Male (June 17) - Pakistan earned their first win after defeating Maldives by a narrow margin of 65-63, in the ongoing Five Nations Championship.
Out of the five participating teams, Maldives is the only yet to have a win. Maldives lost the first two games against Bangladesh and Bhutan. To earn a semi-final spot, Maldives need to see off Nepal and rely on the scoreline of the match between Bangladesh vs Nepal.
A joyful crowd inside the Social Centre Indoor Court of Male, Pakistan dominated most of the game in the lead. Maldives cut down the lead of Pakistan to one point in the third quarter of the game. But, Pakistan stood strong and held their lead through old-fashioned defensive strategies.
Looking at the stats, Khan Zain of the Pakistan team, took 22 points - the most by a single player in last night's match. For the home side, Maldives captain Ahmed Zabeer scored 10 points, whereas, Mohamed Khuwailid with 13 points and Abdulla Amzar with 12 points.
Bangladesh and Bhutan have both already booked a place in the semi-final. Nepal, Pakistan and Maldives are fighting for the remaining two slots. The final match of the competition is set to go ahead on June 23rd.
