The Hindu : Volleyball: TN men bow out; AP in both finals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Sport

Sport - National Games

Volleyball: TN men bow out; AP in both finals

By M.C. Raman

Hyderabad Dec. 15. Tamil Nadu men stumbled, but not the host Andhra Pradesh which moved into both the men's and women's finals of the National Games volleyball tournament at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy indoor stadium here on Sunday.

It was a setback for Tamil Nadu this morning when the team took on Punjab, without its main setter Suraj Prakash, preparing for his marriage. Its poor service and its inability to regain its rhythm quickly, coupled with some bad decisions by the main referee P.K. Jagannathan at crucial stages, led to the elimination of the defending champion from the race as Punjab bagged the semifinal tie 22-25, 25-17, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 in 97 minutes.

Tamil Nadu was without five of its main players and two of them left the venue because of a controversy. Without two of its players on the bench the tamil Nadu had no other option but to get on with the game with just one setter, Thulasi Reddy, who could not be rested.

Still, the defending champion got its rhythm in the first match itself by beating Andhra.

But today, in the first set itself Tamil Nadu offered six points through bad serve. Only Sivarajan's steady spiking helped Tamil Nadu. But why the Tamil Nadu coach Jagadeesan did not bring in Haroon Khan or left hander Balaj from the bench to restore some order in the early stages was a puzzle.

In fact, Tamil Nadu started well, but its game fell in the second set when Jagbir Singh began to spike well. He was hitting even away ball well. It was he who brought Punjab back into the game.

Kerala also crashes out

Kerala also went out of the title race, which is eluding it from the first Games (1985) onwards, as Andhra, backed by the full house, played to a plan to eliminate the rival 26-24, 25-12, 20-25, 25-20 in the other men's semifinal.

Tamil Nadu women, however, restored honour by sending Maharashtra packing 25-19, 25-13, 25-23 in the semifinals. For the first time the team functioned smoothly.

Andhra women, led by the towering Nagavardhini, shut out Bengal 25-21, 25-23, 25-19 in the other semifinal.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport