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The inaugural day of the volleyball event at the 13th South Asian Games witnessed the hosts Nepal lock horns against Bangladesh in both men's and women's categories in the opening encounters. The matches took place at the Dasharath Rangashala covered hall, Kathmandu.
The hosts gained a victory in the women's category in the opening encounter. However, the men's team suffered a loss at the hands of Bangladesh in the Group A fixture.
The Nepali women's volleyball team produced a strong performance to defeat the Bangladesh women's side 3-0. The victory margin came in straight sets (25-9, 25-9, 25-11) on the inaugural day.
Aruna Shahi, the captain of the Nepal women's team, had led the national side to the AVC Central Zone Women's Volleyball Championship in Bangladesh earlier. It was Nepal's first-ever international title in the sport.
In the second match of the evening, Bangladesh started their outing with a nail-biting 3-2 win over the Nepal men's side. Bangladesh won the first set 25-21, followed by Nepal's comeback of 25-23 in the second set.
Both teams fought head to head with Bangladesh winning the third set 25-19, and Nepal reigning in the fourth set 26-24. However, Bangladesh put the final nail in the coffin with a 15-12 win in the end.
