the Asian circuit, Australia, routed hosts China in the final to win gold at the delayed FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan in early April. India finished last among the 13 participating teams.

- Over the weekend on April 14-15, Australia's Women and Men both won their respective finals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Basketball tournament in impressive fashion at home. India returned from Australia losing all their games in both Men and Women's divisions.

- In early May, former Lakers center (now with the Bucks) Brook Lopez visited India to promote youth basketball development initiatives for the NBA.

- With Lopez in attendance, the youth teams from Bengaluru and Delhi won the girls and boys (respective) Jr. NBA National Finals in Greater Noida to qualify for the Jr. NBA World Championship later in the year.

- In a battle of 3x3 basketball rights, the Basketball Federation of India announced a controversial ban of 3x3 players hoping to participate in national 5x5 basketball events, and vice versa. This was done primarily to thwart the growing clout of the FIBA-approved 3BL basketball league announced earlier in the year.

- Out of a tryout of 50, eight players were chosen to join the existing contingent of the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida

- In the final of the 32nd Federation Cup National Basketball Tournament in Chittoor in early May, IOB (Chennai) exorcised years of demons against the dominant ONGC squad to win a memorable title, ending ONGC's five-year run at the top. In the women's final, Kerala's young squad added another feather to their cap, defeating neighbours Tamil Nadu in the final.

- Rajesh Patel, the most-decorated coach in Indian basketball, passed away in early May. I wrote an obituary on The Times of India Sports.

- In mid May, at the 69th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Ludhiana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (Women) and Kerala (Men) celebrated with the title, after impressive victories in their respective finales.

- NBA Academy India held a first-ever Women's camp in Greater Noida from May 27-29. Sanjana Ramesh of Bengaluru and Vaishnavi Yadav from Allahabad were named the camp's Co-MVPs.

- The 2018 Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp was held in India for just the second time from May 29-June 1. The fourth and final day of BWB Asia 2018 concluded in thrilling fashion as the 66 campers from 16 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific competed in championship games and a pair of All-Star games. India's Sanjana Ramesh shone among the continent's best and was named women's MVP.

- The BFI made controversy again by banning two of India's star players - Amjyot Singh and Palpreet Singh - from Indian basketball for a year citing "indisciplinary activities".

- Two more games. Two more losses. India's ill-fated road to the 2019 Basketball World Cup ended with road losses to Syria and Jordan. They finished 0-6 in the First Round.

- Khelo India announced in July that 40 young basketball players had been selected for talent development scholarship.

- New Zealand won 2018 William Jones Cup for Women in Chinese Taipei (July 25-29); India (0-5) finished last.

- The inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship was held in Florida, USA, from August 7-12. US Central won both boys and girls divisions. India's junior teams also took part.

- The most talented and dominant team of India's inaugural 3x3BL - Delhi Hoopers - took home the crown after six rounds of the league's first season, displaying their command over opponents and showcasing the exciting rise of 3x3 basketball in the country.

- The first Indian player to ever be drafted into the NBA, Satnam Singh made another first, joining the St. John's Edge of Canada's NBL this season.

- China swept across all categories of basketball at the 2018 Asian Games, winning gold in the Men's, Women's, 3x3 Men's, and 3x3 Women's events in Jakarta. India's women took part and returned winless.

- At the 35th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Udaipur, Rajasthan in the first week of October, Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) emerged as champions.

- Also in October, seven-time NBA champ Robert Horry made his second trip to India to celebrate start of new NBA season.

- India hosted the 2018 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Bengaluru from October 28 - November 3. 16 of the top teams in the Asia and Oceania took part, divided into higher (Division A) and lower (Division B) sections. China's U18 team raced to grab the the gold medals. And for the third time in various women's FIBA Asia events, India - starting in Division B - played a perfect tournament to win promotion to Division A.

- Uttar Pradesh (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) win 2018 Sub Junior Nationals in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) in mid November.

- Undisturbed by the drama back home, Indian star Amjyot Singh returned to OKC Blue of the NBA G-League for second season.

- Mr. UTEP 2-Step Tim Hardaway visited India to promote the growth of basketball and NBA India's recently announced McDonald’s NBA-themed promotion.

- Sanjana Ramesh (17), already enjoying a stellar year, made history by becoming only the second Indian to receive scholarship from NCAA Division 1 programme - Northern Arizona - which she will join in fall 2019.

- Zarkawt BCA won season 5 of Mizoram Super League in Aizawl, making it their second win in two editions of the tournament in the same year. Once again, Mizo basketball legend Lalrina Renthlei was named MVP.

