LAHORE - Pakistan Wapda defeated Pakistan Air Force (PAF) 25-19, 25-17, 27-25 in the final to defended 48th National Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship title here at the Wapda Sports Complex Sunday.
Earlier Navy beat Army 25-19, 15-25, 25-19, 26-24 to clinch the third position. The championship was organised by Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) in collaboration with Wapda Sports Board (WSB).
Wapda, comprising international stars, exerted their pressure from the very beginning of the final and maintained their supremacy till the thrilling finish. They outclassed their opponents showing brilliance in smashes, blocking and services. Airmen showed some resistance in the first set but they failed to block strong smashes from Naseer, Ali Abbas and Akhtar Ali. In the second set, the airmen failed to sustain electricity men’s mounting pressure as they scored points at will.
Third set, however, produced great enjoyment for the large crowd. The airmen surprised Wapda taking three points in a row but could not maintain their pressure afterward as the points kept on tilting towards both sides. From PAF, Sheraz, Shuja and Faisal displayed their skills to exert pressure on Wapda and forced them to make mistakes. They faltered in their services and the airmen also effectively blocked three forceful smashes from international Naseer. At 24-24, the final entered a thrilling stage in which both teams fought hard to take lead. Wapda players, however, curbed their nerves to win the championship.
Later, chief guest Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (R) Arif Hassan gave away the winning trophy and other prizes to the players.