The Ladies volleyball team of Simariyiri has won the female category of the Bole District U-15 Volleyball Association organised Gala Competition held in Seripe on 4th April, 2021 for an unprecedented three times consecutively.
Six female teams from Bole, Mandari, Simariyiri, Dabouyiri, Maluwe and the host community Seripe participated in the one-day gala.
The well-organised Simariyiri team topped their group which included the host community and Dabouyiri by winning both of their group stage matches with chicky ease to qualify for the finals.
Unsurprisingly, the Mandari team also won the other group by beating both Bole and Maluwe.
The finals happened to be the third successive time the two teams had met at that stage. Having lost the previous two in Norkoyiri and Maluwe, the Mandari team was determined not to be beaten again.
However, the defending champions started brightly and won the first set. The highly motivated Mandari team also won the tight second set and forced the game into a third.
During the final set, the girls from Mandari had a comfortable lead of 12-7. This compelled the coach of Simariyiri to called for a time out. That tactic worked as the defending champions turned the game on its head and won it incredibly by 15 points to 13 leaving the players and coaches of Mandari in total shock and despair.
After the game, the coach of Simariyiri Mr. Mahatma Alhassan famously called Prof told Yagbon Radio Sports that he nearly collapsed when Mandari was leading comfortably in the final set.
He said he felt relieved after the victory but was quick to shower praises on his counterpart, Coach Sumani Mohammed and his girls for making the finals a much competitive one.
The Simariyiri team manager Mr Osman Issahaku aka Champion added that they would still defend the trophy in Mandari come June even though he knew it wouldn’t be that easy.
The team was presented a trophy. Two players of the team also received special awards. Patience was adjudged the overall best female player whiles Regina received a special award of a personal volleyball and an undisclosed amount of money from Mr Godfred, the organizer for the Northern Regional Volleyball Association who doubles as a a volleyball coach for Tamasco Zone.
Source: yagbonradioonline/Zakaria Tumeto Alidu
