The Hindu : Sport / Basketball : IOB gets the better of ICF, takes title

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 08, 2006

Sport

Sport - Basketball

IOB gets the better of ICF, takes title

Sports Correspondent

TUTICORIN: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Chennai lifted the Karunagaran Memorial Trophy with a thumping 73-42 victory over Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai for its third win in the last match of the semifinal round robin league in the second annual State-level basketball tournament, organised jointly by TBA club and Tuticorin District Basketball Association, here on Saturday.

Indian Bank, Chennai beat Southern Railway, Chennai 91-64 in the other match for its only win and finished at par with ICF and Southern Railway, which also finished with one win and two losses each. With a three-way tie for the second place, Indian Bank was placed second on better quotient (1.11), ICF (1.08) was placed third and Southern Railway (0.80) fourth.

IOB, playing with India players Robinson and Mehir Pandey, was easily the better team and yet ICF, known for its fighting qualities, could have put up a better performance but for the team's all-rounder Vinothkumar's absence. There was also no bench strength also for ICF However the Robinson - Pandey - Chandrasekar combination struck well for IOB to outplay ICF.

In the last match of women's super league, SAI Basketball club, Salem beat Nirmalax Basektball Club, Coimbatore 58-38 for its only win and finish third. Nirmalax finished fourth losing all the matches.

Mr. T.R. Varadharajan, General Manager, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank presided and gave away the prizes.

The results:

Men (league): IOB, Chennai 73 (Chandrasekar 26, Mehir Pandey 14, Navaneethan 13) bt ICF, Chennai 42 (Sikkander Oli Raja 16, Bhubalan 14, Ashwin 10); Indian Bank 91 (Javeed Khan 16, Ullas Jose 27) bt Southern Railway 64 (Arariah Prabakar 15, Ragupathy 10).

Women (super league): SAI BC, Salem 58 (Alagu Tamilmozhi 16, Amutha 20) bt Nirmalax BC, Coimbatore 38 (Vijayalakshmi 13, Kokilaveni 10).

Special Awards:

Men: Promising Youngster: Navaneethan (IOB); Best disciplined player: M. Aravind (IB); Best point guard: Tony Lesley (ICF); Best power defence: Ashwin (ICF); Best shooter: Sikkander Oli Raja (ICF); Best centre: Bernard Philips (S. Rly); Top scorer of tournament: John D. Plato (IOB), Best power forward: Saravana Raja (S. Rly); Player of the tournament: Mehir Pandey (IOB).

Women: Promising youngster: Alagu Tamil Mozhi (SAI, Salem); Best disciplined player: S. Diviya (Rising Star); Best point guard: Anusha (Rising Star); Best power defence: Sangeetha (SAI, Salem); Best shooter: Divya (Nirmalax); Best centre: Amutha (SAI Salem); Top scorer of tournament: Geethu Anu Jose (S. Rly); Best forward: Vijayalakshmi (Nirmalax); Player of the tournament: Kokila (Rising Star).