Pakistan demolish India to storm into volleyball semis

Pakistan swept arch-rivals India 3-0 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Asian Games men’s volleyball competition and end their opponents’ unbeaten run.

Pakistan won 25-19, 25-23, 25-18 at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium to beat India at the Asian Games for the second successive edition.

Murad Khan led the way with a match-high 22 points, while Usman Faryad Ali added nine and Mohammad Hamad eight.

Pakistan, ranked 39th in the world compared with India’s 49th, had beaten Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the pool stage before losing to hosts Japan to finish runners-up in Pool A.

India entered the quarter-final unbeaten after straight-set wins over Vietnam and Hong Kong and a five-set victory over Qatar.

Pakistan set the pace from the outset, taking the opening set 25-19 in 23 minutes as India struggled to contain their attack.

The second set proved more closely fought. India opened a 16-13 lead before Pakistan fought back to level at 16-16.

India again moved three points clear at 19-16, but Pakistan responded with another three-point run to draw level before taking control.

Pakistan reached set point at 24-22. India saved one, but Pakistan converted the next opportunity to take the set 25-23 after 34 minutes.

Pakistan then dominated the third set, opening a 14-9 lead before extending it to 17-10.

India saved two match points at 24-16, but Pakistan closed out the match on their third opportunity, winning the set 25-18 in 25 minutes.

The victory keeps Pakistan’s medal hopes alive as they advance to the semi-finals.

Former India opener WV Raman is confident that the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team can emulate Harmanpreet Kaur’s women’s side by winning gold at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.

Raman, who represented India in 11 Tests and 27 ODIs and was also the former head coach of the Indian women’s team, believes India are the strongest team in the competition ahead of today’s semi-final against Sri Lanka. “The Indian team at the Asian Games is probably the strongest among the teams playing here. I don’t see anybody really putting it across Team India because it’s a very formidable side and each one of them is a match-winner in his own right on a given day,” Raman told mid-day during an interview organised by Sony Sports Network on Wednesday. trojkonferencja2024.pl

Raman felt Sri Lanka are a talented side but have struggled of late due to selection issues and injuries. “Sri Lanka has always had tremendous talent, but they have also been having their own problems of late, not only in terms of selection policies but also injuries. They will always pose a challenge to the best teams on a given day. So, it will be a hard-fought game, but India have the wherewithal to come out on top,” Raman added.

India’s hopes of ending a 40-year wait for a top-four finish in men’s volleyball at the Asian Games came to an end on Thursday, as Pakistan secured a straight-sets victory in the quarterfinals in Aichi-Nagoya at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium.

Pakistan won 25-19, 25-23, 25-18 to move into the semifinals, while India’s campaign came to an end despite winning all three of their group-stage matches, including a thrilling win over Qatar.

The two sides stayed close early in the opening set, but Pakistan gradually took control through their stronger attacking play. Murad Khan was a constant threat as India struggled to convert their chances. Pakistan finished the first set with 17 successful spikes from 24 attempts, while India managed 11 from 29.

India showed resistance in the second set and were level at 13-13 and 16-16. However, Pakistan again found the crucial points late in the set. India saved one set point at 23-24, but Usman Faryad Ali finished it with a smash off the block.

Pakistan then started building more pressure in the third set, moving 3-0 ahead. Jerome Vinith responded with a powerful smash, but India could not sustain the fightback.

Pakistan’s attacking efficiency ultimately changed the game. They recorded 50 successful spikes from 83 attempts, while India managed only 33 from 81.

Jerome, who had been India’s leading attacker throughout the tournament, could not inspire a comeback as Pakistan closed out the match in straight sets.

This defeat extends India’s wait for a volleyball medal at the Asian Games, but Pakistan’s win helped them move into the top four in the competition for the first time in 64 years.

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The Asian Games are well and truly up and running, with all eyes on some of the biggest contingents and sporting nations as they chase medals across disciplines. Among the sports drawing attention is cricket — a sport that continues to grow far and wide, and one that offers something particularly significant at a continental event like this: an opportunity for associate nations to compete with the bigger cricketing powers.

For these teams, it is not always about defeating a Test-playing nation. Sometimes, simply getting the opportunity to play against one is an achievement in itself. Behind that moment are years of hard work, qualification, preparation and dedication, all driven by the hope of representing their country on one of the biggest sporting stages in Asia.

Which is what makes the rain-related outcomes at the Asian Games particularly difficult to digest.

India’s T20 quarterfinal match against Afghanistan was completely washed out, sending India through to the semi-finals. Sri Lanka vs Nepal and Bangladesh vs Malaysia met the same fate, with the higher-ranked teams progressing. For the associate nations, there was no opportunity to take the field, compete or even test themselves against a stronger opponent.

Malaysia cricketer Virandeep Singh expressed that dejection and disappointment in a post on X: “Sad we couldn’t even make it to the ground. Waited 3 years for another opportunity to play against a Test nation but not meant to be I guess. Associate cricket is tough lol.”

It is difficult for anyone not to empathise. Cricket at the Asian Games is governed by the Asian Cricket Council and the Olympic Council of Asia, rather than the ICC. So, there is another factor to consider – the cricket body does not get to decide which season a multi-sport event is played in. The Asian Games are scheduled according to the larger sporting calendar, and unlike most other outdoor sports, cricket can be heavily affected by the season and weather conditions. While seasons may have little impact on several other disciplines, rain can bring cricket to a complete standstill.

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But the larger question remains — when an associate nation waits years for an opportunity like this, is there a way to ensure that rain does not completely take that opportunity away?

The problem, however, is that cricket is uniquely vulnerable to rain. Unlike several other outdoor sports, the playing surface and ball conditions are integral to the game. Even indoor cricket has never proved to be a practical long-term solution for the traditional format.

There was an experiment in 2000, when Australia and South Africa played an ODI series at Melbourne’s Colonial Stadium under a covered dome. Initially, balls hitting the roof were declared dead and re-bowled. Later, a roof-hit was awarded six runs when the Big Bash League started — a rule that created its own absurdities before eventually being scrapped. As modern bats became more powerful, the idea became even less feasible. Cricket also relies heavily on natural conditions such as sunlight, wind, humidity and dew.

So, perhaps, there is no perfect answer.
But there is certainly room for the conversation to continue — especially with cricket’s growing presence on the Olympic stage and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon. The weather may be beyond anyone’s control, but perhaps the rules surrounding its consequences could evolve.

Because for the big teams, a washed-out game can be an unfortunate interruption. For an associate nation, it can mean waiting years for a dream that lasted only as long as the rain stayed away.

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The post When the rain plays spoilsport, who pays the price? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.