Turkmenistan captured the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Cup 2025 title after defeating Afghanistan 3–2 in a thrilling final at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
With the victory, Turkmenistan lifted their third CAVA Cup crown, having previously won the championship in 2015 and 2018. The Central Asian powerhouse maintained an unbeaten record throughout the tournament, winning all five of their round-robin matches before overcoming a stern Afghan challenge in the final.
Afghanistan, who had also impressed by winning three matches en route to the final, made a flying start by taking the opening set 25–20. Turkmenistan quickly responded, levelling the contest with a 25–21 win in the second. The Afghans then regained the lead, clinching the third set 25–18 to move 2–1 ahead and within touching distance of the title.
But Turkmenistan showed their championship resolve. They rallied to win the fourth set 25–20 and forced a decisive fifth. In a tense tie-break, the teams were locked at 11–11 before Turkmenistan held their nerve to close out the set 15–12 and celebrate an unbeaten championship run.
After the match, Bangladesh Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan presented the winners’ trophy as the chief guest. Among the special guests were Aminul Haque, BNP’s Sports Affairs Secretary, and Mohammad Latif, President of the Central Asian Volleyball Association. The ceremony was also attended by Faruqee Hasan, President of the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation, along with senior officials Latif Shahrear Zahedee and Bimal Ghosh Bhulu.
