Pakistan crowned champions of the CAVA Nations League.
2024.05.19
Hosts Pakistan stamped their dominance over the 2nd Engro Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Nations League with a dramatic victory over Turkmenistan in the highly anticipated final match, bringing the tournament to an exhilarating close at Liaqat Gymnasium inside Pakistan Sports Complex here on Friday.
Pakistan lived up to the hype as they defeated Turkmenistan 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 20-25, 25-14) in an exciting match to determine the eventual winners. Pakistan had previously defeated Turkmenistan 3-1 in the single round-robin preliminary round on May 13 to win the tournament’s historic title.
Pakistan won the CAVA Nations League for the first time ever. They did not take part in the competition’s first edition in Kyrgyzstan, when Iran won. Pakistan’s campaign began brilliantly on May 11 when they defeated Afghanistan 3-0 in the curtain-raisers, and they went on to win the second edition of the CAVA Nations League on Friday.
After that, the home team maintained their incredible run, defeating Sri Lanka 3-0 once more, overwhelming Turkmenistan 3-1, dominating Kyrgyzstan 3-0, and shocking the reigning champions Iran 3-1 to top the preliminary standings with a five-match aggregate of 15 points from back-to-back victories.
Pakistan emerged victorious after their incredible run of victories in the preliminary round and their decisive win against Turkmenistan in the championship match on Friday. After placing a disappointing fifth in the first edition of the competition last year, Turkmenistan performed significantly better this time around and won silver.
The Pakistan Sports Board President and Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal Chaudry, was the honored guest at the final game. He declared that every player on the Pakistani team will receive an award of 5 lakhs in celebration of their exceptional performance and their country’s victory in the Engro CAVA Nations League.
Earlier, in the third place playoff match, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan, the home team that won silver in the previous edition, faced off. Even though they had already defeated Sri Lanka 3-2 in their opening match on May 11, Kyrgyzstan showed that they were a step above their rivals by winning a dramatic 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 20-25, 25-23) encounter to claim the bronze medal.
The 2nd Engro CAVA Nations League, which brought teams from Central Asian nations together for a demonstration of extraordinary volleyball skill and camaraderie, was a huge success. The officials, sponsors, and participating teams have all received sincere gratitude from the Pakistan Volleyball Federation for their vital assistance in making this event a huge success.
