Kenyan team for All India Ramu Memorial Basketball tourney

Mumbai, Oct 6 (UNI) The 23rd All India Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament, sponsored by United Phosphorous, will for the first time in its history see a team from abroad Kenyan national champions Ulinzi Warriors with take part in the tournament which will be held at the Indian Gymkhana from October 11 to 18.

V Shivram, the tournament director, while addressing a press conference here stated that the tournament, coinciding with the Indian Gymkhana platinum jubilee celebrations, is co-sponsored by Syndicate Bank and Crystal Forms Ltd.

Ten top teams will feature in the men's section, while six top teams will feature in the women's section, which include the cream of Indian basketball.

India's leading men's teams include Indian Overseas Bank and Indian Bank (Chennai), Army XI (Delhi), ONGC (Dehradun), Customs&Central Excise (Cochin), Western Railway (Ratlam) and Punjab state along with the Kenyan side will be participating in the tourney, he further stated.

Some of the international players to watch out for in the men's section are, Robinson, Shabbir Ahmed, Sridhar, Shivakumar and Saravanan.

Among the women, Southern Railway, MTNL (Delhi), North Eastern Railway (Chattisgarh), Central Railway (Mumbai) and Western Railway (Mumbai) will be vying for top honours.

A total of 32 matches will be played in a period of eight days.

Both men's and women's matches will be played on a league-cum-knock out basis, with the semi-finals slated for October 17, followed by the finals on October 18.

The total men's prize money is of Rs one lakh which has been sponsored by Mehta Prints&Arts Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon.

In addition, the men's winners will receive the Ramu Memorial Trophy, while the women's winners will receive the Kapila Khandvala Shield, Shivram stated.

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