DHOOM MACHALE!: Players don the role of cheerleaders at the 33rd junior National volleyball championship at Vijayawada on Tuesday. — PHOTO: CH.VIJAYA BHASKAR

VIJAYAWADA : The organising committee of the 33rd junior national volleyball championship received a boost on Tuesday when Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) came forward to sponsor the event by donating Rs.15 lakhs.

At a function held at Siddhartha College of Arts and Sciences, Indian senior coach Shyam Sundar, on behalf of Reliance, handed over the cheque to Siddhartha Academy secretary P.L.N. Prasad.

"The tourney will, henceforth, be called Reliance Cup. The company is also sponsoring the winners' trophies and individual medals for both boys and girls.

The trophies have been specially made at Chennai and will reach the city in a couple of days," Mr. Sundar said.

Entertainment

Mr. Prasad thanked Reliance for its gesture and said the company's willingness to sponsor the tournament was conveyed through a fax message only on Monday.

"There was some delay in getting the intimation," he explained.

Keen on providing an element of entertainment, the organisers have arranged a campfire on Wednesday, in which players from all over the country will showcase their culture and traditions. City's Mayur Orchestra will entertain the teams with their crooning abilities.

Rejected

The on-going tourney so far witnessed around 13 players getting rejected by the technical committee of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) due to overage.

The league matches are most likely to continue till the morning session of January 18.

The knockout format will begin on the same evening.

Knockout

"The real tussle unfolds when the knockout format begins, as the best of teams will battle for supremacy," according to tournament director A. Ramana Rao.

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