DFCC and Seylan Bank clinch Nature Cup cager titles

Sanjaya Ariyaratne

BASKETBALL: DFCC Bank and Seylan Bank clinched the men's and women's championship titles at the Nature VI Basketball Tournament concluded at Mercantile Cricket Association Courts, Colombo on Saturday.

The tournament was sponsored by David Peiris Motor Company.

DFCC Bank beat Wattala Basketball Club by a close margin of 65 points to 62 in the men's final. Wattala BC grabbed the half time lead by a close 35 points to 34. Sri Lanka national player Rasika Prabath Jayasooriya, Malinda Fernando and Gayan Meedeniya with 15 points each were the best players for DFCC Bank.

Manjula Jayaratne, Sanketha Jayaratne and Pradeep Pushpakumara with ten points each stood out for Wattala Basketball Club.

In the women's final Seylan Bank overcame Hatton National Bank by 73 points to 53 after leading closely by 31 points to 30 at the breather. Inoka Sandamali with 25 points and Asia's number two cager Premila Fernando with 23 points did well for the winners while Erandi Gallage with 23 points and Pabasara Gunasekara with ten points were the chief scorers for Hatton National Bank.

Malinda Fernando and skipper Rasika Jayasooriya both from DFCC Bank carried away the Man of the final and Man of the tournament awards respectively while Erandi Gallage (HNB) was adjudged the best women's player of the final with Inoka Sandamali (Seylan Bank) being named as the most outstanding women's cager of the tournament.

In the men's semi finals DFCC Bank beat Police SC while Wattala BC defeated favourites Sampath Bank.

Hatton National Bank beat David Peiris Sports Club while Seylan cagers received a walk over from Paulians BC to book their place in the women's final.