- The year ended on a high: the NBA officially announced that India will host their first-ever preseason games, in Mumbai, in October 2019. The games will feature the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings and are bound to become a flagship moment in the history of basketball/NBA in the country.

The NBA India Games will surely be the most anticipated event for the game in 2019, but there will be FIBA Asia events and more individual achievements for India to look forward to. Hopefully, there is less drama and more focus on the growth of the game to meet India's potential!

Uttar Pradesh (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) win 2018 Sub Junior Nationals in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)

The finals of this year's 5th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) had the favourites and reigning champions from each division primed to double up their winning streaks. But then, the underdogs struck, and on the marquee matchups of the "Mini" (U14) Nationals on Sunday, November 18, it was Maharashtra (Girls) and Uttar Pradesh (Boys) that emerged as winners.

Maharashtra's girls ended a 14-year wait to defeat reigning champions Tamil Nadu 83-66 to win the U14 Indian basketball crown. Last their semi-final comeback win over Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra bounced back in the final after trailing 16-20 in the first quarter. They dominated the next two periods behind 20 points by their star forward Shomira Bidaye.

In the boys' final, Uttar Pradesh upset reigning champs Rajasthan to secure the gold, jumping up from a fourth-place finish in their tournament's last iteration in Didwana (Rajasthan) last year.

Organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Himachal Pradesh Basketball Association (HPBA), the tournament was held at the Municipal Ground in Kangra from November 12-18, 2018.

45th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship tips off in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

For the next week, the centre of Indian basketball will be facing north. The top "mini" basketball teams in the country (under-14s) are in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh for the 45th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. The tournament, organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the Himachal Pradesh Basketball Association (HPBA) will be held at the Municipal Ground in Kangra from November 12-18, 2018.

Last year's champs in Didwana (Rajasthan)- Rajasthan Boys and Tamil Nadu Girls - are sure to be favourites again for this year's event. Other teams to keep an eye on include Chhattisgarh's contingent, Madhya Pradesh boys, and Maharashtra girls.

HP's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was the chief guest at the tournament's opening ceremony and inaugurated the event. Also present were Vipin Singh Parmar (Health Minister, Himachal Pradesh) and K. Govindraj (President, BFI).

Hosts Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) win gold at 2018 Youth National Basketball Championship in Udaipur

The fans expected to defend their home turf, to ensure that local pride was protected, to win a major national basketball championship against some of the best young players in the country. And Team Rajasthan did just that. At the 35th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Udaipur, Rajasthan over the past week, India's top youth (under-16) teams showcased their skills and made a name for themselves as rising prospects. When the dust settled after the finals on Sunday, October 7, Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) emerged as champions.

For Rajasthan, the victory was their first gold in the Youth Nationals since 2007. Rajasthan left no room for mistakes in the final, defeating Maharashtra easily 85-54 to secure their victory. Rajasthan's Rajveer Singh scored 26 points in the final and was aided by Jitendra (18) and Rudra Pratap (17).

The girls' final was a closely-contested match that saw Punjab sneak by Karnataka 67-66 to secure the gold medal. Sukhmandeep Kaur led the way for Punjab with 16. The defeat was Karnataka's second-consecutive year of a loss in this tournament's finale. Sanjana scored 24 for Karnataka in the loss.

Tamil Nadu (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) finished with bronze medals in their respective divisions.

Rajveer Singh (Rajasthan) and Sukhmandeep Kaur (Punjab) were named the Most Valuable Players in the boys and girls divisions respectively.

Final Standings

Boys

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

Girls

• 1. Punjab
• 2. Karnataka
• 3. Maharashtra

Eight of India's leading men's basketball teams head to Coimbatore for PSG Trophy All India Tournament

One of India's most prestigious invitational basketball tournaments will return to Tamil Nadu this week, featuring several of India's top players vying for the highest honour. The 54th All India basketball tournament for the PSG Trophy will begin at the PSG Tech Indoor Complex in Coimbatore on Sunday, September 9 featuring eight teams from around the country. The final of the tournament is scheduled for September 13.

Participating teams will include Indian Army (Delhi), Indian Bank (Chennai), Indian Railways, Income Tax (Chennai), Vijaya Bank (Bengaluru), Customs (Kochi), Integral Coach Factory (Chennai) and Indian Air Force (Delhi). Indian Army finished runners-up in this tournament last year. Last year's champs IOB (Chennai) will not be taking part this year.

The winners will get Rs one lakh, the runner-up Rs 50,000 while the best player will receive Rs 10,000

Tamil Nadu Women and Kerala Men win 2018 Junior Nationals in Ludhiana

India's biggest festival of junior (under-18) basketball concluded on Monday, May 14th in spectacular fashion with a couple of southern teams stomping their dominance in a northern stronghold. At the 69th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Ludhiana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (Women) and Kerala (Men) celebrated with the title, after impressive victories in their respective finales.

