(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Pakistan Qualifies for U17 World Cup, Advances to Asian U16 Volleyball Championship Semifinals
KARACHI: Pakistan’s U16 volleyball team secured a spot in the semifinals of the Asian U16 Volleyball Championship and qualified for next year’s U17 World Cup after a commanding straight-set win over Indonesia on Wednesday.
Pakistan defeated Indonesia 25-23, 25-20, 25-20 in the crossover round, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament to four matches without dropping a set.
Despite an early setback trailing 3-12 in the first set, Pakistan made a strong comeback to win 25-23 and maintained momentum throughout the game. The team excelled in attack and blocks, scoring 37 attack points compared to Indonesia’s 34, and 14 block points against just 3 from their opponents. Indonesia led in service points 8-2.
Top performers included Muhammad Junaid, who scored 15 points with 10 attack points, and Faizanullah, who added 11 points. Key contributions also came from Saran Baig and Talha Mehar.
With this victory, both Pakistan and Iran remain undefeated in Group F of the crossover round and have secured semifinal spots. Pakistan is set to face Iran in their final crossover match on Thursday, with the semifinal opponent to be confirmed afterward.
