Nagaland state basketball team reaches the knockout stage for the first time at the 75th Senior National Basketball Championship.
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DIMAPUR — The Nagaland state basketball team achieved a historic milestone at the 75th Senior National Basketball Championship held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from January 4 to the 11th.
According to an update, for the first time, Nagaland qualified for the knockout stage of the qualifying games from Level 2 to Level 1, a landmark achievement for the team.
Placed in Level 2 Group G alongside Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Sikkim, Nagaland showed steady improvement across its matches. In the first match, Nagaland lost to Assam 41-50. Benhilo led the scoring for Nagaland with 15 points.
In the second match, Nagaland defeated Andaman 60-23, with Cuwe Mero scoring 22 points. In the third match, Nagaland defeated Sikkim 55-27. Cuwe Mero again led with 14 points.
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In the first knockout qualifying game on January 7, Nagaland defeated Meghalaya 53-39 to secure its promotion bid. Cuwe Mero scored 17 points and Nukshizulu added 9 points.
On January 8, Nagaland faced West Bengal in the second knockout qualifying game. The team lost 81-39, bringing an end to its run in the championship. Top performers in the final match were Cuwe Mero with 8 points and Benhilo with 6 points. Cuwe Mero was the top performer for Nagaland throughout the championship, providing consistent scoring and leadership.
Sentiningsang Longkumer, honorary secretary of Nagaland Basketball Association, stated that the qualification to the knockout stage reflects the resilience and determination of the players.
He noted that the performance of Cuwe Mero inspired the team and demonstrated the talent in the state. Longkumer urged the government to invest more in sports infrastructure, training, and opportunities to sustain this momentum across various disciplines.