Tamil Nadu men's 3x3 basketball team bags gold in nationals

CHENNAI: After winning the 5x5 national championship last week, Tamil Nadu men’s team secured the 3x3 title at the Senior National Basketball Championship in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Unlike the 5x5 final, TN had a tough task to get past Uttar Pradesh 21-16 in the closely contested summit clash. At the half-way stage, the young UP side had a six-point deficit and it looked like they were all but out of the contest. But UP mounted a strong comeback and reduced the gap to just two points (16-18), with a little over two minutes remaining.

However, TN’s experience in high-pressure situations proved decisive as they scored the next three points to bag the crown. In four editions so far, TN have secured the trophy twice. Interestingly, three out of the four players from TN were part of the recent 5x5 title-winning side.

India international Pranav Prince was once again the star for TN. He was involved for the entire duration of the encounter along with Arvind Muthu Krishnan. “Two players from UP (Harsh Dagar and Kushal Singh) had represented India in the juniors recently. UP had a good side and were competitive. We had our plans and strategies, and we did not think much about the scoreboard. We knew that they would come closer and make us run and it was important how quick we will be able to finish the contest,” Pranav told TOI.

TN were dominant throughout the competition as they remained unbeaten in six matches. Despite having a few training sessions after the 5x5 nationals, TN adapted quickly. “We did not have many training sessions but all of us have a good experience playing in this format. We knew how this format works, and it was not difficult to adapt in a short time frame,” Pranav said.

TN will now start their preparations for the National Games that will begin on January 28th. Earlier in the day, TN women’s team settled for silver after losing 12-16 to Kerala in the title decider.