Organised by the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the 'Junior Nationals' tipped off at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on Monday, May 7. 28 Men's teams and 24 Women's teams took part in the tournament.

In the Women's final, Tamil Nadu got off to a fast start against their neighbours Kerala, leading by double digits in the first quarter. Another spurt after halftime secured a 77-58 win for TN, helping them retain their title after last year's victory. Aishwary scored 17 for TN in the win.

The men's final was a high-octane, close affair, pitting together Kerala and Rajasthan, last year's silver and bronze medallists respectively, against each other. Rajasthan got off to a fast start and led 52-49 at halftime. Kerala made up for the difference in the third quarter and then stretched their lead to win the game 108-101. Shanazil (29) and Chacko (26) led Kerala's winning efforts, while Rajasthan's young star Rajeev Singh had 40 in the loss and Sumeet added 16.

Hosts Punjab Men got some taste of success on the final day as they grazed by Delhi 97-44 to win the bronze medal, led by Rajan (39) and Jagshanbir (19). Aditya had 27 for Delhi in the loss. Uttar Pradesh Women blew out Karnataka 72-32 to win third place, led by their one-woman wrecking crew Vaishnavi Yadav (53).

Vaishnavi Yadav of UP, who earlier in the tournament had a record 71-point game, was given the women's MVP award. The men's MVP was Rajeev Singh of Rajasthan.

Final Scores

• Women: Tamil Nadu (Aishwary 17, Pratibha 15, Pushpa 14) bt. Kerala(Sreekala 14) 77-58 [21-10, 24-20, 22-14, 10-14].
• Men: Kerala (Shaznil 29, Chacko 26) bt. Rajasthan(Rajeev Singh 40, Sumeet 16) 108-101 [22-28, 27-24, 28-22, 31-27].

Third/Fourth Place

• Women: Uttar Pradesh (Vaishnavi Yadav 53, Kavya 13) bt. Karnataka 72-32 [14-10, 19-7, 17-10, 22-5].
• Men: Punjab (Rajan 39, Jagshanbir 19) bt Delhi (Aditya 27) 97-44 [16-11, 25-11, 29-17, 27-8].

Final Standings

Women

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

Men

• 1. Kerala
• 2. Rajasthan
• 3. Punjab
• 4. Delhi
• 5. Uttar Pradesh

2018 Junior National Basketball Championship tips off in Ludhiana, Punjab

They are on the cusp of greatness, one more level away from entering the biggest stage. These are the India's best Junior (under-18) basketball players, and for a week-long festival of hoops at the famous grounds of the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab, they will feature among their competitors from around the nation in the 69th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women.

Organised by the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the 'Junior Nationals' tipped off in Ludhiana on Monday, May 7. 28 Men's teams and 24 Women's teams are scheduled to participate in the tournament.

The Men's team for hosts Punjab will probably start the tournament as favourites, featuring a number of exciting young players, a passionate home fan-base offering them support, and the experience of being reigning champs after winning the same tournament in Greater Noida last year. Last year's medallists Kerala and Rajasthan will hope to do one better and challenge the hosts for the title. In the Women's division, 2017 winners Tamil Nadu will hope to continue their positive run, facing contenders like the improving Uttar Pradesh side and the always dangerous squad from Kerala.

The Junior Nationals began under a dark cloud, however. On his way to the tournament with his Chhattisgarh state team, India's most-decorated basketball coach Rajesh Patel died of a cardiac arrest. Patel has had a dominant record with Chhattisgarh's Women's team in the Junior Nationals and his presence will be missed on the sidelines.

Participating Teams

Men

• Group A: Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh
• Group B: Kerala, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh
• Group C: Telangana, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Tripura
• Group D: Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttarakhand
• Group E: Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Nagaland
• Group F: West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram

Women

• Group A: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
• Group B: Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
• Group C: Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh
• Group D: Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand
• Group E: Chandigarh, Assam, Puducherry, West Bengal
• Group F: Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand

Punjab dominated the first day of action. The men's squad defeated Uttar Pradesh in a 107-49 washout led by rising young star Princepal Singh (32). The women defeated Rajasthan 74-56 despite 27 points by Ishika of the Rajasthani squad. Tamil Nadu Wome got their title defence to a good start with a 71-46 win over Gujarat. Kerala's Men's squad won a high-scoring matchup against Madhya Pradesh 103-86 led by Shanazil (25) and Chacko (22), overcoming MP's Udayveer who had a game-high 34 in the loss.