The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Clash of titans on cards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Clash of titans on cards

Special Correspondent

Volleyball matches between India and Pakistan from today

The teams arrive from Kolkata by train in the afternoon
Indian captain Srikanth and G. Pradeep are products of Volleyball Academy of Port Trust

traditional touch: Pakistani volleyball team being welcomed at the railway station in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: For the next two days, sports lovers of the city have the opportunity to witness volleyball Tests between India and Pakistan. Contest between the two countries in any area draws the attention of the people of the two nations and this Test series will not be different.

Indian team is in high spirits with the fine performance at the just-concluded Commonwealth championship in Kolkata where it finished runner-up to Australia while Pakistan which entered semi-finals from a different pool, was third. Earlier, India triumphed at the Central Asian championship held in Pakistan and since it is also playing the five-Test series in its own country, holds a psychological edge which will be of great advantage as it already a better team.

Visakhapatnam has something special in the Test series. The matches are not only commencing here, with the city hosting two of the five Tests, the Indian captain P.S. Srikanth and his team-mate G. Pradeep are the products of the Volleyball Academy of Port Trust. One cannot forget the splendid show Srikanth and Sanjay Kumar put up at the Port Indoor Stadium four years ago when India clinched the Asian Youth championship.

Vizagites who cheered every move of the Indian team then are sure that Srikanth and his team give off another splendid performance over the next two days. Sanjay Kumar will also be watched with keen eyes as he drew attention of all at the Commonwealth championship.

Dronacharya and Arjuna awardee and president of AP Volleyball Association A. Ramana Rao expects an absorbing contest between the two teams as he finds Pakistan as also a fine combination.

The contest in sports between India and Pakistan is also a measure to further normalise the relations between the two countries. It is also for the first time that India is hosting the volleyball Test series. It played in similar series in Pakistan in the past.

The teams arrived from Kolkata by train in the afternoon and were given a traditional welcome. Chairman of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority P.S.N. Raju who is co-chairman of the organising committee, vice-president of Volleyball Federation of India S. Kodandaramaiah who is responsible for Visakhapatnam hosting international events, former MLA and president of District Volleyball Association P.G.V.R. Naidu, Mr. Ramana Rao, office-bearers of the organising committee like S.V. Ramanayya, Bojja Ramayya and others welcomed the two teams.

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