THIRUVALLA: Indian women's basketball team captain Geethu Anna Jose was felicitated at the YMCA Hall here on Tuesday.
The reception was accorded to the star at the inaugural function of the fund-raising campaign for the conduct of the 54th Senior State Basketball Championship beginning at the Public Stadium on November 30.
Municipal Chairman Cherian Polachirackal honoured Geethu on behalf of Thiruvalla Municipality while Pathanamthitta district collector T T Antony honoured India's best known hoopster on behalf of the Pathanamthitta District Basketball Association. The YMCA also honoured Geethu with vice-president John Mathew presenting her with a memento.
Collector Antony received the first donation from the Pathanamthitta District Crusher Unit president R Sreedharan Nair, marking the inauguration of the fundraising campaign.
Mathew T Thomas MLA and YMCA president Shaji P John also attended the function.
Geethu left for Bangalore to join the national camp for the upcoming 303 Indoor Asian tournament in Vietnam.
Abishek given warm welcome
Kochi: Abhishek N Joshi, who represented the national under-16 football team at the qualifying competition for the AFC Cup football championship held in the United Arab Emirates recently, was accorded a warm reception at the Sree Narayana Auditorium, Ayappankavu, on Tuesday.
K Babu MLA inaugurated the function in which the SN HSS, Ayappankavu, student was presented with a memento on behalf of the school by the Kerala Football Association president K M I Mather. Olympian O Chandrashekharan also attended the function.
SBT enter final
Kochi: State Bank of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram, defeated Cosmos Cricket Club, Coimbatore, by 25 runs and entered the second phase final of the 56th Maruti Homes all India Pooja cricket tournament at the Palace Oval in Tripunithura on Tuesday.
In the final pool A match, SBT were bowled out for 215 runs in 44.5 overs after electing to bat. In reply Cosmos, who had to reach the target in 39 overs to make the final on better run-rate, were dismissed for 190 in 38.2 overs.
Medium pacer Kevin Oscar (5 for 54) and skipper Chandrashekhara, with his left arm spin (4 for 23) did the star turns for SBT, destroying the Coimbatore side.
Opener Hariprasad (64 off 77 balls, 5x4, 1x6) and Shahjahan (43 n o off 40 balls, 6x4) were the main scorers for Cosmos.
Earlier, former Kerala players M P Sorab (47 off 65, 4x4) and S Ramakrishnan (76 off 87, 2x6, 8x4) shared a fourth wicket stand of 66 runs to held their side past 200. Kevin Oscar made 31 off 33 balls (2x6, 1x4).
Sivakumar (3 for 33) and Madhu (2 for 32) shone with ball for Cosmos. In the first Pool B match on Thursday, Raghavendra XI, Chennai will play against first phase winners Cordiant Sports Foundation, Tripunithura.
In the first two matches in pool A, defending champions Swantons Cricket Club, Ernakulam had defeated Cosmos while SBT had beaten Swantons.
Mini Soccer tourney
Kochi: The RSC Mini Soccer Inter-School Tournament will be held at the Regional Sports Centre here from October 28 to November 1.
Competitions will be held in the under-10, under-13, under-14 and under-17 categories.
SC Seminary to meet St Thomas HSS in final
Kottayam: SC Seminary HSS, Thiruvalla will meet St Thomas HSS, Kozhencherry in the boys’ final of the 1st St Joseph’s All Kerala Interschool Basketball Tournament at Mundakayam on Wednesday.
In the girls’ section, Mount Carmel HSS, Kottayam will take on MT HSS, Kottayam.
In the semifinals, S C Seminary beat St Ephreme’s HSS, Mannanam 60-55 while St Thomas defeated St Joseph’s HSS, Pulinkuunnu 68-60.