Tip-Top Help Nepal lose 3-1 to Calicut Heroes in CAVA final

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 15: Calicut Heroes defeated Tip-Top Help Nepal Sports Club in the final of the 1st CAVA Men's Volleyball Club Championship 2024 to clinch the gold medal at the Covered Hall in Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, on Saturday.

The home team, Help Nepal, was defeated by 3-1 sets by Calicut Heroes, the champions of India’s Prime Volleyball League 2024. Interestingly, the two teams who opened the CAVA Men’s Club Championship on December 7 played in the finals on December 14. However, the results were different.

Help Nepal, the winner of Nepal’s league, defeated Calicut Heroes in the tournament opener by 3-2 sets. Help Nepal entered the playoffs as the second-positioned team while Calicut Heroes were third.

However, Nepal’s champions lost to Calicut Heroes in a final dominated by the visitors. Help Nepal’s best performance against Calicut in the final was when they won the second set and levelled the sets. They had lost the first set by 25-21 before defeating Calicut by 26-24 in the extended second set.

Meanwhile, Calicut bounced back stronger in the third set as they won by a margin of 11 points defeating Help Nepal by 25-14. The dominance continued in the fourth set as Calicut Heroes won their third set by 25-17.

There were five teams in the tournament played across a single round-robin format. Alongside Calicut Heroes of India, Club HDC of the Maldives and Iran Chadormalu from Iran participated in the tournament where Nepal had two teams – Help Nepal and Gandaki. Gandaki finished last in the points table while Calicut and Help Nepal reached the finals defeating Iran and Club HDC in the semis respectively.

Regarding the third-place game between Iran and HDC, Iran won with three consecutive sets. HDC had a chance in the third set getting to set-point first, but Iran made a comeback. 

Best performers

The best outside hitter of the tournament award was given to Mubashar Raza from Help Nepal while Erin Varghese was the second-best. Erin was also the Most Valuable Player of the Championship.

Similarly, Mohammad Nima Bateni of Iran was adjudged as the best middle blocker while Shikhar Singh from Calicut was the second-best. The best opposite player of the tournament was Amir Naderi Noureyni while Adnan Khan from Help Nepal was the second-best in the category.

Mahdi Sakhawi, from Iran, was the best libero of the championship.