The Hindu : Sport / Volleyball : VFI delighted by Youth team's feat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 21, 2005

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Sport - Volleyball

VFI delighted by Youth team's feat

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: "We are delighted by the achievement of the Indian Youth (boys) team, which for the second successive time will take part in the World championship. We expected them to retain the Asian title, but the team did not play to its potential.

Anyway it has qualified for the World tournament and the team will rectify its mistakes and do better," said K. Murugan, Secretary, Volleyball Federation of India, reacting to the Indian team's bronze medal victory at the Asian Youth championship at Teheran on Thursday.

The Indian Youth squad had done well to be the runner-up to Brazil in the World championship at Suphan Puri (Thailand) the last time around.

B. Sivanthi Adityan, President, VFI, also congratulated the team for its medal winning performance.

Special year

"This year is going to be special again for the VFI. This Youth team is expected to figure in the World championship at Algiers (Algeria) from Aug. 24 to Sept. 1.

Then the Indian junior squad is getting ready for the World championship to be held at Visakhapatnam from Aug. 6 to 14. And the Indian senior side is training hard to qualify for the World championship.

Since there are five places for Asia we are confident that the national team would make it for the first time. If that happens it will be a great day for the VFI as all the three teams are figuring in the World championships and our efforts will have borne fruit, despite various hurdles, lack of sponsorship and other problems," said Murugan.

Ramana Rao, who was in Teheran as a Technical delegate, told the VFI Secretary over phone that the team did not play to its potential. "He is going to submit his report as soon as he lands here. We want to go through that first," said Murugan.

The officials feel losing to Korea in the opening tie resulted in India being pitted against Iran in the semifinals. Otherwise it probably would have been a semifinal clash with Chinese Taipei whom India beat in straight sets for the bronze medal.

On Thursday, the VFI officials distributed kits to the Indian Youth (girls) team at Hyderabad before its departure for Bacolod City (Philippines) to take part in the Asian championship from May 24 to 31.

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