CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu men got their title defence off to a winning start, coasting past Punjab in their opening match of the 63rd Senior National Volleyball Championship on Friday.
Punjab ran the hosts close in the first set, losing it 22-25, but a horrific injury to Ravi Kant saw them unnerved. Tamil Nadu, propelled by sterling displays from blocker GR Vaishnav and experienced campaigner Naveen Raja Jacob, won the next two sets by identical margins of 25-19.
The defending champions were favoured to win, but it was Punjab who raced to an early lead in the first set. Rajvir Singh began serving at 3-3 and held it until his team had a four-point lead. Tamil Nadu recovered thanks to a couple of excellent blocks by Vaishnav and levelled things at 15-15. Just as the hosts looked to be in control after taking a 22-19 lead, captain D Selvaprabhu hobbled off with a calf injury.
However, a much bigger tragedy was to befall Punjab just a point later. Ravi Kant landed awkwardly after an attempted block and sustained what looked like a broken ankle. The expression on the faces of his teammates, as they crowded around him, was enough to gauge the seriousness of the injury. The blocker was promptly rushed to hospital. A distracted Punjab did not offer much resistance for the remainder of the set, as Tamil Nadu won it 25-22.
The second set proved to be an easier affair for Tamil Nadu with the hosts never falling behind after gaining the lead at 6-5. Every time Punjab attempted to edge in front, Vaishnav was there to thwart their plans. The visitors managed to keep up within touching distance until the score reached 21-19, after which the hosts broke away to take the set 25-19.
Punjab put up a better fight in the final set, racing to a 10-7 lead. But if it was Vaishnav who foiled them in the second set, it was Naveen who was a constant thorn in their side. Tamil Nadu fought back to level things at 12-12, from where there was no looking back.
Results: Jharkhand bt Tripura 20-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-15, 15-10; Pondicherry bt Madhya Pradesh 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22; Maharashtra bt Jammu & Kashmir 20-25, 25-22, 25-9, 25-19; Telengana beat Bihar 25-14, 25-16, 25-12; Gujarat bt Odisha 25-20, 25-18, 27-25; West Bengal bt Assam 25-12, 24-26, 25-21, 25-23; Chhattisgarh bt Himachal Pradesh 30-28, 32-34, 25-22, 25-16; Tamil Nadu bt Punjab 25-22, 25-19, 25-19; Rajasthan bt Uttarkhand 25-12, 25-12, 25-15.