Islamabad, Pakistan, May 17, 2024 – Hosts Pakistan made a clean sweep in preliminaries to set up the final showdown with Turkmenistan in the 2nd Engro Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Nations League at Liaqat Gymnasium inside Pakistan Sports Complex here.
The single round-robin preliminaries came to an end on Thursday, with the host side pulling off a dramatic 3-1 win against Iran in their last encounter to finish on top of the six-team tournament with 15 points from five straight wins. Turkmenistan also emerged triumphant on Thursday after brushing off Sri Lanka in straight sets to come in second place overall with 10 points from three wins against two losses.
Kyrgyzstan finished third with 8 points from three wins against two losses, while Sri Lanka ended in fourth place overall with 7 points from two wins against three losses. Iran were placed 5th with 5 points from two wins against three losses, with Afghanistan on the bottom 6th following their losing streak in the six-day preliminaries.
With the top two teams through to the final, Pakistan and Turkmenistan will contest a rematch in the Friday’s showdown and the winners will be crowned the 2nd CAVA Nations League champions, while Kyrgyzstan will face off against Sri Lanka in the third place playoff for bronze medal.
On Thursday, Kyrgyzstan came up with a display of stellar performance against underdogs Afghanistan, which have yet won a single match. Going down in the first two sets 20-25, 20-25, the Afghans counter-attacked well, but still found Kyrgyzstan too strong to eventually succumb to another set loss 19-25 to the opponents.
The second match saw Turkmenistan display exceptional teamwork and skill in a tense battle against Sri Lanka to seal a well-fought three-set win 25-22, 25-19, 25-19.
As the day progressed, anticipation soared for the highly anticipated clash between Iran and Pakistan. In a fiercely contested match, Pakistan showcased their resilience and determination on the court to surprisingly beat Iran 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 25-20).
With the Thursday’s matches delivering thrilling performances and intense competition, anticipation is at an all-time high for the final match between Turkmenistan and Pakistan on Friday at 4.30pm local time. Volleyball enthusiasts can expect a riveting showdown as these two strong teams vie for the championship title.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will face off against Kyrgyzstan in the third place playoff match scheduled for the same day at 2pm, adding to the excitement and anticipation of the tournament’s conclusion. As the 2nd Engro CAVA Nations League reaches its climax, fans are eagerly awaiting thrilling matches that lie ahead.
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