Date:22/11/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/11/22/stories/2004112205421800.htm

Sport - Volleyball

KRL, IOB register wins

By Avinash Nair

BANGALORE, NOV. 21. Top guns — Kochi Refineries Limited (KRL) and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Chennai — continued their march towards a Super League berth from the Bangalore leg of the National Volleyball preliminary League. For the second successive day at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor stadium, there was hardly a crowd, but neither KRL nor the bankmen from Chennai wasted time in the middle.

While KRL outplayed Karnataka State Police (KSP) 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 in 57 minutes, the former champion from Chennai, IOB defeated Income Tax, Hyderabad with relative ease. IOB triumphed 25-15, 25-13, 25-18.

M.S. Rajesh once again towered above the rest with his telling smashes, while Jinson Verghese and Sivabalan too came up with impressive showing at the net — both in blocking out the rival offensive and returning their own firepower in good measure.

The Taxmen from Hyderabad, who had qualified for the Super League last year, looked totally clueless and its defence simply wilted under the onslaught, to surrender in just 50 minutes.

If Tom Joseph has an off-day then Rajeev and young Vipin George will take over, so seems the KRL `mantra'. With Azeez and Sayooj too coming good there was little that the local champion — Karnataka State Police could do to thwart the KRL march. It was only in the second set that the State cops enjoyed slender lead midway through but a spate of unforced errors helped the Kochi side level the scores before edging ahead. Dharnish Kumar was steady but KSP attack proved far too erratic.

In the last match of the day in the men's section between two local teams, Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) recorded its first win in two matches with a 25-21, 25-18, 24-26, 25-23 margin over Bangalore City Club.

S. Railway through

The women's encounter was easily the best match of the day as the hot favourite — Southern Railway overcame a determined resistance from Kolkata Club before winning in four sets.

The match lasted 90 minutes as Southern Railway won 25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 25-23.

Internationals Geeta Raju, Srividya and Shiji Kurien all played well in patches and the nimble footed Kolkata girls, Swapna Joshi and Sima Oraon in particular troubled the fancied lot.

The results: Men: Kochi Refineries Ltd. bt Karnataka State Police 25-17, 25-22, 25-21; IOB bt Income Tax (Hyderabad) 25-15, 25-13, 25-18; ITI bt Bangalore City Club 25-21, 25-18, 24-26, 25-23.

Women: Southern Rly. bt Kolkata Club 25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 25-23.