Beach volleyball battles begin in Karachi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Police, Navy lead opening-day winners at Manora

Pakistan’s National Beach Volleyball Championship for men and women opened at Manora Beach in Karachi on Wednesday with departmental and regional teams battling for early victories in the national competition.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Police, Airport Security Force (ASF), WAPDA, PAF and Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) won their opening matches in the men’s event, while Navy, POF, Navy Whites, WAPDA and Islamabad secured victories in the women’s competition.

The championship, organised under the auspices of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF), has brought together teams representing departments and regions from across the country to compete for national honours.

Several teams made convincing starts, winning in straight sets, while WAPDA and Islamabad in the women’s event and WAPDA in the men’s competition had to work through three-set contests to secure victory.

In the men’s competition, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeated Islamabad 2-0, while Police overcame Sindh by the same margin. ASF also began its campaign with a 2-0 victory against Gilgit Baltistan.

WAPDA faced a tougher challenge against Azad Jammu and Kashmir, eventually winning 2-1 after a closely contested encounter. PAF defeated Balochistan 2-0, while POF completed the opening day’s programme with a straight-set victory over Punjab.

The women’s competition also produced a series of strong opening performances.

Navy defeated Sindh 2-0, while POF beat Police by the same score. Navy (White) also recorded a 2-0 win against Balochistan to begin its campaign on a positive note.

WAPDA came through a competitive match against KP, winning 2-1, while Islamabad overcame AJK by the same margin to round off the opening day’s women’s fixtures.

The results gave the winning teams an early opportunity to strengthen their positions in their respective groups as the championship moves into its second day.