PUDUCHERRY

Reigningchampions Tamil Nadu launched their campaigns on a triumphant note, securing dominant victories in both the men’s and women’s categories on the opening night of the 76th Junior National Basketball Championship at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry.

In a late-night fixture on Friday, the Tamil Nadu men’s team outclassed Delhi 54-37, powered by a stellar 16-point performance from Yadesh Kumar, well-supported by 10-point contributions each from Sumanesh V, Manish R M, and Vishal V. Delhi’s resistance was led by Mohamed SainGauri and Gagin Atri, who scored 10 points apiece.

In the women’s division, Tamil Nadu registered an equally emphatic 74-36 victory over Punjab. M Kaviya spearheaded the attack with 16 points, while Sumitha Devi (12), Shanjana P K (10), and Dheivithya S (10) ensured a balanced team effort to overshadow Punjab’s Tishmeet Kaur, who fought hard for her 17 points. The prestigious eight-day mega sporting event is being organised by the Pondicherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

The second day of the championship witnessed high-voltage drama as powerhouse teams consolidated their positions. In Group A of the men’s section, Kerala survived a nerve-wracking encounter to scrape past Uttar Pradesh 57-55 in a see-saw battle that saw multiple lead changes.

Milen Jose Mathew led the charge for Kerala with 16 points, aided by Abhishek R Pradeep (14) and Adwaid A S (11), narrowly neutralizing a fierce 16-point performance by UP’s Raj Sibgh. The quarter-wise scoreline of 17-12, 10-13, 17-12, and 13-18 reflected the razor-thin margins of the contest.

Meanwhile, in Men’s Group B, Karnataka cruised to their second consecutive victory with a commanding 87-46 demolition of Rajasthan, courtesy of a scoring blitz from Samath Manur (26 points), Vijayeendra Vedanthi (20 points), and Harshan Yatish (11 points). Rajasthan’s offense was limited to scattered efforts by Muhammed Raza Khan (12) and Manish Kumar Maal (10).

The women’s fixtures on day two delivered equally thrilling action, highlighted by a down-to-the-wire Group A clash where Haryana edged past Punjab 68-63. Kanika and Jahnavi Sheoran notched 15 points each, while Myrah Sabbar chipped in with 10 to help Haryana withstand a potent Punjab attack led by Vanshika Kaur (19), Priya (17), Tishmeet Kaur (11), and Pawanpreet Kaur (10).

In Group B matches, Uttar Pradesh displayed strong offensive depth to defeat Gujarat 85-69, riding on Neha’s brilliant 22-point game, with Anshika Sharma (15) and Pragya Singh (11) playing crucial supporting roles against Gujarat’s Dinal Viththani (13) and Nithya Agraal (10). In the same group, Kerala maintained their perfect start by convincing beat Maharashtra 81-59. Kerala’s multi-pronged attack featured Aritha K (17), Vaigha T (16), and Liya Maria (15), which ultimately overwhelmed Maharashtra despite a spectacular, game-high 29-point lone crusade by Aarya Phatangare.