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Kozhikode Girls and Thrissur Boys Crowned Champions in 42nd Kerala State Youth Basketball Finals

KANHANGAD – May 10, 2024 – The 42nd Kerala State Youth Basketball Championship concluded at Kanhangad with a display of high-octane talent and nail-biting finishes. The tournament, hosted by the Kasaragod District Basketball Association under the aegis of the Kerala Basketball Association (KBA) and powered by Starting Five Sports Management, saw Kozhikode Girls and Thrissur Boys successfully defend their state titles.

Kozhikode Girls Maintain Dominance

In a clinical display of tactical execution, the defending champion Kozhikode Girls outclassed Alappuzha with a commanding 84–41 victory. Akshara K, named the Best Player of the Championship, led the charge with a game-high 31 points. Despite a resilient journey to the finals, Alappuzha struggled to bridge the gap against Kozhikode’s relentless pace.

Thrissur Boys Win Double Overtime Thriller

The boys' final was an instant classic as Thrissur retained their title by defeating Thiruvananthapuram 119–112 in a rare double-overtime marathon. After trailing in the third quarter, Thrissur fought back to force extra periods. Abhinad Rajesh delivered a legendary 44-point performance to ensure the trophy returned to Thrissur, countering a valiant 32-point effort from Thiruvananthapuram’s Joel Jose.

Bronze Medal Highlights

Girls: Thiruvananthapuram clinched bronze in a dramatic overtime win against Kollam (69–68). After Kollam staged a massive 24-10 fourth-quarter comeback to force OT, Zaaya M Jahangir took control, scoring 8 of her 33 points in the extra period to seal the win.

Boys: Kottayam secured third place by defeating Alappuzha 88–73, led by Swaroop Girish’s 39-point haul.

Closing Ceremony

The trophies and medals were distributed by Rajmohan Unnithan (MP, Kasaragod) and Adv. Govindan Pallikappil (MLA, Kanhangad). The ceremony was presided over by P. Raghuthanth (President, District Sports Council) and attended by dignitaries including Sabu Abraham (Kasaragod Jilla Panchayath President), Shihab Neerungal (VP, KBA), Fr. George Punchayil (Principal, Christ CMI School), and V.V. Rameshan (Chairman, Kanhangad Municipality).

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Detailed Scorecards

Finals

Girls 

Kozhikode 84 (Akshara K 31,Theertha Praveen 14,Anna Marium Ratheesh 12) bt Alappuzha 41 ( Subhadra Jayakumar 14) 

Boys 

Thrissur 119 ( Abhinad Rajesh 44,Abhinav N R 31, Savio Jose 17,Alan Antony10 ) bt Thiruvanthapuram 112 ( Joel Jose 32,Niranjan Suja Renjith21,Aldrin Anto 12 ) 

Bronze medal Match 

Girls 

Thiruvanthapuram 69 (Zaaya M Jahangir 33,Thejaswini V 13,Sadhiya Khan 10 ) bt Kollam 68 ( Bris Binu 30,Juana Joy 16 ) 

Boys 

Kottayam 88 (Swaroop Girish 39, Abhinav Suresh 13,Abhinav Rajendra 12, Alshy Suresh 10,Kaushik Lal10) bt Alappuzha 73 (Rexon Antony 27 Dhanesh VS 17,Evan John17,Alvin Joy 10 )