Nepal, which would have qualified for the final round of the championship with a win over Afghans, concluded its journey at the fourth place after the defeat loss. The event was contested by seven teams.Giving a competitive fight, Nepal lost the first set 24-26 but convincingly won the second set 25-18. Losing an electrifying third set 34-36 cost Nepal dearer, despite lead at the early stage. Nevertheless, it wrapped up the fourth set 25-22. The deciding final set saw Nepal commit minor errors in defense and face 11-15 defeat.
Despite the loss, Nepal chief coach Kapil Kishor Shrestha praised his side. Underscoring that Nepal could have been the champion of the tournament, he pointed out lack of preparation and physical weakness as his team' drawback.
"I am a proud coach. We all are aware of the situation that my players were deployed at different areas in rescue and relief operation after the earthquake. We came here on the back of just three days preparation. But we reached semis. We could have even lifted the championship if we had good training. My players were exhausted before the tournament itself. We were not physically fit and team coordination was not sound. All in all, a showcase to be proud of," he said.
Nepal will return home on Friday.
Related story
Nepal loses to Afghanistan, finishes fourth in U-19 quadrangula...
