Kathmandu, May 26: Nepal has been limited to the semi-finals of the Kava Women’s Challenge Cup Volleyball Tournament due to its inability to perform against Kazakhstan in the fifth set.
In the second semi-final match held at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Tripureshwar, Nepal lost to Kazakhstan 3-2 sets. Along with this, the opportunity to score a hat-trick in the international title of Nepal has been lost.
Nepal had won the title in the previous two tournaments of the Central Asian Volleyball Association. In a very competitive game, Nepal lost the first set by 30-28.
In the next two sets, Nepal made an excellent comeback and won by 25-16 and 25-15 respectively. Nepal’s performance was one-sided. In the fourth set, Nepal could not continue the rhythm created in the previous two sets. Kazakhstan, who made a lead from the beginning, won this set 25-18.
Nepal, which is lagging behind in experience and exposure, took the lead in the final and decisive set by taking the first point, but after that, Kazakhstan managed to add points continuously.
Finally, Nepal lost the game 15-7. With the victory, Kazakhstan and India will now compete for the title. In the first semi-final held on Friday, India defeated Uzbekistan 3-0 straight sets and qualified for the final.
Nepal has to play against Uzbekistan for the third place. The third place and final match of the tournament will be held on Sunday.
