Islamabad, Pakistan, May 18, 2024 – Hosts Pakistan stamped their domination over the 2nd Engro Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Nations League following their dramatic win against Turkmenistan in the highly-anticipated final showdown, bringing the tournament to an exhilarating close at Liaqat Gymnasium inside Pakistan Sports Complex here on Friday.
In a thrilling contest to decide the eventual winners, Pakistan lived up to the expectations to pull off 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 20-25, 25-14) win against Turkmenistan, the team they had already beaten 3-1 in the single round-robin preliminaries on May 13, to capture the unprecedented title in the tournament.
It was the first-time ever that Pakistan captured the CAVA Nations League. They did not participate in the inaugural competition last year in Kyrgyzstan, where Iran reigned supreme. En route to winning the 2nd edition of the CAVA Nations League on Friday, Pakistan got their campaign off to a brilliant start after 3-0 demolition of Afghanistan in the curtain-raisers on May 11.
The host side continued their fantastic run after that, managing another 3-0 shutout of Sri Lanka, powering past Turkmenistan 3-1, outplaying Kyrgyzstan 3-0 and stunning defending champions Iran 3-1 to finish on top of the preliminary standings with five-match aggregate of 15 points from consecutive five wins.
Following their remarkable unbeaten run in the preliminaries and the resounding victory in the final showdown against Turkmenistan on Friday, Pakistan were eventually crowned champions. Turkmenistan, which finished a disappointing 5th position at the inaugural edition last year, came up much stronger this time to pick up silver.
The final match was graced by the presence of guest of honor Mr Ahsan Iqbal Chaudry, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and President of the Pakistan Sports Board. In a show of support and recognition, he announced a reward of 5 lakhs to each player of the Pakistani team for their outstanding performance and winning the Engro CAVA Nations League.
Earlier, Kyrgyzstan, silver medallists at the previous edition on their home soil, battled it out with Sri Lanka in the third place playoff clash. Kyrgyzstan, which had already beaten Sri Lanka in hard-fought 3-2 in their opening match on May 11, still proved a cut above the same rivals to seal a thrilling 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 20-25, 25-23) win for bronze medal.
The 2nd Engro CAVA Nations League was a resounding success, bringing together teams from Central Asian countries for a display of exceptional volleyball talent and sportsmanship. The Pakistan Volleyball Federation has extended its heartfelt gratitude to all participating teams, officials, and sponsors for their invaluable contributions to making this event a memorable success.
FINAL RANKING
Champions: Pakistan
Silver: Turkmenistan
Bronze: Kyrgyzstan
4. Sri Lanka
5. Iran
6. Afghanistan
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
- 1st Best Outside Hitter: Didar Nuryyen (Turkmenistan)
- 2nd Best Outside Hitter: Usman Faryad Ali (Pakistan)
- 1st Best Middle Blocker: Roman Shilov (Kyrgyzstan)
- 2nd Best Middle Blocker: Musawer Khan (Pakistan)
- Best Setter: Muhammad Kashif Naveed (Pakistan)
- Best Libero: Onolbek Kanybek Uulu (Turkmenistan)
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): Usman Faryad Ali (Pakistan)
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