The Hindu : Sport / Volleyball : Early shocks should make NVL a lively affair

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Wednesday, Mar 07, 2007
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Early shocks should make NVL a lively affair

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: Cochin Port Trust jolting men's defending champion BPCL Kochi Refinery, runner-up ONGC crashing out and women's champion KSEB virtually on its knees after failing to qualify for the final phase...

The virtual mayhem at the three preliminary legs over the last few days should make the 11th National Volleyball League's final phase, which begins at the BPCL Kochi Refinery courts in Ambalamugal on Wednesday, a very lively affair. All the heavyweights are now on their toes.

"We are stronger now and fitter too, and we've shaken off that loss from our minds. But there is a bit of pressure playing at home," said former India captain R. Rajiv, the BPCL star. With Rajiv and Tom Joseph — the two played in the recent Doha Asian Games — and the talented Sayooj, Azeez and Kishore in its line-up, the team looks a lethal combination.

BPCL, which is also the NVL's host, should face strong resistance from HSIDC which is virtually the Haryana team that won the recent National Games.

Three of the six teams here — BPCL, Cochin Port Trust and Indian Navy — have their base here which now virtually makes Kochi the country's volleyball capital. Southern Railway and IOB, both from Chennai, are the other teams in the fray.

Last-minute change

The women's league was supposed to have the winners of the three preliminary legs and a host entry. The Kerala State Volleyball Association first handed the host berth to Thalassery's talented SAI team, virtually the Kannur University which won the all-India varsities title in Kottayam recently. But with KSEB failing to make the grade from Tuticorin, the KSVA was forced to make a last-minute change and include the electricity board.

"We had only one setter, Jomol Kurian, in Tuticorin and that hit us hard. Now, we have brought back our seasoned Mercy Antony, and that should boost us in a big way. She's around 34 and she's coming back after two years," said Jaisamma Mootheden, coach of the KSEB, which has won two of the five editions of the NVL after it became an inter-club affair in 2002. "But it won't be easy, Western and Southern Railway look very good."

With its captain K.J. Shibi in fine nick, Western Railway appears strong. "All the four teams are equal. Whoever does well on that day will win," said the WR coach Pradeep Kumar. The action will be held indoors, but on clay courts.

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