Asian U21 Beach Volleyball: Pakistan finish 9th, enter final qualifying round

KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday produced mixed results on the final day of the 2019 Asian Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Roi-Et, Thailand, finishing at the ninth place at the continental event which was also a qualifying round for the World Championships.

Although Pakistan did not qualify for the World Beach Championships from here but they qualified for the final qualifying tournament which will be hosted by Thailand on June 18, one day before the start of the World Beach Championships.

As many as 24 teams will feature in that qualifying round whose matches will be completed in one day. Top four teams from that leg will complete the frame for the World Championships.

Pakistan coach Hamid Movahedi confirmed this to this correspondent from Thailand on Monday. “Yes, we have qualified for the final qualifying round to be held in Bangkok on June 18,” Movahedi told 'The News' from Roi-Et.

On Monday, Pakistani pair Afaq and Zarnab did a glorious job by beating strong Vietnam 2-0. However, they lost to Iran's second string 1-2 in their last show, which ended Pakistan's journey in the event.

On Sunday, Pakistan defeated strong Chinese Taipei 2-0. Zarnab and Afaq lost to China in their opener 0-2. However, they created a big upset when they defeated Iran 2-0 in their second outing. Pakistan then lost to Australia 0-2.

“I am satisfied with the way both Afaq and Zarnab performed here,” Movahedi said. “You know the teams here were of high standard. Most of them have strong beach volleyball set-ups but we held only a brief camp and the food was also not that good. I felt that our players lacked in stamina.

If you play three successive games without ample rest then you need top fitness and it comes only through standard nutrition,” said Istanbul-based Movahedi.

Pakistan's second string, carrying Usman and Ahmed, had exited when they lost their initial three matches. Usman and Ahmed lost to Singapore 2-0, conceded their second game to Indonesia 0-2 before going 1-2 down against Oman.

Pakistan Volleyball Federation's (PVF) chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob said that beach volleyball would now be part and parcel of the volleyball culture.

“This type of volleyball will now be well-entrenched in our volleyball culture and will progress,” Yaqoob told 'The News'.

“Beach volleyball needs good stamina and so longer camps. We need to popularise this game now. We have made entry into this kind of volleyball in international circuit in the most convincing way. Afaq and Zarnab have done very well in Thailand event,” Yaqoob said.

A team carries only two players in beach volleyball.