Pakistan Set to Clash with Chinese Taipei for Pool C Supremacy

KARACHI: Pakistan secured their place in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, following Chinese Taipei’s triumph over the Philippines in Manama’s Isa bin Rashid Hall.

The Philippines, after a 3-1 defeat to Pakistan on Tuesday, needed a victory against Chinese Taipei to remain competitive in the 12-team tournament.

However, Chinese Taipei defeated them 3-1, eliminating the Philippines from the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup.

As a result, both Pakistan and Chinese Taipei have progressed to the quarter-finals and will compete against each other on Thursday to determine the Pool C leaders.

The Pakistani team began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over the Philippines on Tuesday, with set scores of 25-18, 25-12, 18-25, and 25-22.

Pakistan dominated early on, winning the first two sets comfortably before the Philippines rallied in the third. The fourth set was closely contested until Pakistan pulled ahead to clinch the win.

Key players for Pakistan included Murad Khan, Mussawar Khan, and Afaq Khan, each contributing 14 points.

In terms of statistics, Pakistan had a slight edge in attack points (48-45) and blocks (14-13), while the Philippines led in service points (4-3). Pakistan capitalized on 28 opponent errors, while the Philippines scored 15 points from Pakistani errors.

Ch Muhammad Yaqoob, Chairman of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation, and Sohail Khawar Mir, President of PVF, congratulated the team on their successful start.

Chairman Yaqoob stated, “This victory highlights the team’s dedication and effort. We support our players and hope for their continued success in the competition.”

President Mir added, “This triumph marks a positive start to the campaign, and we anticipate the team will build on this forward momentum. We extend our best wishes to the team, with hopes they will bring pride to the nation.”