Punjab, TN keen to retain their titles

The championships, sponsored by Steel Authority of India (SAIL), will herald a new era in terms of facilities in the Capital and for the game itself. On the facilities front, the impressive and imposing DPS sports complex not only provide the right ambience but also the accompanying hostel comforts.

As for the competition, the story remains the same with traditional powerhouses — from Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chandigarh and, to some extent, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — dominating the scene.

In the last edition at Bhatinda, Punjab boys downed Andhra Pradesh in the final while Kerala beat Delhi to finish third. The talented TN girls should have no problem in reaching the knock-out stage as they face very little challenge in their pool.

Though, runners-up Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh who finished behind Tamil Nadu in that order are equally keyed up for the occasion, Andhra Pradesh girls may spring a surprise or two.

Yet, it has been the TN girls who were impressively consistent. They have maintained an aggressive front ever since their title-winning effort at Satara in 1994. Coach Krishnamurthy sounded confident when he said his side will keep the title. With Leebena Mercy, Kaushika, Sai Priya, Shyamala and Femy, — all consistent and probably comprise the first five — his task should become easier.