Basketball is a very popular sport in the International sporting scene and it’s a game which demands speed, ability and stamina. Our city’s women’s basketball player P.U. Navaneetha has been a outstanding performer for Karnataka in the senior and junior levels. She has represented India in the FIBA Asia Youth Cup and has also attended the Indian Junior camp. She was recently awarded the prestigious ‘Ekalavya Award’ for her feats in the sport at a grand function held at Vidhana Soudha last week. She is our ‘Star This Week.’

Navaneetha, 20, is the daughter of P.P. Udhay Kumar and P.U. Girija, residents of Suntikoppa, Kodagu. A 1st year MA student at Teresian College for Women, Mysuru, and a product of the Department of Youth & Empowerment Services (DYES, Mysuru), Navaneetha has been performing consistently in National and State basketball scene.

Encouraged by her parents, she joined Sports School, Vidyanagar and later on joined Sports Hostel, Mysuru, in 2006. Initially she was coached by B.S. Girish, SAK Basketball coach and presently she is being trained by DYES & SAK Basketball coach M.B. Patil at DYES, Mysuru.

A forward, Navaneetha is an attacking player and impresses with her skilful play. She began her career by representing Karnataka in the School Nationals held at Punjab in 2008 and from then on has never looked back. She has represented the State in the women’s Nationals, Youth Nationals in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, she represented the State in the Senior and Junior Nationals in Delhi.

She represented the Mysore University in the Inter-University Championships in 2011-12 at Kannur and has been a regular in the team from then on.

In 2009-10, her excellent play in the Nationals earned her the Indian cap when she donned Indian colours in the 1st FIBA Asia U-16 Championships held at Pune. She also took part in the NBA All India Tournament held at Delhi in 2001-12.

She took part in the Junior Indian and Youth Indian camp held at Deli and Tamil Nadu respectively. She represented Karnataka in the Federation Cup held at Gujarat in 2013-14.

Encouraged by her parents, coaches, DYES, Teresian College and the Mysore University, Navaneetha intends to work hard and represent the country in the senior level.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News  / Sunday , November 16th, 2014