NAKHON PATHOM: Pakistan secured an enthralling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over defending champions Iran to win the AVC Asian Men’s U16 Volleyball Championship here at the Nakhon Pathom Gymnasium on Saturday.
The summit clash got off to a contrasting start as the holders secured an early edge by winning the first two sets, moving within touching distance of retaining the title.
The Green Shirts, however, made an astounding comeback as they won two consecutive sets to force the match into the decider.
Pakistan continued the momentum in the fifth and final set and eventually rounded up a thrilling 22-25, 21-25, 30-28, 25-21 and 15-10 victory, which led them to their maiden AVC Asian Men’s U16 Volleyball title.
Muhammad Junaid and Faizanullah once again were the standout performers for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s journey to the final has been remarkable as they opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over South Korea (25-16, 25-19, 25-8), followed by a dominant performance against Saudi Arabia (25-14, 25-13, 25-11).
In their third group match, they maintained their perfect record by defeating Chinese Taipei in straight sets (26-24, 25-14, 25-16).
The Pakistani squad extended their unbeaten streak in the first crossover round with a 3-0 win over Indonesia.
The national U16 team ultimately booked their spot in the final by registering a perfect 3-0 victory over arch-rivals India in the blockbuster semi-final on Thursday.
The Green Shirts put on a commanding display, winning in straight sets with scores of 25-16, 25-19, and 25-12. Pakistan outperformed India in all departments—attack, block, and service—to register a clinical win.
Faizan Lakhani
Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.
