Kerala’s first women’s basketball team came up here

St. Teresa’s College in Kerala produced basketball legends like Prasanna Kumari, paving the way for women's basketball in India.

Kerala is a force to reckon with in women’s basketball in India, having thrown up gems like Leelamma Santhosh-Thomas, Prasanna Kumari and Geethu Anna Jose, but it all began at St. Teresa’s College in Kochi.

More than 65 years ago, Teresa’s young girls played on a mud court at the college and also at the Annie Besant Park nearby and later at the Ernakulam YMCA. That was the first time women’s basketball was being played in an organised way in Kerala.

“In 1961, we produced the first women’s basketball team in Kerala,” said Sr. Tessa, the Director of St. Teresa’s College, here on Friday.

That was the start of a wonderful journey and slowly, St. Teresa’s College began to power Kerala and Indian basketball. The late Raji Thampi, who led Kerala to its first Senior National title in 1985, and former India captain Prasanna Kumari were some of the finest stars who emerged from the college.

“We won the Mahatma Gandhi University basketball title regularly for some 20 years, sometimes six years in a row,” said Maya Joseph, a former National-level sprinter and hurdler who was the head of the St. Teresa’s physical education department during those golden years till 2002.

And in 1993, when Mahatma Gandhi University won the National varsities basketball title for the first time, nearly half the team, including captain Maya George, were from St. Teresa’s.

Kerala Sports Council coaches K.V. Alexander, Thomas Fenn and V.V. Paul, in various periods, played a big role in St. Teresa’s rise.