PESHAWAR: Spirited Mardan, strong titles contenders Bannu and Peshawar and Peshawar Academy recorded victories against their respective rivals in the ongoing Pakistan Army Inter-Regional Boys Volleyball Championship League being played here at the Indoor Hall of PSB Coaching Center on Saturday.
Mardan Region stunned strong Hazara in a thrilling 3-1 battle in the League round match of the ongoing Pakistan Army Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-Regional Boys Volleyball Championship. Mardan lost the first set by 22-25 but later won three consecutive sets at 25-22, 25-21 and 27-25. Mardan players including Sajid Nawaz, Ibrahim, Tahir Ullah and Irfan Ullah played well and did not give many chances to the strong Hazara team to strike back. Hazara, Ajmal, Ahmad Hassan, Nouman, Baqir Ali, and Rizwan Ahmad played and after winning the first set at 22-25, it was looking like Hazara would
win the battle but Mardan dominated the rest of the match and raced up to victory.
Strong title contender Bannu, the last time winner, recorded a one-sided victory against Malakand team in straight sets, the score was 25-21, 25-19 and 27-25. Malakand players did some resistance in the third set wherein both stretched to 27-25 before being locked at 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 10-10, 13-13, 17-17, 19-19, 20-20, 21-21, 22-22, 23-23, 24-24, 25-25 and thus Bannu took the set. For Bannu team main spikers Wajid and Saud Khan with setter Shakeel Khan along with blockers Irfan Ullah and Asmat Ullah gave tough time to Malakand strikers at the net. For Mardan Aftab, Shakir Ullah, Asmat Ullah, Nisar Khan and Jibran played well.
Peshawar beat Kohat 3-0, the score was 25-23, 25-21 and 25-22. Peshawar another top title contender, who defeated strong Bannu, the defending champion, did not give much time to Kohat to settle down in the whole match and dominated the proceedings.
A peshawar team including main spikers Tufail and Azad with Nigar and Awais Senior strongly defended at the net and setter Awais Junior played tremendously by succeeding in dodging Kohat main blockers Zeeshan Ullah and Barkat. The Peshawar libro Talha also played well with his excellent receptions and had no room for Malakand strikers to get points, thus the match was decided in straight sets.
In the last match of the League round Peshawar Academy beat Dera Ismail Khan by 3-0, the score was 25-23, 25-22 and 25-20. Peshawar Academy players including Inayat Ullah, Bilal, Mikail, Shakir, and Usman with coach Wasif Ullah combined well and did not give much time to the Dera Ismail Khan team to strike back, thus winning the match in straight sets.
Now Peshawar topped the group-A, would play the first semi-final against Mardan, the runners-up of group B while the Bannu, the winners of the group-A would play the runners-up of group A Peshawar Academy team in the second semi-final to be played on Sunday while the final of the League would be played on Monday at 11.30 a.m.
