Tamil Nadu men, Railways women lift National Basketball Championship trophies

Women’s team from Railways dominate Kerala, with the final scoreline reading 80-50; Tamil Nadu edge Railways 72-67 to lift the trophy

Tamil Nadu men’s team and the Railways women’s side lifted the trophies as the curtains fell on the eight-day extravaganza of the 73rd Senior National Basketball Championships (Men and Women) in Ludhiana.

Railways women’s teams with the winners’ trophies at the 73rd Basketball National Championships in Ludhiana. (Manish/HT)

The women’s team from Railways dominated their counterparts from Kerala, with the final scoreline reading 80-50. Tamil Nadu edged Railways in a much-closer final 72-67.

In the men’s competition, the home team Punjab brought joy for the fans by clinching the bronze medal. The side edged out Delhi in the third-place play-off with a 71-65 scoreline

The women’s team from Tamil Nadu, meanwhile bagged the bronze medal, ousting Karnataka in a keenly contested match 65-54.

The closing ceremony was presided over by Arpit Shukla IPS, special deputy general of police (DGP, law and order), lauded the organisers for presenting a spectacle. Shukla extended gratitude to the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) for choosing Punjab as the host for the tournament.

RS Gill, president of Punjab Basketball Association, along with Aadhav Arjuna and Kulwinder Gill, president and secretary-general of BFI, respectively, graced the occasion of trophy and medal distribution to the winners.

The tournament saw city residents and spectators swarm the venue, underscoring the sport’s growing popularity in the region. The championship witnessed 64 teams compete in over 200 matches across the league and knock-out stages.