India defeated Kyrgyzstan in the third-place match on Monday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to win the bronze medal at the CAVA men’s under-19 tournament.
With two victories and two defeats, India placed third out of five countries in the standings following the group stage round robin, while Kyrgyzstan came in fourth with one victory and three defeats.
In the bronze medal match, the youthful Indian team defeated Kyrgyzstan 3-1 with set scores of 21-25, 25-14, 25-08, and 25-23, demonstrating remarkable tenacity and coordination.
Iran defeated Uzbekistan-I in an exciting final match to win the gold medal, while their rivals took home silver. Although both teams shown remarkable skill and tenacity in the match, Iran finally prevailed, establishing their supremacy in the tournament.
Throughout the competition, the Indian squad shown extraordinary talent, tenacity, and camaraderie.
Kyrgyzstan won the opening set 25–21, giving India a rocky start to the match. In the ensuing sets, nevertheless, the Indian guys showed tactical mastery after rapidly regrouping under duress. They won the second set 25-14 with to their strong defense and powerful attacks, and they easily won the final set 25-08. Although the fourth set was tense, India maintained composure to win the bronze medal by winning 25–23.
Throughout the tournament, Mahendra Dhurwe, the captain of India, distinguished himself with his exceptional offensive play. As the top attacker, he received the Player of the Tournament title, underscoring his crucial contribution to India’s campaign.
India’s campaign was inconsistent earlier in the competition. They lost to Iran 0-3 in their opening match (16-25, 14-25, 20-25), but they recovered well to defeat Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in their second match (25-14, 27-25, 25-23). But then they suffered a crushing 0–3 loss against Uzbekistan-I. In order to advance to the Bronze Medal round, the Indian team made a strong statement by defeating Uzbekistan-II in a pivotal match (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22).
Throughout the competition, Mohinder, Kunal Das, Adarsh Rai, Rajat Singh, and Akhilan Kamaraj were outstanding players who received recognition for their steady play, poise under duress, and unwavering determination on the court. Their efforts were crucial to India’s podium finish, as was Head Coach K.R. Lakshminarayan’s strategic leadership.
The Volleyball Federation of India’s Adhoc Committee oversaw the formation of the Indian team, which was coached by assistant coaches Surinder Kumar and Mohd Javeed and assisted by a committed staff that included referee Narender Kshatriya and therapist Dr. Utkarsh Kulshreshta. The young team’s mental and physical readiness for the task was guaranteed by their concerted efforts.
Rajat Singh, Mahendra Dhurwe (Captain), Ashish Kumar, Sunil Muwal, Nandamudi Mourya, Vignesh Shanmugan, Adarsh Rai, Aadhi Krishna Nediyara, Kunal Das, Akhilan Kamaraj, Alok Manoj Todkar, and Nikhil Jat were among the top developing talents from around the country that made up the 12-member Indian contingent. In addition to being a reward for their hard work in Tashkent, this bronze medal is a positive indication of what Indian volleyball’s future holds.
India lost against the first team of the host country, Uzbekistan, 0–3, but achieved a victory over Uzbekistan 2 to guarantee a bronze medal match.
Iran will play Uzbekistan 1 in the championship match.
