Kyrgyzstan has clinched the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Women's Volleyball Challenge Cup with its victory over Maldives.
The final game was played on Wednesday evening at the indoor court of the youth center and Kyrgyzstan won by three sets to two.
Although the Maldives lost to Kyrgyzstan in straight sets during the league stage of the tournament, the team showed a promising performance.
In the final match played in front of several supporters of the Maldives’ team, Maldives once again displayed a courageous and impressive game.
Kyrgyzstan won the first set 25-17.
However, the Maldives managed to win the second set. With a strong performance in the final moments, the Maldives won the second set 26-24.
Kyrgyzstan went on to win the third set 25-18.
Maldives fought back in the fourth set and won it 25-22.
In the decisive fifth set, Kyrgyzstan secured the victory with a score of 15-09.
Maldives finished as runners-up in the tournament, marking their third appearance in a women's volleyball final.
The first time Maldives played in a final was during the 2019 Central Zone tournament.
Successively, the national women's team played in the final of the Four Nations Invitational tournament held in Maldives in 2023.
Although Maldives lost the finals in that tournament as well, the national women's team had displayed an impressive performance that time as well.
Maldives advanced to the finals of the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup after defeating Tajikistan in the semi-final game on Tuesday evening. Maldives won the game three sets to one.
Teams from Maldives, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan competed in the tournament. The tournament proceeded from September 6 – 11.
The island nation was off to a good start after an effortless victory against Afghanistan in straight sets in the first match, played on September 6.
Afghanistan barely managed to put up a fight against Maldives, only in the first set.
Maldives won their second match on September 7, after going head-to-head with Tajikistan and winning three sets to one.
Although the Maldives lost to Kyrgyzstan in the final league match, the players showed great determination. The rally at the end of the first set in the league match against Kyrgyzstan, where Maldivian players displayed exceptional play and courage, garnered love and appreciation from many.
