KATHMANDU, Nepal — Kazakhstan and Iran advanced to the gold medal match of the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026 after recording straight-set victories in Thursday’s semifinals at the NSC Indoor Hall.
Kazakhstan secured the first spot in the final with a commanding 25-21, 25-17, 25-14 victory over India. Led by Tatyana Yatskiv’s match-high 13 points, Kazakhstan controlled the match through a balanced attack and strong net play. Yuliya Fomenko added 12 points, while Kristina Belova and Zhanna Syroyeshkina contributed nine points each.
India, which entered the semifinals unbeaten after topping Pool A, was paced by Anusree Kambrath Poyilil and Anagha Radhakrishnan with eight points apiece. Despite a competitive opening set, India struggled to contain Kazakhstan’s offensive efficiency as the Central Asian side outscored its opponent 75-52.
In the second semifinal, Iran continued its dominant run through the tournament with a 25-20, 25-15, 25-11 victory over host nation Nepal. Masoumeh Ghadami Tabaghdehi led Iran with 12 points, while Sepinood Dastbardar added 10 and Reyhane Karimi contributed nine.
Nepal, backed by strong home support, was led by Regmi Sumitra with 11 points. Sunar Mina and Bhandari Usha added five points each, but Iran’s disciplined defense and balanced scoring proved decisive as the team improved to 4-0 without dropping a match in the championship.
The results set up a gold medal showdown between Iran and Kazakhstan on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Both teams enter the final in strong form, with Iran remaining undefeated throughout the tournament and Kazakhstan carrying momentum after eliminating previously unbeaten India.
Earlier in the day, India and Nepal will meet in the bronze medal match at 1:00 p.m. Both sides will look to finish their campaigns on the podium after advancing to the semifinals through strong performances in the preliminary round.
The CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026 concludes Friday in Kathmandu with the bronze medal and gold medal matches set to determine the final standings of the regional competition.
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