Date:26/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022660341800.htm

Sport - Basketball

MEG keeps crown

KOTTAYAM: Captain Tinu Joseph led from the front as Madras Engineering Group (Bangalore) defeated Central Excise (Kochi) 87-54 and retained the men’s title in the 14th YMCA all-India basketball tournament at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.

MEG trailed 11-16 after the first quarter but it raced to a huge lead after that, thanks to former international Tinu’s hard work. The Bangalore side was fast, came up with steady play and as the match wore on the Central Excise players were mere spectators.

Central had some big names, including former Indian stars Sunny Thomas and Subash Shenoy, but many of its players were slow.

Tinu Joseph and Southern Railway’s P. Anitha received the best player awards in the men’s and women’s sections respectively. V.N. Vasavan, the Kottayam MLA, gave away the prizes.

The result:

Men’s final: MEG, Bangalore 87 (Tinu Joseph 31, Peter John 21) bt Central Excise, Kochi 54 (Eudrick Pereira 16). — Principal Correspondent