Sport - Sports : General

St. Joseph’s claims title

THIRUVALLA: St. Joseph’s HSS (Punlincunnu) won the inaugural Christ Challenge Trophy all-Kerala inter-school basketball tournament at the Christ Central school court here on Tuesday.

St. Joseph’s, after trailing in the first three quarters, bounced back in the last quarter to defeat SCSHSS (Thiruvalla) 87-81. Jose Kuriakose (22) and Jaimon Jose (20) did the bulk of scoring for the winner.

For the loser, Anil Joseph (17) and Arun Joseph (16) did well.

The results: Final: St. Joseph’s HSS (Pulincunnu) 87 (Jose Kuriakose 22, Jaimon Jose 20, Sarath Shankar 10) bt SC SHSS (Thiruvalla) 81 (Anil Joseph 17, Arun Joseph 16, Melvin Manual 10).

Semifinals: St. Joseph’s 51 (Abhijith 19, Nithin George 12) bt Christ Central School (Thiruvalla) 35 (Jishnu 10, Sanju 10).

Sandhya took five wickets for 23 runs as Kottayam’s BCM College defeated host Union Christian by seven wickets in the Mahatma Gandhi University inter-collegiate women’s cricket championship at Aluva on Tuesday.

In another match of the four-team league event, Radhika’s four-wicket haul helped Thiruvalla’s Mar Thoma College drub St. Teresa’s, Ernakulam, by nine wickets.

The scores (four-team league): UC, Aluva 73 in 13 overs (Sandhya five for 23) lost to BCM, Kottayam 74 for three in 17.3 overs.

St. Teresa’s, Ernakulam 91 in 14 overs (Radhika four for 23) lost to Mar Thoma, Thiruvalla 91 for one in 11 overs (Dhanya 32).

Nizamuddin struck thrice as host Kottayam crushed Alappuzha 5-2 and entered the quarterfinals of the State youth football championship at the Nehru Stadium on Tuesday.

Nizamuddin’s goals came in the third, 13th and 75th minutes while Sujith (fifth) and Shinto (41st) scored the other goals for the host.

Alappuzha’s consolation goals came from Harikrishnan (51st) and Imbitty Koya (54th).

V. B. Binu, Chairman, Oil Palm India, inaugurated the tournament at a function presided over by T. K. Ibrahimkutty, the President of the Kottayam District Football Association.

Holder SBT (Thiruvananthapuram) thrashed Evergreen (Manjeri) 4-0 and reached the semifinals of the State inter-club football championship at Perinthalmanna on Monday night.

Kabeer, Asif Sahir, Kannan and Shafi were the scorers.

At Kochi, a fine all-round performance by M.S. Akhil carried Maruthi Homes TCC (Tripunithura) into the Phase 1 semifinals of the 22nd BPCL Kochi Refinery all-India cricket tournament on Tuesday.

Akhil made a crucial 48 which enabled his side post 161 and took four for 20 with his leg-spin to bundle out Pioneer CC for 87.

AG’s Office Recreation Club defeated Century CC (Ernakulam) by 74 runs to also make it to the semifinals.

The scores: Maruthi Homes TCC 161 in 29.4 overs (M.S. Akhil 48, Shan Thomas four for 31) bt Pioneer CC 87 in 24 overs (M.S. Akhil four for 20).

The Lotus Club all-India tennis tournament will be held at the Lotus Club and the Regional Sports Centre courts here from January 21 to 24.

The tournament, in its second year, has hiked its prize-money from Rs. 1.5 lakhs to Rs. 2.5 lakhs this time.

Competitions will be conducted in the men’s (singles and doubles), women’s (singles) and mixed doubles categories. The qualifying rounds will begin on January 19.

The 11th National youth volleyball championship for under-21 men and women will be held at the St. Joseph’s High School ground, Angamaly, near here, from January 23 to February 1.

As many as 24 teams in the men’s section and 14 in women’s will figure in this league-cum-knockout event which is being organised by the Angamaly Sports Association under the auspices of the Kerala State Volleyball Association.

The championship has attracted six hundred players and matches will be held on four courts every day.

Tamil Nadu men and Bengal women emerged champions last year while Kerala finished runner-up in both sections.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu