ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continued their impressive run with another strai­ght-set triumph, defeating Bangladesh 3-0 in the Central Asian Volleyball Associa­tion (CAVA) Volleyball Champ­ionship here at the Liaquat Gymnasium of the Pakistan Sports Complex on Thursday.

The hosts dominated from the outset with aggressive serving, effective blocking, quick attacks and disciplined defence. Bangladesh offered greater resistance in the third set, but Pakistan maintained control to seal a comfortable 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 win.

Earlier, Sri Lanka defeated Nepal 3-2 in a thrilling contest to register their first victory of the championship.

Sri Lanka won the opening set 25-18 but Nepal fought back to take the next two 25-21, 25-19. Sri Lanka responded by winning the fourth set 25-21 before dominating the decider 15-10.

Uzbekistan edged Kazakhstan 3-2 in what was the most closely fought match of the championship so far.

Kazakhstan took the opening set 25-19 before Uzbekistan levelled, securing the second set 25-22. Both teams then traded the next two sets to setup a tense decider.

The deciding set was another closely contested affair, with Uzbekistan holding their nerve in the closing stages to secure a 16-14 victory.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026