Michael sanchez

Volleyball Club World Championship: Prime Volleyball League champions Ahmedabad Defenders put up a spirited performance in their Men’s Club World Championship debut against the formidable Itambe Minas from Brazil before going down 0-3 in their Pool A clash on Wednesday.

The home team, who also became the first Indian club to play in the prestigious competition, took the fight to Minas but the experience in the rank of Minas made the difference in the final analysis as the Brazilian opened their account with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-19 win.

Outside hitter Amit Balwan Singh was the highest scorer for the home team with a total of 13 points and was well supported by A Ramaswamy (7), LM Manoj (7) and Ashwal Rai (5) but their effort wasn’t enough to help the team to win at least one set in what was an historic occasion for Indian volleyball.