MOKOKCHUNG — Sungkomen Ward emerged as the champion of the 3rd Inter-Ward Volleyball Tournament, defeating Kumlong Ward in a nail-biting final at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, Mokokchung, on the evening of August 9. With this victory, Sungkomen has secured the championship for the second time.
With barely an hour's rest after their hard-fought semifinal win against the strong contender Artang, the Sungkomen team faced off against the organising team in the final.
The first set was highly competitive, but Sungkomen managed to edge out Kumlong with a narrow 26-24 win.
However, the Kumlong team bounced back strongly in the second set. They capitalised on Sungkomen's errors, including over five points lost due to miscommunication and technical fouls. Kumlong dominated the set, winning it convincingly 25-14.
The third set began with both teams displaying consistent defensive and attacking strategies. However, Kumlong faltered mid-game, allowing Sungkomen to take the lead and force Kumlong to use their final time-out at 17-9.
During the third set time-outs, it was observed that most of the Sungkomen players had reached their limit, collapsing on the floor due to fatigue from the grueling schedule. The support team scrambled to tend to the players. Despite their exhaustion, Sungkomen's players rallied and secured the third set 25-17.
The fourth set was another closely contested battle. Kumlong fought hard to push the match to a deciding fifth set, but Sungkomen managed to seal the victory. Sungkomen won the fourth set 26-24, clinching the championship with a final score of 26-24, 14-25, 25-17, 26-24.
In the individual awards, Niuto of Sungkomen Ward was named Best Setter, Nengshitemjen of Sungkomen Ward was recognised as Best Spiker, and Tsuknungtemjen of Kumlong Ward was named the Player of the Tournament.
The closing programme was attended by Mangyangnungba, president of NDPP Mokokchung Region.