The young men’s national volleyball team finished this year’s CAVA Under-20 Championship without securing a win, while the senior national team has departed for Uzbekistan to participate in the CAVA Challenge Cup with limited preparation.
Lacking the experience of competitive matches, the junior team faced Turkmenistan in their opening game of the round-robin stage in Sri Lanka. They lost the first two sets decisively, 25-10 and 25-13, but fought hard in the final set, ultimately falling 27-25.
In their second match, they lost to Sri Lanka with scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 25-11. This was followed by defeats against Nepal (25-5, 25-12, 25-20) and Uzbekistan (25-12, 25-10, 25-16). In their final round match, they lost to Kyrgyzstan with scores of 25-15, 25-21, and 25-19.
In the ranking match, the Maldivian youth team, led by coach Mohamed Muneez, faced Sri Lanka again, who won 25-12, 25-20, and 25-20.
The senior national team, captained by Ismail Sajid (Kudakaaththey) and coached by Mohamed Sharaf, is set to compete in the CAVA Challenge Cup from next Friday to the following Thursday. Other participating countries include Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan.
The volleyball team last competed in the Indian Ocean Island Games in Madagascar last year.
