The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium buzzed with energy as Day 1 of the 75th Senior National Basketball Championship tipped off, serving up a packed schedule of intense contests across both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Teams from across the country took the floor in groups A through H, producing dominant victories, edge-of-the-seat finishes, and a few early surprises that set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely competitive tournament running through January 11.
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Group A action on the indoor court saw Karnataka make a powerful start, overpowering Gujarat 104–69. Karnataka’s balanced scoring, coupled with efficient shooting, proved too much for Gujarat, who struggled to keep pace against a side firing on all cylinders. In the same group, hosts Tamil Nadu made full use of home-court advantage, cruising past Rajasthan 101–68 after building a strong early lead and controlling the tempo throughout.
Group B produced entertaining, high-scoring encounters. Uttar Pradesh edged last edition’s finalists Punjab 112–100 in a fast-paced shootout, while Indian Railways delivered a commanding performance against Delhi, winning comfortably 101–78 to underline their depth and discipline.
On Outdoor Court 1, Group C delivered one of the matches of the day as Kerala narrowly got past West Bengal 80–79 in a thrilling contest that went down to the final possession. Group D, however, was far more one-sided, with Madhya Pradesh demolishing Uttarakhand 108–45 in a complete display of dominance.
Outdoor Court 2 hosted action from Groups F, G, and H. In Group F, Bihar opened with a solid 68–60 win over Mizoram, while Telangana pulled off a narrow upset against Himachal Pradesh, edging them 73–72 in a tense finish. Group G saw Sikkim comfortably handle Andaman & Nicobar 60–32, and Assam outlast Nagaland 50–41 in a gritty, low-scoring affair. Group H featured Andhra Pradesh defeating Puducherry 79–67, but the standout result came from Odisha, who registered a massive 115–39 rout of Arunachal Pradesh.
Outdoor Court 3 added further drama. Jharkhand caused an upset in Group C by edging Jammu & Kashmir 71–69, while Maharashtra scraped past Goa 68–67 in a tight Group D clash. In Group E, Chhattisgarh beat Meghalaya 73–48, and Haryana recorded the most lopsided men’s result of the day, crushing Tripura 98–22.
As Day 1 concluded, teams like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana emerged as early pace-setters, while the narrow margins in Groups C and F suggested plenty of drama still to come.
Women’s Division: Powerhouses Flex Muscles
The women’s division also delivered a compelling opening day, combining emphatic wins with tense, low-scoring battles that highlighted the depth of talent on display. Group A on the indoor court saw Indian Railways assert their dominance early, steamrolling Delhi 101–51 with crisp ball movement and strong inside play. Karnataka followed up with a solid 91–71 victory over Maharashtra in the same group.
Group B’s opening encounter was a rout, as Kerala dismantled Gujarat 91–22, turning the contest into a one-sided affair through relentless pressure and aggressive play.
On Outdoor Court 1, Punjab overwhelmed Uttarakhand 72–28 in Group C, using speed and transition offense to build an unassailable lead. Group D produced one of the tightest games of the women’s competition so far, with Uttar Pradesh edging Telangana 42–41 in a low-scoring nail-biter. In Group F, Puducherry claimed a 64–52 win over Himachal Pradesh. Group G featured two matches, with Assam defeating Andhra Pradesh 58–43 and Meghalaya getting the better of Odisha 56–44.
Outdoor Court 2 hosted the lone Group E encounter, where Rajasthan comfortably beat Sikkim 58–35.
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The day concluded on Outdoor Court 3 with more Group E, C, and F action. Bihar crushed Jharkhand 48–12 in Group E, Haryana defeated Goa 45–35 in Group C, and Arunachal Pradesh dominated Manipur 44–15 in Group F, leading from tip-off to final buzzer.
Day 1 underlined Indian Railways and Kerala as early powerhouses in the women’s division, but closely fought matches in Groups D and G hinted at an unpredictable and exciting tournament ahead.
