In front of a big holiday crowd, the women from Kazakhstan showed they belonged to a different league. They hadn’t dropped a set on their way to the final of the AVC Cup Asian central zone beach volleyball championships..
Sri Lanka never looked like spoiling that record on Sunday, as Kazakhstan romped home 2-0. With Tatyana Mashkova coming up with winners through her smashes and blocks and Bakhtygul Samalikova proving an ideal foil for her, Kazakhstan-1 took the first match, against Geethika Lalani and Bogahalanda Gnanasagari in straight sets, 21-8, 21-9.
Sri Lanka-2, comprising Nirosha Lakmini and Asha Siriwardana, were able to put up a slightly better show in the second match, but they found Yekaterina Lassyuta and Irina Tsimbalova too strong and went down 11-21, 12-21.
Before the final, the Indian women — featuring the pairings of K.A. Shahana and A. Sruthi and K.P. Athira and V.A. Aswathi — had given the home supporters plenty to cheer about as they defeated Nepal 2-0 in the place-off for the third place. The win also took them to third phase of the championship, to be held in Bangkok.
There was more joy for India, as the men’s team too booked their tickets for Bangkok, turning the table on Sri Lanka. It was the talented pair of Prahlad Dhawaskar and Krishna Chaithanya that won the match play-off for the host. After India-1 (Mohan Poothathan and Balamani Sankar) lost the opening match to Asanka Kumara and Pubudu Ekanayake, they won both their matches.
The results: Men: Play-off for third place: India bt Sri Lanka 2-1 (Mohan Poothathan & Balamani Sankar lost to Asanka Kumara & Pubudu Ekanayake 9-21, 15-21; Prahlad Dhawaskar & Krishna Chaithanya bt Sashimal Yapa & Sujeewa Chinthaka 21-14, 21-16; Prahlad Dhawaskar & Krishna Chaithanya bt Asanka Kumara & Pubudu Ekanayake 21-19, 21-19).
Women (final): Kazakhstan bt Sri Lanka 2-0 (Tatyana Mashkova & Bakhtygul Samalikova bt Geethika Lalani & Bogahalanda Gnanasagari 21-8, 21-9; Yekaterina Lassyuta & Irina Tsimbalova bt Nirosha Lakmini & Asha Siriwardana 21-11, 21-12).
Play-off for third place: India bt Sri Lanka 2-0 (K.A. Shahana & A. Sruthi bt Geethika Lalani & Bogahalanda Gnanasagari 16-21, 21-17, 15-10; K.P. Athira & V.A. Aswathi bt Nirosha Lakmini & Asha Siriwardana 21-15, 21-17).
