Sport - Hockey

IOB asserts its supremacy

— Photo: R. Ragu

VICTORIOUS BUNCH: The IOB team which won the volleyball title on Friday.

Chennai: Reaffirming its stature as the best-equipped team in the State, Indian Overseas Bank claimed the Dr. K.C.G. Varghese Memorial trophy for the super six volleyball championship with a sweep of five victories at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Friday.

Beating Southern Railway in four sets, 25-18, 25-16, 20-25, 25-12 in the key contest of the six team event, IOB cornered a prize money of Rs. 25,000 with the loser taking home Rs. 20,000.

As a contest it did not produce moments for one to miss a heartbeat or two; but there were ingredients that justified it as the key to the trophy triumph.

Taken on the whole, IOB was better balanced in all departments with experience and the amalgam of skills coming in as an additional virtue.

Credit should go to the IOB skipper Natarajan. What made him different from the rest was his all-round ability. He was conspicuous both from the mid-court and near the net, spiking with a trajectory that the rivals could hardly comprehend.

Next in line was the gangling Ukkrapandian whose firm finishes were eye catching. Naveen Jacob and Jinson Varghese impressed too.

Southern shone only in patches, largely on account of the inconsistent defence. Though Kapil Dev and the south-paw Mukesh Lal were prominent, the team did not work as a unit.

Only in the third set when IOB found itself in a pool of errors did Southern Railway get a grip. But it failed to maintain this tempo in the fourth set which went in favour of IOB.

Indian Bank finished third beating ICF 25-21, 25-22, 27-25 and they claimed cash prizes of Rs. 17,000 and Rs.15000 respectively.

Thursday’s results: Southern Railway bt SDAT 25-20, 16-25, 25-13, 25-23; Indian Bank bt Sathyabama 25-15, 25-17, 25-19.

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