KARACH: Pakistan advanced to the semifinals of the Asian U16 Volleyball Championship and qualified for next year’s U17 World Cup after a straight-set victory with scores of 25-23, 25-20, 25-20 over Indonesia in the crossover round on Wednesday.
The win extended Pakistan’s unbeaten streak to four matches in the tournament, all achieved without dropping a single set. Pakistan had previously topped its preliminary group stage with three consecutive wins before entering the crossover round, carrying forward the points against Korea, where it faced Indonesia in the first game.
Despite trailing 3-12 early in the first set, Pakistan staged a remarkable comeback to clinch the set 25-23 and maintained control throughout the match.
The team dominated in attack and block points, scoring 37 attack points to Indonesia’s 34 and securing 14 block points compared to Indonesia’s 3. However, Indonesia edged Pakistan in service points, 8-2.
Key performances came from Muhammad Junaid, who led Pakistan with 15 points, including 10 attack points, and Faizanullah, who contributed 11 points. Saran Baig and Talha Mehar also played pivotal roles in the victory.
With this result, Pakistan and Iran — both undefeated in Group F of the crossover round — have secured semifinal berths. Pakistan will face Iran in its final crossover match on Thursday, with the semifinal opponent to be determined afterwards.
