Nepal Under Pressure in CAVA Championship After Heavy Loss to Hosts Pakistan

By Sachit Subba • Volleyball • Jul 24, 2026 15:02 PM • 820 views

Pakistan delivered a commanding straight-sets victory on Friday, defeating Nepal 25-14, 25-18, 25-10 and handing it a third consecutive defeat at the CAVA Men’s Volleyball Championship. The result continued the hosts’ strong start.

Against one of the competition’s strongest sides, Nepal struggled to match Pakistan’s intensity and attacking power. The hosts controlled the match from the opening exchanges and rarely allowed Nepal any opportunity to build momentum, completing their third successive 3-0 win of the championship.

The result leaves Nepal under pressure in the race for a place in the semifinals. With the top four teams advancing to the knockout stage, Nepal now faces a crucial final stretch in the round-robin phase, where every remaining match carries significant importance.

Despite their winless start, Nepal’s campaign has featured moments of promise. The team opened the tournament with a spirited fightback against Kazakhstan, recovering after dropping the first two sets and pushing the match to five sets before falling 15-9 in the decider.

A similar story unfolded in Nepal’s second outing against Sri Lanka. Nepal recovered from losing the opening set and moved within touching distance of victory, but Sri Lanka responded strongly to close out another 3-2 win and leave Nepal frustrated once again.

Those narrow defeats contrasted sharply with Pakistan’s dominant form. The hosts had won their first two fixtures in straight sets, and their superiority was evident throughout the encounter.

The championship features six competing nations — Nepal, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. Each team plays every other side once, with the top four teams progressing to the semifinals.

Nepal now turns its attention to its remaining league-stage fixtures against Bangladesh and Uzbekistan after the tournament’s scheduled rest day. Results in those matches could still keep the team in contention for a place in the final four.

Harihajur Thapa captains the Nepali squad and includes Sunil Bohara, Pahal Gahatraj, Santosh Bik, Saroj Bardewa, Rajendra Dhami, Suraj Chunara, Nripdhwaj Basnet, Rabin Nagarkoti, Himal Sunari, Dipesh Kunwar and Binod Bahadur Chand. The team is coached by Jagadish Prasad Bhatt, assisted by Rupesh Kumar Bista, while Som Bahadur Shrestha serves as team manager.

Nepal carries a notable piece of history into the tournament, having won a bronze medal in the Central Zone Championship nearly a decade ago — the country’s first international medal in men’s volleyball. The current squad will be hoping to revive that spirit as it seeks a turnaround in the remaining matches.