THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Thiruvananthapuram city is hosting the maiden Stephen Koshy Jacob Memorial International Masters Basketball Tournament. Men and women from India and abroad — countries like Bahrain, Oman, the UAE and Sri Lanka — will prove their mettle on the courts in the capital.
This is the first time an International Masters Basketball Tournament for the 30-70 age group is being held in India, claim the organisers. The matches, which began on August 16 will continue on 17 and 18, at Jimmy George International Indoor Stadium and Police Indoor Stadium.
Around 70 teams and more than 90 matches in various categories will be held as part of the tournament — something that might go down in the record books.
Globally recognised officials will be managing the competitions at the tournament, which promises to be a golden chance for sports lovers to catch legendary players in action.
However, the morning of Day 1 began with a tragedy as the inauguration was going on. The players were lined up for the ceremony and were being introduced to the crowd when Rajmohan Mayakrishnan (48) from Tirupur, who serves in Tamil Nadu police, fainted. The medical team attended to him and shifted him to the hospital, where he later passed away.
A few minutes of silent mourning for Rajmohan was later held at the tournament, after which the competitions began to bring some cheer to the sporting enthusiasts who seemed shocked by the incident.
The good conduct of the tournament and some lively games played in true sportsmanship, they hope, would be a befitting tribute to the departed sportsman.
