The Claim The Hoop tournament is RMLNLU’s flagship intra-university basketball competition. First launched in 2014, the tournament has, over the years, come to represent much more than a sporting contest. It is a celebration of campus identity, sporting excellence, and collective ownership. The Tournament is held under the banner of FENZA, the annual sports festival run by the Sports Committee. FENZA brings together multiple events (Basketball, Volleyball, Cricket, etc.) in a campus-wide sports package, aiming to “blend the people of RML with the players and the committee” by involving not just athletes but all students and alumni. In fact, the festival uniquely “invites [participants] to put in their money to get the ownership rights of the teams”. In practice, teams in Claim The Hoop are auctioned: owners pay a registration fee and then use a virtual budget (?100,000) to bid on players. This model, akin to a mini sports league, ensures active participation from everyone, players and enthusiastic fans alike.

The 2026 edition (11th Claim The Hoop) continued this tradition over a three-day event. An organising committee of team captains and vice-captains (both boys’ and girls’ teams) oversaw the tournament, reflecting strong student self-governance. Boys’ teams played a double round-robin (each of three teams played the others twice) with the top two contesting the final. Notably, 2026 marked a milestone for women’s basketball at RMLNLU: for the first time the girls’ teams played full 5-on-5 games (historically they had played 3v3). This shift underscores the growing support for women athletes on campus. Alumni members active in RML’s basketball community provided major sponsorship alongside contributions from the Sports Committee, highlighting how the event is a shared effort of students, alumni, and faculty. However, In the present day, these alumni are not merely contributors; they are the backbone of the tournament. What began as an event partly supported by the then fifth years has, with time, evolved into a legacy sustained by those very players after they graduated and entered the alumni fraternity. The tournament is as much about campus unity as it is about competition – indeed, the festival “plays host to a 3 days’ exhilarating party for participants”. The gym bleachers were packed as friends and batchmates yelled encouragement or playful sledges, turning every rebound and three-pointer into a cheer-filled event.

That alumni network has been central to Claim The Hoop since its early years. The basketball fraternity of RMLNLU now includes a wide and committed circle of former players and supporters across batches. From the Batch of 2012: Abhinav Tomar, Shubham, and Raghav. From the Batch of 2013: Vijay Awana, Nishant Awana, Lakshit Bhadu, Rohit Sharma, and Sahil Lal. From the Batch of 2014: Vivek Sheoran, Anand Kirti, Akshay Rana, Shaurya Sahay, Smrithi M Punnose, Disha Sandeepan, and Vishaka Poonia. From the Batch of 2015: Harsh Chaudhary, Anubhav Bassi, Esh Prakash, Ankur Pastor, Nayan Jain, Radhika Mishra, and Ashika Verma. From the Batch of 2016: Raj Mohan Gupta, Udit Sharma, Ruchir, Anubhav Uppal, Kshitiz Sheoran, Ashutosh Verma, Gaurav Sharma, Rajat Shekhar Butt, Deepshri Srivastav, Mohit Chaudhary, Taruna, and Gheetika. Among other alumni whose batch remains unconfirmed are Harman, Rahul, and Tanay Chauhan. From the Batch of 2020: Pushpendra Pratap Singh, Shoaib Saifi, Saurabh Singh, Arjit, and Stuti Sinha. From the Batch of 2021: Digvijay Chaudhary, Harsh, Mrinal, and Vasudev. From the Batch of 2022: Anand Vardhan Srivastava, Mohit Mishra, Abhay Sharma, Jayant Yadav, and Joel James. From the Batch of 2023: Ajendra Baghel, Peeyush Gautam, Devang Anand, Prateeksha Chaturvedi, and Subhangi Pandey. From the Batch of 2024: Kartikay Aggarwal, Jayant Kumar, Ashish Verma, Ashish Singh, and Gaurav. Their continued engagement has ensured that the tournament retains both its financial stability and its emotional continuity across generations.

By the final day, the courts had witnessed fierce action and drama. The Workmen (boys) and BB Queens (girls) emerged as champions, dethroning former leaders The Mambas and Amazonians respectively. (Official announcements confirmed The Workmen edged The Mambas to claim the boys’ title.) Key honours were awarded to standout players: Haseeb (Workmen) was named the Boys’ Tournament MVP and Komal the Girls’ Tournament MVP, reflecting their all-around excellence. In the final games, Hardik & Shiven shared the Boys’ Finals MVP award and Divya earned Girls’ Finals MVP for their clutch performances. Rising Stars (recognising promising newcomers) went to Nilansh (boys) and Ishika (girls). These accolades – while not formally published – were celebrated by the organisers at the closing ceremony.

• Boys’ Champions: The Workmen (Runners-up: The Mambas)
• Girls’ Champions: BB Queens (Runners-up: The Amazonians)
• Boys’ Finals MVPs: Hardik & Shiven (The Mambas)
• Girls’ Finals MVP: Divya (The Amazonians)
• Boys’ Tournament MVP: Haseeb (Workmen)
• Girls’ Tournament MVP: Komal (BB Queens)
• Boys’ Rising Star: Nilansh (Workmen)
• Girls’ Rising Star: Ishika (BB Queens)

These results and awards, along with the three days of competition, reflect Claim The Hoop's ethos. For law students involved, the tournament is more than a game: it is an exercise in governance, contracts, and community. The team-auction model echoes contractual commitments, and organising matches requires adherence to rules and fairness; principles familiar to any future lawyer. The Sports Committee’s management of funds and alumni sponsorship is akin to running a non-profit or league, reinforcing lessons in accountability and transparency. More broadly, Claim The Hoop exemplifies how legal education and sportsmanship intersect: it fosters teamwork, leadership, and a sense of belonging.

Overall, Claim The Hoop 11.0 was a resounding success. It showcased talented athletes, engaged a roaring crowd, and was powered by the collective effort of players, organisers, and alumni. The final buzzer may have ended the games, but the spirit of the tournament, teamwork, fun, and campus pride, will carry on. After three days of intense play and celebration, the campus is already abuzz for the 12th edition. 

~written by Abdul Haseeb, law student at RMLNLU. Views expressed are personal.