Sri Lanka retain title

The triumphant Sri Lankan Volleyball team

• Beat Uzbekistan 3 sets to nil in final

By Althaf Nawaz

Sri Lanka triumphed over Uzbekistan by 3 sets to nil to retain the Central Asia Volleyball Association (CAVA) Championship at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium yesterday.

After losing the penultimate game 3-2 to the same rivals few days back, the Lankan Lions put up a scintillating performance to overcome their opponents to score 3 sets while depriving them of gaining a single set in an enthralling performance. This win enabled them to retain the title for the second consecutive occasion after annexing the championship in 2021 held in Bangladesh.

Lanka Skipper Deepthi Romesh once again put up a swashbuckling performance leading them from the front, and was ably supported by Don Ayesh Perera and Kumara Bandara who played a pivotal role in their success. 

The winners started with a bang winning the first set rather comfortably with a score of 25-14. They kept the pressure on the rivals and never allowed them to gain the upper hand to score 25 to 18 in the second set. However, in the third set there were some anxious moments as Uzbekistan lads showed some defiance against the Lankan firepower with strong defensive play. The hosts skipper Deepthi Romesh handled his charges well without panicking and made use of all his experience to improvise with timely tactical play to overcome their rivals and notch up a close 25-22 score to retain the title. Meanwhile, Afghanistan drubbed Saudi Arabia 3-0 to win third place. Along with these two teams-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Saudi Arabia took part in this tournament.

State Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Rohana Dissanayake, accompanied by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation President Kan-chana Jayaratna, General Secretary A.S. Nalaka, Treasurer Thushara Perera, and Ex-Co Members with other distinguished invitees graced the occasion amidst a large gathering of enthusiasts.