LAHORE: Pakistan Navy dethroned Wapda from the monarchy by winning the final of the 52nd Engro National Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship at the Punjab Sports Gymnasium Hall, here on late Saturday night.
Navy won the final with the score being 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21). Though Navy wrapped up the final in four setters, they faced good opposition from the defending champion Wapda in every set. Wapda had already tasted defeat at the hands of PAF in one of the quarterfinal stage matches. But that defeat even failed to prove a wake-up call for them as the Navy also proved a hard nut to crack.
For winning the title, Navy received a cheque of Rs 10 lakh, while Wapda pocketed Rs 6 lakh. Pakistan Air Force also received a cheque of Rs 4 lakh for finishing third.
Earlier, PAF clinched the third position beating a strong team of Army 3-1 in the third position match on Saturday.
PAF did not only beat defending champion Wapda in the quarter-final league stage 3-2 but their performance against Navy in the semifinal was also impressive, as they lost it 3-1 with the scores being 18-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19.
The performances of Navy and PAF in the championships have posed a serious threat to long-time giants Wapda and Army to keep their slot up in the future.