Kyrgyzstan Crowned CAVA Women’s U-19 Champions; Sri Lanka Clinch Third Place

CAVA Women’s Under-19 Champions – Kyrgyzstan Team

By Susil Premalal

The Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Four-Nation Women’s Under-19 Volleyball Championship 2025 concluded yesterday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo, with Kyrgyzstan emerging as the  champions and Sri Lanka securing third place.

In the third-place playoff, Sri Lanka produced a dominant performance to defeat the Maldives in straight sets (25–6, 25–11, 25–10), marking a strong finish to their campaign. It was a well-coordinated effort by the Sri Lankan players, who maintained control throughout the match, giving little opportunity for the Maldivian side to recover.

Meanwhile,the grandfinal between Kyrgyzstan and Nepal proved to be a thrilling contest. After a gripping five-set battle, Kyrgyzstan triumphed 3–2 with scores of 22–25, 25–20, 25–21, 13–25, and 15–11, overcoming an early deficit to claim the CAVA Women’s U-19 Championship title.

Despite losing the first and fourth sets, the Kyrgyz team displayed remarkable resilience and composure under pressure to seal victory in the decisive fifth set. The Nepalese players also demonstrated strong skill and determination but fell short due to a few crucial unforced errors during key moments of play.

The championship, featuring Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, and the Maldives, showcased the rising standard of women’s volleyball in the region. Sri Lanka, who had earlier raised hopes of reaching the final, were eliminated in the semi-finals after a 3–0 (26–24, 25–21, 25–15) loss to eventual champions Kyrgyzstan.

In the other semi-final, Nepal advanced to the final by convincingly defeating the Maldives 3–0 (25–11, 25–3, 25–5).

With this victory, Kyrgyzstan claimed the coveted CAVA Women’s U-19 title, while Nepal finished as runners-up, Sri Lanka took third place, and the Maldives ended winless at the bottom of the standings.