Date:28/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/28/stories/2005122805912100.htm

Sport - Basketball

Nationals from today

Avinash Nair

PUNE: The 56th edition of the senior National basketball championship for men and women will begin at the Shree Shiv Chatrapathi Kreedapeet indoor stadium here on Wednesday.

Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Railways, Kerala and Karnataka are the teams to watch in the men's section. Reigning champion Uttaranchal will rely heavily on the skills of Shabbir, Sridhar and Gopi, while Tamil Nadu, which finished third last year, is having a seasoned campaigner in former Asian All Star player S. Robinson. Punjab and Railways too have talents in their ranks to upset the best sides.

Indian Railways, coached by Aparna Ghosh, is the team to beat in the women's section. Except for the reverse it had suffered at the hands of Delhi in 2003, the Railways side has been dominating the championship for quite a long time.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA) authorities were busy sprucing up the three courts. The groupings: Men: Super league: Pool A: Uttaranchal, Railways, Services, Kerala, AP. Pool B: Punjab, TN, Karnataka, Jharkhand, MP. Qualifying league: Pool C: Rajasthan, Gujarat, HP. Pool D: Haryana, Goa, J&K, West Bengal. Pool E: Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, UP. Pool F: Assam, Chandigarh, Orissa and Pondicherry.

Women: Super league: Pool A: Railways, TN, Punjab and HP. Pool B: Delhi, Chhattisgarh, AP, Kerala. Qualifying league: Pool C: MP, Karnataka, Orissa. Pool D: Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan. Pool E: Assam, Gujarat, UP. Pool F: Chandigarh, Goa and Uttaranchal.