MANAMA: For the second straight edition, Pakistan lost in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup final after Bahrain won their maiden title with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday.

Having fallen to Qatar in the final last year, Pakistan looked headed for the title after winning the first set and being tied 14-14 in the second but suffered an inexplicable collapse to lose 25-23, 16-25, 17-25, 18-15.

Pakistan had gained a measure of revenge by ousting Qatar in the semi-finals but the loss saw them tumble three places to 42nd in the world rankings.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2025