The Hindu : Sport / Volleyball : India tops group

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Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
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India tops group

KOCHI: Captain Mandeep Singh’s all-round performance helped India defeat host Mexico 30-28, 25-27, 25-15, 25-16 in a two-hour thriller and top Group ‘A’ in the World Youth volleyball championship in Tijuana on Saturday.

Mandeep won 22 points, including 17 through attack, as India finished the first round league phase with an all-win record. Somnath Giri Goud and Naveen Raja Jacob gave solid support to the captain in the attack. Belgium was second.

“Our main goal was to be among the top eight teams and we have achieved that objective. We have to keep winning in the next round and I hope the next two days will be good for my team to get used to the local conditions,” said the Indian coach Bir Singh Yadav.

India, the championship runner-up four years ago, now moves to the second phase which begins on Monday, and is grouped with former six-time World champion Brazil, Asian champion Iran and Argentina in Pool ‘E’. France, China, Poland and Belgium comprise Group ‘F’.

Failing to make the second stage was defending champion Russia which hit the bottom in Group ‘C’ while last year’s silver medallist Brazil suffered a straight sets loss against France but still entered the last-eight stage as the Group ‘B’ runner-up.

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