Koreans kill off India for volleyball title
Play
South Korea confirmed their superiority in the 4th AVC Cup for Men by beating India in a hard-fought three-set thriller 25-23 25-21 27-25 in the final on Sunday.
It was their maiden title in the biennial top-flight competition.
South Korea were the only team without a defeat in the tournament. They beat Kazakhstan twice and also India in straight sets in the round-robin preliminaries.
After the loss, India proved a tough nut to crack. They stunned Iran, Asia’s No 1 team and two-time Asian champions, in the semi-finals on Saturday, before facing the might of the Koreans in the final.
Korean left-hander Seo Jaeduck and Jeon Kwangin attacked relentlessly while Park Sangha and Shin Yungsuk effectively blocked their rivals as South Korea took the first set 25-23. Their aggression continued in the second set and India, powered by Gurinder Singh, had no answers, losing it 25-21.
The battle started evenly in the third set. India held their nerves and played carefully, hoping to snatch at least a set and stay alive. But the Koreans shattered their dreams with more consistent play to win the hard-fought set 27-25.
“India played their best and we matched them. It’s really great for us to win the AVC Cup for the first time,” said South Korea’s head coach Park Kiwon.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan recorded a historic 25-23 17-25 25-19 25-16 win over Asian powerhouses Iran to finish a credible third. The loss meant Iran, the AVC Cup champions in 2008 and 2010 and silver medallists in 2012, failed to gain a podium place for the first time.
Elsewhere, AVC Cup title-holders China, who fielded their national junior team this time, took fifth place after brushing off Japan 25-20 21-25 25-12 25-23, while Australia avenged their first-round loss to Thailand by winning 25-22 25-23 25-13 for seventh. Thailand finished bottom eighth.
