The hosts defeat Afghanistan to finish 5th in the AVC Central Zone Volleyball Championship. Nepali players (in blue) in action against Afghanistan. Hemanta Shrestha/TKP
Nepal overpowered Afghanistan in four sets to finish fifth in the AVC Asian Senior Men’s Central Zone Volleyball Championship on Friday.
Nepal had a few nervy moments but eventually overcame a spirited Afghanistan side by 25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 26-24 at the Army Physical Training and Sports Centre in Lagankhel. The victory ensured Nepal finish fifth in the tournament. Nepal had also defeated the same opponent in a two-match friendly series prior to the start of the event.
In the first set, Nepal overwhelmed Afghan side to a nervy but comfortable 25-23 victory. Nepal raced to early lead in the set but found Afghanistan right back on their trail. This was also the first set victory by Nepal in the tournament having lost in straight sets against Kyrgyzstan and Maldives during the league stages. Afghanistan bounced back well taking the second set 25-23. The third set saw Nepal produce one of their best performances to sweep to 25-18 victory. Afghanistan put on a great fight in an attempt to level the match in the fourth set but buoyed by a huge cheering crowd, Nepal finally overpowered them to claim a 26-24 victory.
Nepal's coach Han Abbing said he was happy for his players who put in a solid fight. "A win is a result of good performance. I am happy for my players to bounce back after earlier defeats," said Abbing.The Dutch national also called for more matches to be played to help players gain more exposure. "We practice a lot but what we lack is match exposure. We need to play more matches. Let's also play on winter, go abroad for matches. Let's explore more opportunities but let's play more matches," he said.
Nepal's Dutch coach lamented on players' inability to handle pressure during tense situations, saying it was largely due to lack of match experience. "What we do is practice, practice and more practice. Why not practice, play a match, practice again, play another match and so on. This will help us gain match experience and players will also know more about handling pressure," he said.
When asked about his contract situation, Abbing said he was open to new challenges and had kept his doors open. "It's a great experience here. Wherever I go, people are nice to me. I am loving life here," he said. A former Dutch volleyball player and coach, Abbing was appointed as head coach prior to the tournament to take charge of the national team on a three-month contract.
Nepal's hopes of making it to the semi-finals were dashed after consecutive defeats against Kyrgyzstan and Maldives. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will play for the title at the same venue on Saturday.
Sailendra Adhikari is an online reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering a wide range of issues, including politics, society, sports, arts and entertainment.
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