KSP spikers go down to Mauritius

After notching up a hard-fought 3-1 win against the island nation’s men’s senior team on Tuesday, the State policemen were complacent to say the least and the outcome was a 25-19, 21-25, 26-28, 24-26 defeat.

Ranked 57th in the world, Mauritius were far from technically equipped to put up a stiff enough challenge against the skilled Police outfit, but their ability to stick it through in times of adversity helped them go the distance in the presence of a small but vocal crowd.

KSP looked all set to hand Mauritius another lesson as they raced to a comfortable 5-1 lead in the first set. Mauritius, however, fought back and tied scores at 10 apiece before taking the lead (16-12). KSP’s star striker Sanoj put to fore an impressive all-round display to help the hosts take the first set.

Mauritius regrouped and hit KSP hard to claim the second set with skipper Alfred leading the way on the frontline. In the third set, there was a stiff fight between the teams but in the end, the Confederation Africaine de Volleyball-affiliated nation took a 2-1 lead. KSP changed a number of players to find the right combination in the fourth set but it was just way too late.

Talking about the visit, Mauritius head of delegation Govindaswamy Teeroovengadum said: “We received an invite from the Volleyball Federation of India and we accepted it because it is great exposure for us. We barely have the chance to play volleyball in and around Mauritius. We are focussed and are looking forward to playing the India junior team,” he added.

Mauritius will take on Junior India from July 4-7 at SAI as part of their preparations for the Indian Ocean Island Games in Seychelles from Aug 4-12.