Bangladesh in final

Hosts Bangladesh ensured their final berth in the Bangabandhu Senior Men's Asian Central Zone International Volleyball Championship with a 3-0 sets win over Maldives in their final group match at the Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

Bangladesh finished second in the five-team table with 10 points from four matches, just one point behind unbeaten group champions Kyrgyzstan. As per the bylaws of the championship, the top two teams will play in today's play-off match to decide the title while the third and fourth place finishers will play a place-deciding match on the same day.

To ensure the final, Bangladesh had to beat Maldives had Nepal beaten Kyrgyzstan in the day's first match, but Nepal failed to do so, losing the match in 3-1 sets. That result automatically put the hosts in final before they took to the court.

Bangladesh were under no pressure against a side they defeated two months ago in World Cup Zonal Qualifying round, but this time the hosts had to toil hard to tame the islanders, who came up with a fight, especially in the first and third set.

Bangladesh posted a never-wracking 30-28 point win in the first set after both teams fought neck and neck. However, the hosts notched an easy 25-16 win in the second set before again facing stiff challenge in the third set, which they eventually won 30-26.