Assumption College, Sree Kerala Varma claim St Thomas Trophy basketball titles in Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta: Assumption College, Changanacherry, and Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, won the women's and men's titles respectively in the St Thomas Trophy basketball tournament held as part of the inauguration of the Niranam Indoor Basketball Stadium in Pathanamthitta.

In the women's final, Assumption College defeated Alphonsa College, Pala, 70–51. Athiradas top-scored for Assumption with 14 points, while Devika Sunil added 12. For Alphonsa, Reema Ronald's 22-point effort was not enough to carry the team, with Jeevamol Sunny contributing 10 points.

In the men's final, Sree Kerala Varma College defeated St Albert's College, Ernakulam, 43–31. Bewin led the scoring for Sree Kerala Varma with 14 points, while Abin added eight. For St Albert's, Jins K Joby scored 13 points.

In the children's category, St Thomas Sports Academy, Niranam, defeated Vennikulam Bethany Academy 26–20 to clinch the title.

In the veterans' category, YMCA Kottayam beat St Thomas Club, Niranam, 56–39 to emerge champions. In the Pathanamthitta district tournament, Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla, defeated St Thomas Club, Niranam, 33–28 to win the trophy.

The indoor stadium was inaugurated at a function held at the St Thomas HS Indoor Basketball Stadium by Anand Chaturvedi, Chief Executive of The Opportunity Foundation, Bengaluru, the CSR arm of Expeditors Bengaluru, which supported the roof construction project.

The stadium became a reality through the efforts of a group of basketball enthusiasts who grew up playing in Niranam. They pooled more than ₹50 lakh for the project, while The Opportunity Foundation contributed ₹25 lakh for the roofing work, helping transform the long-cherished dream of an indoor stadium into reality.