Sharjah: It was expected to be a hard-fought contest, after Kuwait’s Al Fatat Club gave a spectacular performance against their Omani opponents in the last match they played, but the Sharjah Sports Club for Women made it look like cakewalk with an easy 3-0 win over their Kuwaiti counterparts in the volleyball at the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST).
Registering this big victory has secured them a spot in the championship finals, due to be played on Monday.
The fourth and largest edition of the AWST is being held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of Sharjah Women’s Sports Foundation (SWSF).
In the first set, the Sharjah team quickly got the upper hand, dominating the scene early in the match. The set score of 14-6 saw the Kuwaitis lagging far behind and set them on a dire mission to catch up. Sharjah continued the pressure on the Kuwaitis, playing with rare confidence and flair, which brought them to a comfortable win in the first set with a score tally of 25-10.
The second set looked no different from the first one, and Sharjah, without letting a sense of complacency set in, continued to capitalise on the lead they had established early on in the game. Al Fatat were seen trying mightily to get their act together in this set, but without a strong defence from them the initial score of 18-10 ended the second set in another comprehensive win for Sharjah with a final score tally of 25-12.
One would think that getting into the third set, the Kuwaitis would have let go completely. But, proving everyone wrong and fuelled by sheer determination and an unmistakable sporting spirit, they regained momentum with a 2-2 tie.
In response, the Sharjah players hit hard and took a 4-2 lead, followed by a quick score by the Kuwaitis reducing the score gap to 4-3 and then 12-5 — a certain improvement but not good enough to change the course of the match. The Sharjah Sports Club serves in the final leg proved too much to take for their opponents, and ended in another comfortable win for the home team with a third set tally of 25-12.
A convincing and comprehensive win for the Sharjah Sports Club as the scoreboard flashed a 3-0 score, much to the delight of home supporters. This undisputed victory right before the finals certainly gives Sharjah a front foot as they enter the ultimate contest of the tournament.
