Chandigarh, March 8, 2025- Chandigarh, 8 March: The Panjab University Women’s Basketball Team has etched its name in history by securing third place in the All India Inter-University Basketball Championship, held at Kurukshetra University from 3 to 8 March.
This remarkable feat ends an 11-year-long drought and highlights the team’s resilience, skill, and determination on the national stage.
The PU team delivered stellar performances throughout the tournament. In the league stage, they triumphed over the University of Calicut (71-61), Utkal University Bhubaneswar (53-15), and ITM Gwalior (94-62), finishing second in their pool. In a nail-biting quarter-final match against MG University Kottayam, the team secured a hard-fought victory by just one point (66-65). Though they faced a tough loss in the semi-final against Kurukshetra University (66-75), the team made a strong comeback in the third-place match, defeating GNDU Amritsar with a commanding score of 103-76.
Adding to their achievements, the team had earlier finished as runners-up in the North Zone Inter-University Championship, held from 26 February to 1 March at Kurukshetra University, further establishing themselves as one of the top basketball teams in the country.
*Expressing her happiness at the team’s achievement, Panjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig described it as an International Women’s Day gift to the university from its women’s team. She said that this historic accomplishment is yet another testament to the hard work, dedication, and team spirit of the players and coaches. She added that it is heartening to see both the men’s and women’s teams across all sports excelling at the national level. After 11 years, Panjab University has once again made its mark in women’s basketball at the highest stage. She congratulated the team, their coaches, and the university sports director, Dr Rakesh Malik, for bringing glory to Panjab University and inspiring future athletes.*
The team was led by Captain Manmeet Kaur from GCG Ludhiana under the guidance of Coach Mrs Saloni and Team Manager Ms Navjot. The players included Kanishka Dhir, Nadar Kaur Dhillon, Komalpreet Kaur, Nandani Saha, Anchal, Ridhi Sharma, Jasleen Kaur, Pooja, Tannu, Ayushi, and Bhavika Dhir, each playing a crucial role in the team’s success.