Pakistan go down against China in Asian Volleyball Championship

KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday went 1-3 down to China in the 5th to 8th place semi-finals of the 20th Asian Seniors Men’s Volleyball Championship in Tehran.

Having played a gripping quarter-final against Australia which Pakistan lost 2-3 on Thursday, it was expected that the Green-shirts would give tough time to China, but they failed to live up to the expectations.

After losing the first two sets 17-25, 19-25, Pakistan reduced the deficit to 1-2 with a 25-15 win in the third. But China fought really well in the tough fourth set, winning eventually with 26-24.

Pakistan face India on Saturday (today) in the 7th place game. India on Friday lost to Chinese Taipei 1-3 in their 5th to 8th place semi-finals.

Pakistan did well in the preliminaries, beating Indonesia and Kuwait to make it to the quarter-finals. Pakistan in that phase lost to Korea. In the classification phase Pakistan lost to Japan and Chinese Taipei to set quarter-final date with Australia.

After the event, Pakistan will continue their camp in Islamabad to prepare for South Asian Games to be hosted by Nepal in Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10. The volleyballers will also represent their respective teams in the 33rd National Games slated to be held in Peshawar from October 26 to November 1.

A senior official of Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) said that the camp would be continued. “We cannot disband the camp as we have to feature in South Asian Games,” PVF secretary Shah Naeem Zafar told ‘The News’ on Friday.

He said that the minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) had told them that the camp would be supported. “You know we have a Korean coach and we need to get his maximum services,” Shah said. After the South Asian Games, Pakistan will also feature in the Asian qualifying round for Olympics in March in China.