LAHORE: Pakistan volleyball captain Murad Khan hailed his team’s stu­n­ning straight-sets victory over world number 24 and defending champion Qat­ar as their “best performance” in the AVC Nat­ions Cup, following the te­am’s return to Lahore with the silver medal on Friday.

Arriving with the runners-up trophy after the tournament in Manama, Murad told that the thumping 3-0 semi-final win against Qatar was Pakistan’s crowning achievement.

“The way Pakistan defeated Qatar... was the biggest achievement of Pakistan in the tournament,” Murad stated.

Despite the eventual 3-1 loss to hosts Bahrain in the final, the Mu­r­ad highlighted the team’s significant progress.

“Our boys learnt a lot in the event, and playing the final has raised the morale of the players,” he said.

The captain attributed the final defeat partly to injuries.

“Due to injuries to some players, Pakistan could not maintain top performance, which it had showed in the previous matches, and therefore lost the final easily,” Murad, 25, explained.

He highlighted tangible proof of the team’s rising standards.

“Pakistan has now clim­bed to seventh in Asia and 42nd in the world rankings. Looking ahead, Mu­rad expressed optimism that with more international exposure, Pakistan could qualify for the Olympics.

“A lot of efforts are still required to come among the world’s top teams,” Mu­rad acknowledged. How­ever, he added, “the Pakistan Volleyball Fede­ration is on the right track to achieve this target, soon.”

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2025