WAPDA cruise into Asian Club Volleyball semis

KARACHI: WAPDA kept their golden run when they defeated Japan’s Toray Arrows 3-2 to make it to the semi-finals of the AVC 2018 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium Hall in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on Saturday.

Featuring most of the Pakistan’s senior team players, WAPDA began their outing in great style when they won the first set 25-21. However, at this stage the Japanese club fought back strongly, lifting the next two sets 25-16 and 25-23 to take a 2-1 lead.

But the Pakistan’s champions made a remarkable comeback through their superb power-spiking, winning the next two sets 31-29, 22-20 to seal a solid win in the end.

“The team played really well today,” Pakistan Volleyball Federation’s (PVF) chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

“We sent the team so that some of the players, who are in the Pakistan’s side, would be able to get some matches and this will really help them in the Asian Games,” Yaqoob added.

“The issue in Pakistan is that nobody thinks for other sports other than cricket and hockey which are patronised by the state. We started youth, junior and senior activities with full force because we got some funds and we also made some progress,” said Yaqoob, also a former senior police official.

Pakistan’s Iranian coach Hamid Movahedi is handling the side which is expected to finish at the victory podium.

In the semi-final on Sunday (today), WAPDA will face Kazakhstan’s Atyrau at the same venue.

The final will be held on Monday (tomorrow).

This is the first time that any Pakistani club is featuring in the slots.