Tamil Nadu rose back to the top of Indian volleyball after defeating Uttarakhand in the men’s final of the 62nd senior national championship in Moradabad on Wednesday. The Tamil Nadu spikers thrashed their rivals 25-17, 25-16, 25-14 with Naveen Raja Jacob and GR Vaishnav starring for the victors.
Speaking to TNIE from Moradabad, setter M Ukkrapandian said the victory augured well for the future of the game in Tamil Nadu. “We are pleased at the unity we showed throughout the tournament. Last year, we failed to execute the strategy that we had devised for Kerala, but this year things went according to plan. The team is a mix of youth and experience and we have a couple of youngsters who did really well. We have an ideal platform for the future.”
Former India coach GE Sridharan was also pleased with what he saw. “Some of the youngsters were exceptional. I was impressed with Jerome Vinit who has done well for such a young player. Akhil played well throughout.”
Last edition’s champions Kerala finished third after defeating Services 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-10. In the women’s final, Railways hammered Kerala 25-17, 25-10, 23-25, 25-21 to retain their title. Tamil Nadu secured third place.
