Volleyball teams depart for Nepal on Monday

The men’s and women’s national volleyball teams for SA Games are scheduled to fly for Nepal Monday morning with the men’s team captain Harsit Biswas setting their initial target to reach the semifinals of the volleyball event that begins on November 27 in Kathmandu.

Since volleyball was included 1987 edition of SA Games, Bangladesh never managed to reach the final bagging only three bronze with the last one being won in 1999. Bangladesh will start their next campaign against Nepal in the event’s inaugural match in Group A.

“We are in a tough group against favourites India and hosts Nepal. India are far better than us so the first match against Nepal will be the most important for us if we have to achieve our initial target to reach the semifinals.” said Harsit Sunday.

The Bangladesh Olympic Association is hopeful the country can win more medals at the upcoming 13th South Asian Games than in the previous edition, where Bangladesh won 75 medals, including four golds.https://t.co/JkD0vnPpRL#OLYMPIC #ASSOCIATION #OLYMPICASSOCIATION #BOA #SAGAMES

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 23, 2019

Guided by Iranian coach Ali Pour Aroji, the men’s team enjoyed a month-long training camp in Iran followed by Asian Central Zone (CZ) Volleyball Championship in Nepal in August after which three new players were included in the SA Games camp to strengthen the 14-man squad.

A 12-member women’s team squad is unchanged from the one that played in the Bangamata Asian Senior Volleyball Championship in Dhaka this month where they finished fourth in the absence of India and Sri Lanka.

The women’s volleyball has not won a medal in the SA Games since 1993 and the scene is very unlikely to change as they are drawn with favourites India and hosts Nepal in the same group. Head coach Golam Mehedi Rasul admitted their difference in experience and skill with the other two teams before saying, “Our target is to perform better than before and gain experience.”