KARACHI: In a gripping and nerve-wracking semi-final at the Asian Under-18 Volleyball Championship in Bahrain, the Pakistan Under-18 team was narrowly defeated by China. 

The loss means Pakistan will now compete for third place, while China advances to the final.

The semi-final was a thrilling encounter which tested the nerves and skills of both the teams and kept both teams exchanging leads throughout the match. 

China won the first set, but Pakistan bounced back to take the second. China then regained the lead, only for Pakistan to level the match in the fourth set after coming back from a 16-21 deficit. In the decisive fifth set, China managed to secure the victory.

The final score was 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 23-25 and 15-8 in favour of China. Notable performances for Pakistan came from Abu Bakar, Mahtat Ali Shah, Muhammad Anas, and Muhammad Yahya.

By finishing among the top four teams, Pakistan has also secured a place in next year’s Under-19 Volleyball World Championship for the first time.

It is also worth mentioning that this was only second appearance in Asian U18 Volleyball Championship for Pakistan, they achieved this feat by winning the Central Asian U18 volleyball championship in June this year.

Pakistan Volleyball Federation, in a statement, has said that the team’s performance and journey has brought pride to Pakistan and it reflects country’s great potential in Volleyball.

The statement added that experience of playing in this event will serve as an important stepping stone for the team in preparing for their future assignments