Tamil Nadu began their title defence with emphatic wins in both men’s and women’s divisions, while Telangana crushed Assam 67-31 in Level II. The 76th Junior National Basketball Championship in Puducherry showcased strong state performances on day one
Published Date – 24 May 2026, 12:21 AM
Hyderabad: Reigning champions Tamil Nadu began their campaign on a triumphant note, securing dominant victories in both the men’s and women’s categories on the opening day of the 76th Junior National Basketball Championship at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Puducherry.
In the men’s Level II stage, Telangana defeated Assam 67-31.
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 fightback was led by Mohamed Sain Gauri 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 organized by the Pondicherry Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
The scores:
Men:
Group A: Tamil Nadu 54 (Yadesh Kumar 16, V. Sumanesh 10, R M Manish 10, V. Vishal 10) bt Delhi 37 (Mohamed Sain Gauri 10, Gagin Atri 10).
Kerala 57 (Milen Jose Mathew 16, Abhishek R. Pradeep 14, A S Adwaid 11) bt UP 55 (Raj Singh 16).
Karnataka 87 (Samath Manur 26, Vijayeendra Vedanthi 20, Harshan Yatish 11) bt Rajasthan 46 (Muhammed Raza Khan 12, Manish Kumar Maal 10).
Level II: Chhattisgarh bt Odisha 80-79; Telangana bt Assam 67-31; Maharashtra bt Meghalaya 77-43; Delhi bt Odisha 68-50; Puducherry bt Uttarakhand 81-35; Assam bt Jharkhand 47-46; West Bengal bt Bihar 43-13.
Women:
Group A: Tamil Nadu 74 (M. Kaviya 16, Sumitha Devi 12, P K Shanjana 10, S. Dheivithya 10) bt Punjab 36 (Tishmeet Kaur 17).
Haryana 68 (Kanika 15, Jahnavi Sheoran 15, Myrah Sabbar 10) bt Punjab 63 (Vanshika Kaur 19, Priya 17, Tishmeet Kaur 11, Pawanpreet Kaur 10).
Group B: UP 85 (Neha 22, Anshika Sharma 15, Pragya Singh 11) bt Gujarat 69 (Dinal Viththani 13, Nithya Agraal 10).
Kerala 81 (K. Aritha 17, T. Vaigha 16, Liya Maria 15) bt Maharashtra 59 (Aarya Phatangare 29).
