Pakistan clinch silver medal at the Asian Youth Games 2025

Iran ended their winning streak in the final in Manama

KARACHI:

Pakistan's impressive volleyball team took the silver medal at the Asian Youth Games, as they lost to Iran 3-0 in the final in Manama, Bahrain on Wednesday night.

Pakistan faced a strong Iranian side, where the boys fought bravely but lost narrowly, with set scores of 25–21, 25–23, and 25–23. Despite this result, the team’s performance throughout the tournament was exceptional — Pakistan did not lose a single match before the final, defeating teams like Mongolia, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and China with dominating performances.

The final match was a display of determination and courage, where the Pakistani players pushed hard in every set but were unfortunate to miss the gold medal by a close margin. 

Nevertheless, finishing undefeated until the final stands as a historic achievement for Pakistan volleyball at the youth level.

Throughout the tournament, standout performances were delivered by Muhammad Yahya, Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Irfan, and Ajmal Junaid, while team manager-cum-coach Naseer Ahmed and Head Coach Saeed Ahmed Khan Sady provided remarkable leadership and guidance to the young team.

This success is a part of Pakistan Volleyball Federation’s long-term development plan that started four years ago from the U16 Asian Championship (gold medal) to the U18 Asian Championship, then the U19 World Championship, and now the silver medal at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025. 

The Chairman Pakistan Volleyball Federation, Ch. Muhammad Yaqoob, congratulated the players and staff, “Congratulations to team Pakistan for their exceptional journey in Bahrain. They remained undefeated throughout the competition and fought bravely in the final. We are proud of their dedication and passion. They have once again proved that Pakistan volleyball has a bright future.”

Similarly, Sohail Khawar Mir, President, Pakistan Volleyball Federation, commended the team’s outstanding effort, 
“Winning the Silver Medal without losing a single match before the final is a huge achievement. This success reflects years of hard work, teamwork, and commitment. I congratulate our players, coaches, and officials for making Pakistan proud on the Asian stage.”

The Pakistan Volleyball Federation also extended heartfelt gratitude to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), especially to Director General Mr. Muhammad Yasir Pirzada, for organizing the national training camp in Islamabad and providing full support for the team’s participation in the Asian Youth Games. His valuable assistance and encouragement were instrumental in the team’s excellent performance.

The PVF remains fully committed to the continued growth and development of volleyball across Pakistan, focusing on
nurturing young talent to achieve even greater success in the years ahead.

This silver medal adds to Pakistan’s growing success at the Games, where the country had earlier won a bronze medal in kabaddi. With one silver and one bronze, Pakistan has now climbed from 35th to 29th position in the overall standings.

Meanwhile, China continues to lead the medal table with a total of 106 medals, including 50 gold, 38 silver, and 18 bronze. Uzbekistan currently holds second place, followed by Kazakhstan in third. India, which was earlier ranked sixth, has now dropped to 11th position.

The Asian Youth Games will continue until October 31.