Hangzhou: Pakistan downed India by 3-0 in men's volleyball match on Tuesday to clinch fifth place in the competition at the ongoing 19th Asian Games at Hangzhou, China. The national team defeated the traditional rivals in straight sets, maintaining a scoreline of victory as 25-21, 25-20 and 25-23. Pakistan dominated proceedings throughout the match and registered a comprehensive victory over India. This is the first time in 33 years that the side secured a spot in the top five since 1990. Earlier, in a thrilling quarter-final match, Qatar emerged victorious against Pakistan.

The clash saw the 51st-ranked Pakistan team going up against the 17th-ranked Qatar side. The match began with Pakistan displaying a strong performance right from the first set.

At one point, Pakistan held a five-point lead, but Qatar mounted a remarkable comeback, overcoming deficits of 20-15 and 24-22 to snatch the first set from Pakistan. However, Qatar was unable to maintain their momentum. In the third set, Pakistan dominated Qatar right from the start. Unfortunately for Pakistan, in the fourth set, Qatar didn't leave any room for a comeback and clinched the victory. The final score of Qatar's triumph over Pakistan stood at 24-26, 19-25, 25-23, and 18-25.

Remember, the Men in Green beat South Korea 3-0 to reach the quarter-final with the scores of 25-19, 25-22 and 25-21. Pakistan also cemented their place in the top six teams with their win over South Korea. This was when the side reached the top six for the first time since the 1994 Asian Games.

Earlier, Pakistan topped group B by registering remarkable wins over considerably weak Chinese Taipei and Mongolia sides. The Green Shirts beat Chinese Taipei in straight sets, 25-18, 25-20, 25-19. Meanwhile, against Mongolia, their winning scores were 25-17, 25-19 and 25-20. Pakistan’s biggest achievement in the Asian Games volleyball history is their third-place finish in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games. In the last Asian Games held in Indonesia in 2018, Pakistan finished eighth.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 27 2023

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