Railways dominate

Sporty India Updated
While Western Railway won the A. P. Paulraj Trophy, defeating ONGC 68-56 in the final, Southern Railway lifted the Marcella Memorial Trophy for women.

The inaugural  in Puducherry, which showcased the top teams in the country, was a success. Every encounter was a thriller of sorts, what with the opening match between Vijaya Bank and Indian Overseas Bank stretching to extra-time with the former winning by a solitary point (85-84). The pulsating contest set the tone and tenor of the six-team men’s competition where the major attraction was the Western Railway squad.
A powerhouse in the national scene for years, it wasn’t surprising that Western Railway won the A. P. Paulraj Trophy, defeating ONGC 68-56 in front of a huge Sunday evening crowd.
In fact, Western Railway booked its berth in the final with three successive victories and its defeat to Vijaya Bank in a rough and tumble match did not alter the team’s fortunes.
For Western Railway Viskesh Brigwan was outstanding throughout the tournament. He claimed the special prize (a Bajaj motorcycle) as the ‘Player of the Tournament.’ Yadwinder Singh was the team’s other star.
ONGC was the next best team on view and it entered the final after beating IOB in the last league encounter. Murali Krishnan and Sridhar stood out for ONGC.
The domination of the Railway teams in the tournament was pronounced. Southern Railway, boasting several National players in its ranks and led by Geethu Anna Jose, lifted the Marcella Memorial Trophy with a comfortable win over Chattisgarh 90-66.
Anna Jose scored 25 points in the final. Anju Lakra was prominent for the Chattisgarh team in the tournament. KSEB and Mumbai XI presented a strong challenge to the top two teams.
The credit for launching this all-India tournament should go to Regeena Wilson and her husband Marie Wilson, who are the directors of the Jeppiaar College of Engineering.
The Jeppiaar College is making efforts to start a basketball academy with a state-of-the-art infrastructure and is scouting for a coach from NBA.
HE RESULTS
Final — Men: Western Railway 68 (Vivek Brigwan 27, Yadwinder Singh 12) beat ONGC 56 (Muralikrishnan 14, Sridhar 11).
Women: Southern Railway 90 (Anitha 27, Geethu Anna Jose 25) beat Chattisgarh 66 (Anju Lakra 23).
Final Positions — Men: 1. Western Railway (Prize money, Rs.1.25 lakhs), 2. ONGC
(Rs. 80,000), 3. IOB (Rs.40,000), 4. Army (Rs.30,000).
Women: 1.Southern Railway (Rs. 80,000), 2. Chattisgarh (Rs.60,000), 3. KSEB (Rs.30,000), 4. Mumbai (Rs. 20,000).