CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu men will open their campaign against Delhi in the senior National basketball championships which kicks off at the Nehru Indoor stadium here on Sunday. While TN men will have an edge over their counterparts, the task appears tough for the state women’s team as they face the formidable Indian Railways side in the tournament opener.
16 men’s and 15 women’s state teams are featuring in the tournament to be held from April 3-10. Both men and women teams are split into four groups each. Once the first stage of round-robin clashes concludes, the top two teams from each group progress into the next stage where eight teams will be divided into two pools. Subsequently, the top-two from each pool make it to the semifinal stage.
The TN men’s team, which won the title in 2018, are in Group C and have Delhi, Uttarakhand and Mizoram for company. “Qualifying for the next stage will be our first target. Each match is important and we will have to be on our toes from the word go,” said the men’s team coach CV Sunny on the eve of the tournament. Skipper Muin Bek Hafeez is confident that the team possesses the necessary arsenal to go the distance. “We have a fine side with a good mix of youth and experience. Five of our players are in college and they complement the seniors well,” said Muin.
While the TN men have won the National title multiple times, the women’s side are yet to win the crown. Coach Delhi Raj is confident that the women’s team will come up with a good show. TN women are part of Group A which also feature champions Indian Railways, Delhi and Maharashtra. “We are in a tough group but given the depth in our side the team should deliver,” said Raj.
Groupings
Men: Group A: Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana; Group B: Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Services; Group C: Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Mizoram; Group D: Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Indian Railways
Women: Group A: Indian Railways, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu; Group B: Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh; Group C: Telangana, Odisha, Haryana, Assam; Group D: Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Karnataka.
