Quarter-final race takes shape at Sub-Junior Nationals

Vijayawada: The quarter-final picture at the 51st Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship, being conducted in Vijayawada, became clearer on Day 4, with several teams officially securing their places in the knockout stage after impressive performances in the league phase.

The tournament is being conducted at Maris Stella College, Chennupati Ramakotaiah Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium, and KBC ZPH School at Patamata in Vijayawada.

In the boys’ section, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have secured their places in the quarter-finals. In the girls’ section, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have confirmed their quarter-final berths.

In boys Group A, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan confirmed their quarter-final berths. Rajasthan produced one of the day’s closest contests, edging past Uttar Pradesh 73–71 in a thrilling encounter.

Harshwardhan Singh led Rajasthan with 21 points, while Robin Dhanka and Rajath Vyas contributed 19 and 18 points respectively. For Uttar Pradesh, Ayushman Kumar scored 14 points, while Vanish Tomar and Sahil Kumar added 12 each.

In boys Group B, Karnataka, Delhi and Maharashtra booked their places in the knockout stage. Delhi registered a convincing 72–29 victory over Karnataka, with Vanish Dalal scoring 17 points and Karthik adding 16.

Despite the defeat, Karnataka had already done enough in the league phase to secure its quarter-final spot.

In the girls’ section, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu confirmed their quarter-final berths from Group A. Tamil Nadu strengthened its position with a dominant 62–17 victory over Telangana. V Anshika led the scoring with 13 points, followed by Dhanya M with 12 and Kavya IK with 10. Maharashtra were among the standout performers of the day in Girls Group B, overpowering Kerala 103–45 to secure their place in the quarter-finals. Netra Damke was the star performer with a game-high 36 points, while Aarohi Kamble added 15 and Maitri Sha contributed 12.

Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have also confirmed their places in the Girls Group B quarter-final lineup. Kerala, despite its defeat to Maharashtra, had accumulated enough results during the league phase to progress to the knockout stage.

The Level 2 Boys competition also witnessed several high-scoring victories. Telangana defeated Goa 107–29, Chhattisgarh beat Tamil Nadu 82–19, West Bengal crossed the century mark with a 100–29 victory over Chandigarh, while Kerala defeated Puducherry 76–17.

With one day of league action remaining, the battle for the remaining quarter-final places and final group positions is set to reach a decisive stage.

Teams will look to finish the league phase strongly and carry their momentum into the knockout rounds.

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The Hans India