Wapda keep on winning in Asian Men’s Club Volleyball

KARACHI: Wapda kept their golden run when they defeated Japan’s Toray Arrows 3-2 to make it to the semifinals of the AVC 2018 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship in 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 did 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 Ch Yaqoob told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

“We sent the team so that some of its players, who are in 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 fund and you know we made some progress also,” 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. The win against Toray Arrows is the fourth successive one from Wapda. Earlier on Friday Wapda defeated China’s Sichuan 3-0 in the quarter-finals league with the set scores being 25-23, 25-22 and 25-22.

On July 31 Wapda had beaten hosts Myanmar’s Asia World Club in straight sets in their opening game of the preliminaries, followed by a victory against Turkmenistan’s Binagar Club 3-2 the next day.