BHUBANESWAR 24-Dec-2009 128
Haryana boys and Tamil Nadu girls won the titles in the 36th Junior (u-18) National Volleyball Champinoship, which concluded at KIIT University campus here today. In the boys` final, Haryana beat Uttar Pradesh 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 14-25, 15-13. Tamil Nadu finished third, defeating Rajasthan 25-13, 21-25, 25-15, 25-22.
In the girls` title clash, Tamil Nadu defeated Karnataka 26-24, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16. Kerala occipied the third position, getting the better of West Bengal 25-17, 25-6, 22-25, 25-20. Local MP Prasanna Pattasani, Ekamra MLA Ashok Chandra Panda and KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta handed over the trophy and prizes at the closing function.
The eight-day championship was hosted by Orissa Volleyball Association. This is the second time that a National event in volleyball was staged in the state. Earlier, the Senior National Championship was conducted at Cuttack in 1958.
The hosting of the Junior National was expected to help revive the dwindling popularity of volleyball, in which Orissa has produced four internationals (Mohammad Masi-ud Zama, Lotak Bindu Dash, Jhililata Sena and Rabindra Murudi). But in reality it proved to be damp squib because of the poor performance of Odisha teams.
The championship, featuring 26 boys and 22 girls teams, was rather used as a medium to provide publicity to the ruling BJD government and their leaders. The championship was earlier inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of three other ministers, one MP and five MLAs. MLAs Ashok Panda and Bibhuti Balabantaray were the chairman and secretary of the organising committee.
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PHOTO: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the opening ceremony of the championship in Bhubaneswar on Dec 17, 2009.
