Asian Games: India to face arch-rival Pakistan in men’s volleyball match for fifth-place

Hangzhou [China], September 25 : The Indian men’s volleyball team will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the fifth-place playoff at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China on Tuesday.

According to Olympics.com, the match between India and Pakistan will start at 4:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

Both India and Pakistan volleyball teams topped their respective groups and beat higher-ranked opponents in the final 12 stages. However, both bowed out of the medal race with quarter-final losses.

In the quarter-finals, world No. 73 India stretched world No. 5 Japan but lost 3-0. Indian setter Muthusamy Appavu and middle blocker Ashwal Rai troubled Asia’s top-ranked side with their performance but could not help India upset Japan. 

Earlier, India had stunned the higher-ranked Chinese Taipei in the final 12 after wins over 2018 silver medallists Republic of Korea and Cambodia in their group. 

Meanwhile, world No. 51 Pakistan did not drop a set in their wins over Chinese Taipei, South Korea and Mongolia but fell short against Qatar 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

The Indian men’s volleyball team has won three medals at the Asian Games - one silver in 1962 and bronze medals in 1958 and 1986. Pakistan’s solitary medal, a bronze, came in 1962. 

India and Pakistan also met in the 7-12 classification match at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, in which India lost 3-1.  

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