NWZ win opening league match

NWZ team enjoyed a height supremacy over their opponents, which enabled them to race to a 10-3 lead in the first set. Though the Manipur players tried to close the gap, Ashok and Rotash were effective at the net enabling the team to win the set 15-7.

However, lapse in NWZ defence coupled with Lal Mohan Singh’s all-round performance helped Manipur to wrap up the second set 15-10. After 1-1 each, NWZ tightened their defence in the third set with powerful smashes and drop shots ot take the initial lead. When Manipur went for a time-out they were trailing 2-7.

In the next couple of minutes, rejuvenated Manipur spikers put up a gallant show and fought for each and every point. Manipur’s PR Shajimom often placed the ball neatly in the opponents’ back court, which throughout the contest was NWS’s bane. But Ashok’s deceptive drop shots and Rotash’s brilliant service saw them through 15-8.

The decider, however, proved to be a one-sided affair as NWS set up fast pace and were leading by nine points (10-1) in the first five minutes, which widened to eleven (15-4) when the long whistle blew.

The matches are being played on league basis and 12 CRPF teams are divided into four pools.

Earlier, the meet was inaugurated by Pritam Pal Singh Sidhu, DIG, CRPF, Chandigarh.