From the newsroom of the Navakal,
Pune, India,
Sunday, February 9, 2003
For the first time ever, a basketball tournament for the deaf
at national level was organised in Pune. Seven states--Tamil Nadu,
Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and hosts
Maharashtra--participated in the touranament. B. Krishnaswamy,
Gen. Secretary, All India Sports Council of the Deaf, said, "Exclusively
for basketball this is the first ever historical championship
conducted in Pune under the auspices of the All India Sports Council
of the Deaf."
The idea behind this tournament is to select seven talented players
irrespective of the state they belong to and make a national team.
That team will be playing in the 6th Asia Pacific Games to be
held in Kuwait next year and in World Games for Deaf. "At
Kuwait in the Asian Pacific Games, whoever comes first, second
and third will he eligible to participate in the World Games for
Deaf, which is also known as Silent Olympics", said Krishnaswamy.
Players from all the states were full of enthusiasm. They played
with so much of grit and determination and were so competitive
that they could have been easily mistaken to be normal players.
Every team had its own positive points, but there was a tough
competition between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu teams. Though Maharashtra
team was expected to get the benefit of home ground, the Tamil
Nadu team was confident that they will win this tournamant.
Venkatesh, Captain of the Tamil Nadu team, said, "Maharashtra
is a very good team. But we know how to tackle them. We can win
easily. The coach has given us very good practice." After
the tournament whoever is selected to play at the international
level, will not matter much. What matters more is that a chance
is given to these people to prove their ability.
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