COLOMBO, November 8 (ePRESS) – Fighting Sri Lanka were defeated 0-3 by defending champions Kyrgyzstan in the toughest semi-final of the CAVA Women’s Under-19 Volleyball Championships at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo on Saturday. Kyrgyzstan advanced to the final, while Sri Lanka will face Maldives in the third-place play-off.
Sri Lanka fought valiantly but narrowly lost the first set 24-26. Trailing 12-8 early, the hosts rallied to tie 14-all. Captain Sulakshana Pasinduni launched powerful attacks, while Tashini and Harshani defended brilliantly. Despite Sri Lanka’s resilience, Kyrgyzstan clinched the set 26-24 in a nail-biting finish.
The second set began strongly for Sri Lanka, who scored four straight points while Kyrgyzstan struggled under pressure, even receiving a red card. Harshani and Pasinduni executed precise attacks, with Hiruni delivering excellent sets. However, Kyrgyzstan recovered to lead 20-13, and despite Tashini’s remarkable defense, the visitors closed the set 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead.
In the final set, Kyrgyzstan dominated from the start, winning 25-15 to seal the match and secure a place in Sunday’s final. Sri Lanka, last year’s runners-up, will now contest the bronze medal against Maldives.
In the other semi-final, Nepal convincingly defeated Maldives 3-0 with scorelines of 25-11, 25-3, and 25-5, booking their place in the gold medal match against Kyrgyzstan. (www.epress.lk)
