: 67th Senior National Basketball Championship tips off in Puducherry
Puducherry, 7th January 2017: The prestigious 67th Senior National Basketball Championship tipped off today at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry. The championship is being organised by the Puducherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India.
Last year’s runners up, Kerala women opened with a comfortable 66-21 win over West Bengal. In lower Level 2 action, Karnataka and Odisha women too started off with confident victories.
In the two men’s matches so far, Gujarat in Level 1 and West Bengal from Level 2 beat Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand respectively.
The participation of defending champions Services men and Indian Railways women was officially confirmed.
Inauguration Ceremony
Indian men’s team star Amritpal Singh (representing Uttarakhand) lit the inaugural flame, officially declaring the Championship open. Shri Aadhav Arjuna, Chairman of the Puducherry Basketball Association was the chief guest. Other dignitaries included Prof P Dananjayan (Principal, Puducherry Engineering College), Rev. Fr. R. Pascal Raj (Principal, Petit Seminaire Hr. Sec. School), Shri S Chander Mukhi Sharma (Secretary General of Basketball Federation of India), Shri VVR Raj Satyen (President, Tamil Nadu Basketball Association) and Sendhil Thyagarajan (Senior Vice President, Tamil Nadu Basketball Association).
Senior members of the organizing Puducherry Basketball Association were also present to ensure the smooth conduct of the inauguration.
Results till 5 pm
Men:
Level 1
1. Gujarat (Harpal Singh 23, Dhval Ulva 15, Kasi Rajan 11) bt Chhattisgarh (Rudraksu 25, P Rajesh 12) 57-51 (19-14, 15-11, 8-14, 15-12)
Level 2
1. West Bengal (Manpreet 20, Amrit Singh 12) bt Jharkhand (Sukdeep Singh 11, Arshad Khan 7) 63-31 (22-11, 24-6, 16-7, 1-7)
Women:
Level 1
1. Kerala (Jeena PS 16, Elizabeth 12) bt West Bengal (Paulami 5, Neha 5) 66-21 (18-5, 18-5, 14-5, 16-6)
Level 2
1. Karnataka (Bhandavya HM 28, Priyanka 15) bt Gujarat (Aarti 15, Nidhi 7) 66-32 (16-14, 26-03, 14-8, 10-12)
About the 67th Senior National Basketball Championship 2017
The championship is being held 7th to 14th January. 27 men’s teams and 25 women’s teams have confirmed their participation.
The championship is being organised by the Puducherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India.
Matches are being simultaneously held on four different courts: the indoor and outdoor courts of the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium complex (Courts 1 & 2), and the two courts at the Petit Seminare School.
Defending champions Railways women will be the team to watch out for as it rekindles its rivalry with previous winners Chhattisgarh. In the men’s section, traditional powerhouses Services, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu will be vying for top honours.
29 international players from across the country will be adding their experience to the fray.
Relevant Links for further information
- Senior Nationals format & significance
- Info on winners and runners up from all the past Senior Nationals
- Previous (66th edition) consolidated results & final standings
- 65th edition consolidated results & final standings
About Basketball Federation of India
The Basketball Federation of India or BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. BFI has been involved in conducting camps, clinics, events, and training sessions at its academies for the development of basketball. BFI came into being in 1935 and took complete control over Indian basketball in 1950. Prior to that time, the Indian Olympic Association handled the conduct of Indian basketball championships. Since 1950, the BFI has been conducting various such championships, from the grassroots to senior team participation in international tournaments. In addition, the BFI has been responsible for the establishment of strong sub-junior and junior level programs. The BFI has to its credit produced several international players of repute, among them 17 have been bestowed with the honour of Arjuna Awards. Earlier in June 2015, 19-year-old Satnam Singh Bhamara made history by becoming the first Indian national to be drafted by an NBA team, when he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks. More information at www.basketballfederationindia.
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