APF edge past NDA in thrilling final
Kathmandu, June 9
Nepal APF Club won the title of the KNP National Women’s Club Volleyball Championship here at National Sports Council covered hall today.
The departmental side recorded a hard-fought 3-2 victory over New Diamond Academy in the final. APF won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-18 to dominate the game at the beginning but NDA bounced back and claimed the next two sets with identical scores of 25-18 to level the scores at 2-2. However, APF were too strong for the NDA in the deciding fifth set as the departmental giants won it 15-8.
The winners APF earned Rs 150,000, while the runners-up NDA got Rs 100,000 along with trophies. Western Regional Volleyball Association bagged third position with a 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, 15-13 victory over Nepal Police Club and received Rs 50,000.
APF’s Saraswoti Chaudhary was named the best player of the tournament and earned Rs 15,000 along with two-way tickets to Malaysia from Air Asia, while NDA’s Pratibha Mali was awarded with the Sher Bahadur Khadka Memorial Special Award that carried the purse of Rs 10,000 along with mountain flight ticket from Paragon Tours. Chaudhary and Mali also got iPhone each from Generation Next Communications Pvt Ltd.
APF’s Usha Bista received the best quicker’s award, while her teammate Nebika Chaudhary was named the best server and Gyanendra Karki the best coach. NDA trio of Kripa Adhikari, Pratibha Mali and Salina Shrestha were named the best setter, spiker and defender respectively, Western’s Punam Chand was declared the best blocker. The individual award winners took home Rs 3,000 apiece.
A total of six teams took part in the tournament organised by Sher Bahadur Khadka Memorial Trust under the sponsorship of KNP Japan. NSC Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista, KNP Japan Country Director Manoj Mishra, Nepal Volleyball Association President Manoranjan Raman Sharma, Patron of the Trust Gamali Khadka and President Ranjan Khadka among others handed over the prizes to
the winners.