KATHMANDU, Nov 5: The men’s teams of Newton High School and Sacred Heart Academy have reached the final of the 1st PABSON-School Commission U-18 Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Tournament. 

On the other hand, the final of women’s category will see Shivam New Diamond Academy and Everest School face each other. 

In the matches played at the Dhorpatan Sports Training Center Court, men’s team of Baluwatar’s Newton defeated Kanchanpur’s Little Buddha Academy 25-17, 25-16 and 25-18 on straight sets on Saturday. Newton’s Ajay Sunar was declared man of the match for his contributions. 

Earlier on the same day in men’s quarterfinals, Newton had beaten Dhorpatan Sports Club 25-22, 25-23 and 25-17. Newton’s Hari Gharti Magar was declared man of the match.  Likewise, in the women’s semifinals, Naikap’s New Diamond saw off Kathmandu’s Paramount School on straight sets of 25-7, 25-17 and 25-6. National team’s setter of New Diamond Kripa Adhikari was declared player of the match in that game. 

In the other semifinal match of the same category, Butwal’s Everest Boarding School overcame Pokhara’s Tops School on straight sets of 25-13, 25-19 and 25-16 in which Punam Chand Buman was declared the player of the match. 

It is the first time that a national tournament of school-level age groups is being organized in Nepal.

In the men’s semifinals, Balaju’s Sacred Heart defeated Nuwakot’s Bungtang 23-25, 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21. Anuj Chaudhary of the winner side was declared the man of the match in that game. 

The final of both the categories will be played on Sunday. In the tournament being organized by Nepal School Volleyball Commission (NSVC), the winner of both men’s and women’s categories will bag Rs 100,000 while the runner-ups will be awarded with Rs 60,000. The third-placed teams will get Rs 35,000 and the best players in different categories will be rewarded with Rs 5,000 each. 

The organizer NSVC has also taken this tournament as a selection of junior national team. 

NSVC has informed that 24 best players each from men’s and women’s sections will be selected for the national team. The selected players will train in the close-camp for the U-18 national team and then, the team will participate in the Junior Volleyball Championship to be held in Maldives in April. 

According to the regulations of 1st PABSON U-18 National Volleyball, Dhorpatan was deprived of contesting in the semifinals because of including players above the required age. 

Dhorpatan had reached the semifinals after beating Tops in the women’s quarterfinals, but the organizers’ Jury Committee made a complaint against Dhorpatan stating that they played two players above the given age which was against the regulations. A complaint was filed against Dhorpatan’s captain Prinsa Tamang and Him Kumari Budhamagar. Likewise, protest was raised against men’s team of Sacred Heart. Three Star and Bungtang filed a complaint against the school, stating that that Sacred Heart’s setter Yog Bahadur Thapa had been playing with fake name. 

After finding out the real name of the player to be Ram Bahadur Thapa, Three Star and Bungtang had asked the committee to start investigations in the case and the committee, then, asked for the required certificate and photos of the player, but the team was unable to do so. The team was then fined Rs 100,000.

 
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