Iran claim title at AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open

  

Iran won the title of the “Smart” AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open in the Philippines’ City of Santa Rosa on Sunday.

11th seeds Abbas Pourasgari/Alireza Aghajanighasab defeated Thai third seeds Surin Jongklang/Dunwinit Kaewsai, 21-13, 21-17 in the final.

The tournament was organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

Iran’s Abbas Pourasgari/Alireza Aghajanighasab added another 320 AVC points to their AVC Beach Volleyball Ranking record after claiming gold with remarkable unbeaten streak at the “Smart” AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open, pulling off a stunning upset win against Thailand’s top seeds Pithak Tipjan/Poravid Taovato in the men’s final showdown at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in City of Santa Rosa, Philippines on Sunday.

For Pourasgari/Aghajanighasab, the exceptional victory at the Nuvali Open was their first-ever gold in the AVC Beach Tour. However, the Iranian duo had already made their mark in international beach volleyball competitions, helping their National Federation win the AVC Continental Cup – Central Zone last September. They also claimed bronze at last August’s BPT Futures Wenzhou Cangan in China and fourth place at last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games, making them the first Iranian pair ever to advance to the Asian Games semifinals.

Seeded 11th with 300 AVC points in hand, Pourasgari/Aghajanighasab kicked off their campaign on high note, mercilessly crushing Macao China’s Cheong Houwang/Ng Loilong 2-0 (21-5, 21-7) to later see off Japan’s sixth seeds Yusuke Ishijima Gottsu/Kensuke Shoji 2-0 (21-13, 22-20) for the top spot in Pool F. In the round of 16, the promising Iranians demolished Hong Kong China’s Wong Puilam/Lau Cheukyin 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) and continued their brilliance in the highly-anticipated quarterfinals. There, Pourasgari/Aghajanighasab stunned Australian second seeds Paul Burnett/Jack Pearse 2-0 (21-16, 21-17).

An upset win against the Aussies, who netted their first BPT gold in a Geelong Futures last November and two additional silvers at the BPT Futures Coolangatta and Mollymook this March, made the Iranians a dark horse to achieve success through their pursuit of fulfilment. 

Nuvali Open 2024 beach volleyball: Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic win women’s gold medal

 

Australian Beach Volleyball players won three medals - one gold, one silver and one bronze - at the AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open 2024 held in Laguna, the Philippines.

Playing at the Nuvali Sand Courts in the City of Santa Rosa, Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic were crowned women’s champions after defeating compatriots Jasmine Fleming and Georgia Johnson, 21-19, 25-23 in the final on Sunday.

Fejes and Milutinovic, ranked 51st in the women’s world beach volleyball rankings, took 52 minutes to overcome their fellow countrywomen and training partners, who are currently world No. 47.

The final proved to be a hard-fought affair. Fejes and Milutinovic endured a difficult start before regaining their composure and took the closely contested first set 21-19.

The second set also went deep as Fleming and Johnson pushed the top seeds and threatened to take the final to a third set. However, Fejes and Milutinovic held their ground and won 25-23 against the second seeds to conquer their first Asian Tour title.

Fejes and Milutinovic had earlier beaten Suzuka Hashimoto and Reika Murakami of Japan 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) in the semi-finals.

Fleming and Johnson also got the better of Japanese third seeds Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama 21-17, 21-17 in the other semis to secure an all-Aussie final at the Nuvali Open.

In the men’s draw, D’Artagnan Potts and Ben Hood, the world No. 103, overcame a semi-final defeat to win the bronze medal match and ensured that Australian teams finished with a medal of every colour from the meet.

Potts and Hood’s run to the final came to an end against higher-ranked Thai opponents Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato in the last four. The Australian team lost 21-15, 18-21, 15-11.

However, the pair put that defeat behind them and clinched the bronze medal against another Thai pair - Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai, beating them 21-15, 21-14.

Asian Challenge Volleyball League: Pakistan Federation Invites India For Tournament In Islamabad

Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) has invited India to send its team for the Asian Challenge Volleyball League to be held in Islamabad next month. PVF chief Chaudhary Yaqoob said they had also sent invitations to the Indian Volleyball Federation for the event in which 10 to 12 teams are expected to participate.

“After much effort, we have won the opportunity to host the Asian Challenge Volleyball Championship and we would like to see all the top teams from the continent participate in the event from May 11 to 17,” he said.

Chaudhary Yaqoob, the head of PVF, expressed their earnest desire to host top teams from across the continent in the championship scheduled from May 11 to 17.

Iran, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have confirmed their registrations, while other confirmations are awaited.

The event anticipates the participation of 10-12 teams, promising an exhilarating display of volleyball prowess on the court.
As preparations intensify, Pakistan's players are currently undergoing rigorous training at a camp in Islamabad, gearing up to showcase their skills on home turf.
With hopes of fostering camaraderie and healthy competition, PVF eagerly awaits responses from all invited nations, striving to make the Asian Challenge Volleyball League a memorable and inclusive sporting spectacle

Prime Volleyball League 2024: Calicut Hereos beat Delhi Toofans to win first title

The Calicut Heroes stunned the Delhi Toofans 3-1 in the final of the 2024 Prime Volleyball League on Thursday to lift their first trophy. The Calicut side secured a 15-13, 15-10, 13-15, 15-12 win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

The Delhi defence began well, cancelling out Calicut's aggressive attacks. Lazar Dodic and Santhosh showcased their attacking prowess, but a series of serve errors from Delhi allowed Calicut to cover the deficit.

Vikas Maan made solid blocks while Jerome Vinith contributed in Calicut's defence. Perotto's magical super serve helped the Calicut Heroes get an early lead in the match.

Delhi began to attack from the middle, engaging Aayush and Aponza, while Calicut relied on Jerome and Chirag attacking from opposite ends.

Danial's monster block on Dodic motivated Calicut. Delhi did not help themselves with unforced errors and Calicut starting sailing. Danial made two crucial blocks on Delhi attackers, and Calicut Heroes took a 2-0 lead.

Santhosh found himself shackled by Danial while Perotto remained aggressive on the attack. Two crucial blocks from Aponza and Manoj reignited Delhi to win the third set.

Mukesh became an unlikely hero for Delhi while Rohit's electric serves tested Calicut. But in the fourth set, Jerome cancelled out Delhi's defence with vicious hits from the right and Calicut picked up a mammoth win.