Date:17/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/17/stories/2008051755471800.htm

Sport - Sports : General

Cup of joy for IOB

Sports Reporter

— Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

CHAMPION: The IOB team which took the honours on Thursday.

Coimbatore: Chennai’s Indian Overseas Bank scored a thumping 78-63 win over late-chargers Customs and Central Excise (Kochi) in the final of the 50th all India basketball tournament for the Nachimuthu Gounder Cup at the VOC Park Corporation Sports Complex courts here on Thursday.

Despite resting its strongman and Asian All Star weapon, S. Robinson, in the first phase, IOB managed to fire from all cylinders.

Ball handler Aravind from Coimbatore set the pace with a brilliant all court show. C.V. Dinesh, another local boy, along with Chandrasekharan and Vinit Ravi Mathew upped the tempo by attacking the flanks with vigour.

With the scorecard reading 43-29 at the lemon break it looked IOB all the way. But, the men from Kochi bounced back in the third. Subhash J. Shenoy worked hard and the rest squeezed their extra energy. The kind of ferocity in which they played the last two quarters was clearly missing in the first two.

S. Railway triumphs

Southern Railway (Chennai), as expected, coasted to a comfortable 61-45 win over Central Railway (Mumbai) to lift the CRI Pumps Trophy.

The results (final): Men: IOB (Chn) 78 bt Customs & CE (Kochi) 63. Women: S. Railway (Chn) 61 bt Central Railway (Mum) 45.