NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand: Pakistan stormed into the semi-finals of the Asian Under-16 Volleyball Championship 2025 with a commanding straight-sets victory over Indonesia in the crossover round on Wednesday in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
With this win, the Pakistan team also secured qualification for the FIVB Under-17 World Championship 2026.
The young Pakistani squad outclassed Indonesia 3-0 with set scores of 25-23, 25-20, and 25-20, maintaining their perfect record in the tournament.
Despite trailing 3-12 in the opening set, the team mounted a spirited comeback to clinch it 25-23 and continued to control the pace of the match thereafter.
Pakistan dominated in both attack and block points, registering 37 attack points compared to Indonesia’s 34, and blocking 14 times against Indonesia’s 3.
Although Indonesia edged ahead in service points by 8-2, it was not enough to stop the Pakistani side’s momentum.
Muhammad Junaid led the scoring for Pakistan with 15 points, including 10 from attacks.
He was ably supported by Faizanullah, who chipped in with 11 points, while Saran Baig and Talha Mehar played crucial roles in both attack and defence.
This victory extended Pakistan’s unbeaten streak to four matches in the championship, all won without dropping a single set.
Earlier, the Green Shirts topped Group D with clinical 3-0 wins over South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Chinese Taipei.
Pakistan’s campaign began with a convincing 25-16, 25-19, 25-8 win over South Korea, followed by a comprehensive 25-14, 25-13, 25-11 triumph against Saudi Arabia.
In their final group match, they defeated Chinese Taipei 26-24, 25-14, 25-16 to secure top position in the pool.
Having entered the crossover round (Group F) as group champions, Pakistan carried forward their points from the win against South Korea and faced Indonesia in their first crossover fixture.
The win confirmed Pakistan’s place in the last four and ensured qualification for the expanded 24-team FIVB U-17 World Championship, scheduled for 2026.
Pakistan will now face Iran, also undefeated, in a formality match on Thursday to determine their semi-final opponent.
Both sides have already sealed their places in the final four of the Asian U-16 Championship, being played across the Thai cities of Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi.
The ongoing event, hosted by the Asian Volleyball Confederation, features 16 teams divided into four pools.
The top four teams from the championship will qualify for the next U-17 World Championship, which has been expanded from its previous 16-team format.
The semi-finals and final of the Asian U-16 Championship are set to take place on July 19, where the continental champion will be crowned.
