Mumbai : Hoopers Sports Club upset defending champions YMCA 3-1 to win the final of the Bombay YMCA’s 60th Callan Cup volleyball tournament, played at Jhulla Maidan, Agripada. Hoopers, who triumphed 18-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-20, thus engraved their name on the coveted trophy for the first time.
The tensely fought final, saw YMCA stalwarts matching the firepower of their opponents with some intelligent placings and deadly spiking. Till 17-all, it appeared anybody’s game, but YMCA changed the gears and rattled up five points in one serve before Hoopers added one more. But YMCA hit back YMCA through their spiker Ganesh Salunke to wrap the game.
The loss of the opening game perhaps enraged Hoopers to no ends as they attacked relentlessly to win not only the second, but dominated the proceedings thereafter to claim the third and fourth game without giving any hope to their rivals.
Earlier, defending champions YMCA dropped a game before overpowering Mumbai Port Trust 25 – 17, 25- 21, 24- 26, 25- 13, while Hoopers SC , scored over Goregaon Boys and won 25-22, 25-17, 25-16 in the semi-finals.
Hoopers’ Bala Murgan and Jai Ganesh, won the individual prizes as the best lifter and player of the tournament respectively, while YMCA’s Ganesh Salunke had the consolation of winning the best spiker prize.
