Sri Lanka ends CAVA Under 20 Championship on high note by beating Maldives

Sri Lanka’s Under-20 men’s volleyball team secured a decisive 3-0 victory against the Maldives to claim fifth place at the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Under-20 Men’s Volleyball Championship, organized by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, which concluded on Saturday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

In the fifth and sixth place decider, Sri Lanka dispalyed a dominant performance, winning all three sets with scores of 25-12, 25-20, and 25-20. This win marked a significant achievement for the team after a challenging round-robin stage in which they struggled, finishing with only one victory out of five matches.

During the tournament’s initial round, Sri Lanka faced tough competition. They opened with a 2-1 loss to Nepal but quickly rebounded with a convincing 3-0 victory over the Maldives. However, the home team faced setbacks in their subsequent matches, losing in straight sets to Kyrgyzstan

(2-3), Turkmenistan (1-3), and Uzbekistan (1-3). These defeats relegated them to the fifth and sixth place match against the Maldives.

In the playoff for third place, Turkmenistan edged out Kyrgyzstan in a thrilling five-set match. The final score of 3-2 highlighted the competitive spirit of the tournament, with set scores reading 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, and 15-13 in favor of Turkmenistan, who earned the bronze medal.

The championship match saw Uzbekistan triumph over Nepal to claim the coveted CAVA Under-20 Men’s Volleyball Championship title. The Uzbek team won the final with a score of 3-1, with set scores of 25-27, 25-10, 25-16, and 25-20. This victory underlined Uzbekistan’s supremacy throughout the tournament.

Individually, Uzbekistan’s players also shone, winning four out of the eight available individual awards. Haydarov Ogabek was named Most Valuable Player and Best Outside Hitter, while Murodov Marziyod earned the Best Setter award, and Murobidinov Saidjamol was recognized as the Best Opposite Player. Other notable awards included Best Outside Hitter for Gahatraj Pahal and Best Middle Blocker for Nepal’s Arjun, as well as Best Libero for Dobulbek Uule Beksoloson from Kyrgyzstan and Best Middle Blocker for Berdiyen Bayaramgeldi from Turkmenistan.

Sri Lanka’s fifth-place finish may not reflect their aspirations, but the team’s performance against the Maldives suggests a foundation to build on for future competitions. With experience gained from this tournament, they will hope to improve and aim for higher placements in upcoming events.

Source:Daily News