sharp shooters: sharpshooters @ u-16

INTRODUCTION: The Pune District Basketball Association conducted its u-16 championship from June 30 to July 8 at the Deccan Gymkhana basketball courts.30 boys teams and 24 girls teams participated in the tournament with some clubs sending more than 1 team for the tourney.The tournament was named after Late Sanjay Nimhan.The Pune teams for the upcoming state championship to be held at Balewadi,Pune will be selected on the basis of this tournament.

SHARPSHOOTERS' PARTICIPATION: Sharpshooters participated in this tournament sending 5 teams in total i.e. 2 boys teams and 3 girls teams.The idea was to give exposure to players from the u-14 category as well since this kind of exposure goes a long way in building up confidence of the players.The teams were named A and B for boys and A,B and C for the girls in the decreasing order of their level.The club was on a high reaching the semi-finals of the u-18 tournament not so long ago.

Things, however,did not go so well for either of the boys or the girls teams this time.While the boys' B team and the girls' B and C teams got knocked out in the group stages itself,the A teams reached the knock-outs.

JOURNEY OF THE "A" TEAMS:

sharpshooters boys team

BOYS:The boys team was drawn in the group that included MPA(Modern Past Association) and Vidyanchal. MPA,the team that eventually won the tournament,brushed aside sharpshooters in the first match.Sharpshooters had to win the next match to move into the next round.And they did it in some style to thrash Vidyanchal to move into the knock-outs.In the knock-outs Sharpshooters beat St.Mary's to move into the pre-quarters where they lost to New Youngsters.

RESULTS:

Match 1 vs MPA (A) - lost 15-49 (Rushikesh Pawar 11 points)
Match 2 vs Vidyanchal -won 50-9 (Rohit Pethe 20,Rushikesh Pawar 12)

Match 3 vs St.Mary's (knock-out)- won 47-43 (Rushikesh Pawar 17,Harish Gupta 13)
Match 4 vs New Youngsters(pre-quarters)-lost 21-32( Rushikesh Pawar 12)

GIRLS:The girls team was drawn in the group that included New Youngsters and Somans.They beat Somans not conceding a single basket and beat New Youngsters comfortably to reach the pre-quarter finals.
There they lost to Hoopers tamely and thus the journey of the club ended in both the segments.

RESULTS:
Match 1 vs Somans - won
Match 2 vs New Youngsters -won 36-15 (Roserachna Lakra 12)

Match 3 vs Hoopers(pre-quarters)-lost