Wapda taste 1st defeat in World Club volleyball

KARACHI: Wapda went 2-3 down to Kazakhstan’s Atyrau in the semi-final of the AVC 2018 Asian Men’s World Club Volleyball Championship in Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium Hall in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Sunday.

After making a fantastic start to the vital clash when WAPDA lifted the first set with an enviable ease 25-14, the Pakistan’s champions failed to keep the pressure, losing the next two sets 30-32, 16-25 to fall in deep trouble. However in the fourth set they regained momentum, winning it 25-18 to make it 2-2. In the fifth and decisive set a gruelling fight was witnessed with Atyrau eventually lifting it 15-11 to seal a tough win and qualify for the final. WapdaA will now face Vietnam’s club Sanset Khanh Hoa in the third place play-off on Monday (today). Vietnamese club lost to Iranian club Khalam Ardakan 0-3 in the other semi-final on Sunday. The set score remained 25-18, 25-23 and 25-19 in Iran’s favour.

This is the first loss for Wapda in the event so far. Wapda, earlier, defeated Japan’s Toray Arrows, China’s Sichuan, Myanmar’s Asia World Club and Turkmenistan’s Binagar Club.