NATIONAL WOMEN VOLLEYBALL: Punjab brush aside AJK in opener

PESHAWAR: Punjab outperformed Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the opening match of the National Women Volleyball Championship here at the Peshawar Sports Complex on Wednesday. Punjab won 25-18, 25-14, 25-17.

Punjab dominated the match right from the beginning and could not show any sign of weakness to allow AJK team to recover or put up any resistance.

Defending champions Wap-da comfortably defeated Islamabad while Higher Education Commission (HEC) outclassed Balochistan 25-14, 25-17, 25-11.

In the other matches of the day, Sindh crushed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 25-17, 25-15, 25-18 as Army recorded victory against Islamabad 25-17, 25-16, 25-17.

As many as nine teams from Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa, Kashmir, Wapda, Army and HEC are participating in the championship. The Group A included Wapda, Sindh, Army, KP and Islamabad while Group B consisted of HEC, Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan.

Earlier the opening ceremony of the event was held where Director Operation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate Syed Saqlain Shah was the chief guest. PVF secretary Engineer Shah Naeem Zafar, KP Volleyball Association secretary Khalid Waqar, players, officials and a large number of spectators were also present.