Kerala women exceeded expectations to reach the finals in the recently concluded national basketball championship in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
Kerala was without its tallest player K. Aneesha and the preparatory camp was hit by absence of many players who had to participate in inter-university meets. However, the R.Sreekala-led side had a good run and overcame stronger and better prepared rivals to enter the final.
R.Sreekala led from the front and inspired her team-mates to punch above their weight against tougher opponents. She led the scoring charts with 121 points from seven matches and it was her flawless shooting which put Kerala in good stead in the tournament. Sreekala won the award for the best three point shooter in the championships.
Sreekala, who normally plays as small forward, was forced to take up the role of a shooter and she excelled in it. “It was a good performance considering that none gave us a chance to progress beyond the quarterfinals. We were without Aneesha but other players stepped in and we beat a couple of good sides on the way to the final. We could have done better against Railways in the final. But Railways had a good team and had enough bench strength and it was able to maintain the pressure throughout the match,’‘ said Sreekala, who represented the country in the 2024 Asian Games.
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Apart from Sreekala, Susan Florentina excelled in her rebound collection and contributed 93 points from seven matches for Kerala. “Many on our side had little experience playing in the indoor stadiums. Most of us get a chance to play indoors when we attend national camps. The infrastructure should improve for us to do well. KSEB (Kerala State Electricity Board) is the leading club in India but we don’t have a proper indoor training facility in Thiruvananthapuram and we practice on concrete court risking injuries, ‘‘ said Sreekala.
“We should also change the way we play basketball here in India. We are too soft. We have to be strong physically and mentally. The other countries play more of a physical game and fouls which draw penalties here are overlooked in international matches. We should change our attitude and approach to excel at international level,’‘she said
KSEB coach Aju Jacob is not surprised at Sreekala’s performance and feels the best is yet to come from this star player. “She is an all rounder. She has excellent game sense and leadership qualities. She is a strong playmaker and effective in driving forward and in perimeter shooting. I feel her best is yet to come. Maybe this nationals is a turning point in her career,’‘ said Aju.