Chhattisgarh edge Kerala to emerge Jr Natl basketball champions, Karnataka men triumph

Chhattisgarh women overcame the fighting Kerala hoopsters to carve out a gritty 55-51 win to clinch the title at the Junior National Basketball Championship in Puducherry. In the men’s final, Karnataka cruised to a comfortable 83-75 win over Haryana.

Chhattisgarh set a punishing pace right from the opening whistle, orchestrating a dominant 19-11 run in the first quarter that left Kerala scrambling defensively. Refusing to let the game slip away, Kerala responded with a fiery second-quarter counterattack. Exploiting gaps in the transition defense, Kerala outscored the favourites 17-10 to dramatically cut the deficit to just one point at the halftime buzzer.

The second half turned into a tactical chess match. Kerala continued their aggressive push in the third quarter, edging ahead 11-10 to keep the pressure mounting. However, Chhattisgarh’s championship composure shone through in the final period. Re-establishing their defensive lockdown and executing precise fast breaks, Chhattisgarh broke away with a decisive 16-12 fourth-quarter run to put the game out of reach and secure the national crown.

For the champions, Divya Rangari was the top scorer with 22 points, including three 3-pointers. Captain Anjali Kodapae anchored the offensive plays with 14 points under the guidance of head coach Rajeswara Rao. Kerala’s valiant fightback was spearheaded by Liya Maria and Subadra Jaykumar, who contributed 12 points each, while Vaigha T added 11 points.

Karnataka, winners of the Junior National basketball championship in Puducherry

In the men’s category, Karnataka defeated Haryana 83-75 in the late-night championship match.

The tournament featured significant financial rewards. The winners carried home a cash prize of ₹3 lakh, the runners-up received ₹2 lakh, and the second runners-up walked away with ₹1 lakh. On the individual front, the Championship’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Divya Rangar, Chhattisgarh, and Adithya Vittal Shenoy of Karnataka took home ₹50,000, while the tournament’s best three-point shooter Arya of Maharashtra was awarded ₹25,000.

Earlier in the day, the bronze medal matches witnessed intense battles. Rajasthan men secured the third-place podium by defeating Chandigarh 85-78 in an evenly fought encounter. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu women overcame Karnataka 58-54 in a nail-biting finish to take home the bronze.

Aadhav Arjuna, minister for public works & sports development, government of Tamil Nadu, and president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), graced the closing ceremony. N Marie Wilson, minister for finance, planning & development, government of Tamil Nadu, was also present.

The presentation ceremony was presided over by A Anbalagan, MLA, in the presence of Kulvinder Singh Gill, secretary general of the BFI, and T Chengalraya Naidu, treasurer of the BFI.

Results: Women’s final: Chhattisgarh 55 (Divya Rangari 22, Anjali Kodapae 14) beat Kerala 51 (Liya Maria 12, Subadra Jaykumar 12, Vaigha T 11).

Men’s final: Karnataka  83 ( Samath Kumar 19, Anshul Sai 19, Adithya Vittal Shenoy 18, Vijeendra Vedanthi 14, Harshan   Yatish 11) beat Haryana 75 (Rahul 27, Sachin 16, Mayank Kanchi 14, Ajay 13).

Bronze medal: Women: Tamil Nadu 58 (Rithika Rajasekharan Mekala 16, Guru Dharshini 11, Sephora T Thadeus 10) beat Karnataka 54 (Shravani Shivanna 15, Nidhi Umesh 15, Deepika PP 10).

Men: Rajasthan 85 (Mohammed Raza Khan 27, Arpit Meena 20, Manish Kumar Maal 19, Bhupendra Singh Rathore 12) beat Chandigarh 78 (Ajay 18, Nikhil 17, Tushar 12, Rupendar 12).

Semifinals (women): Chhattisgarh 67 (Divya Rangari 27, Rumi Konwar 10) beat Karnataka 62 (Shravani Shivanna 16, Nidhi Umesh 14, Nireesha BC 10). Quarter scores: 14–11, 10–20, 17–7, 26–24.

Kerala 70 (Liya Maria 19, Arthika K 18, Subhadra Jaykumar 15) beat Tamil Nadu 54 (Sumithra Devi 20, M Kaviya 12, Lakshmi Priya Lakshmana Perumal 11). Quarter scores: 18–17, 16–11, 15–10, 21–16.

Men: Haryana 87 (Ajay 27, Mayank Kanchi 22, Rahul 17, Sachin 15) beat Rajasthan 80 (Mohammed Raza Khan 27, Bhupinder Singh Rathore 14, Manish Kumar 12, Sanskar Saini 10). Quarter scores: 19–18, 21–15, 25–14, 22–33.