Iranians book ticket to Asian volley final

MANILA, Philippines - Iran took the full measure of former four-time champion Korea, squeezing out a 24-26, 25-20, 26-28, 25-17, 15-11 win to make the final of the 15th Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship before a singing and cheering crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium last night.

The Iranians played with tremendous poise, outmaneuvering the Koreans at crunch time for the win that gave them a crack at the coveted crown either against the Chinese or the Japanese.

The Middle Eastern power executed their plays with precision in the fourth and fifth sets, and went on to keep their amazing unbeaten run that earlier saw them sweep their pools in the preliminary round and the quarterfinals.

They made the crossover semis as the No. 1 team in Pool F after getting past Kazakhstan Saturday night.

Korea was the No. 2 semis qualifier from Pool E, placing second behind Japan.

Nonetheless, the Koreans set out slightly favored against the Iranians in their semis tiff in the tourney organized by the Philippine Volleyball Federation and sponsored by CNG Vehicles Corp. and Omnium Philippines.

Earlier, the Philippines ended its stint in the tourney with yet another defeat, bowing to Thailand, 18-25, 27-29, 18-25, over at the San Andres Gym.

The host team went 0-6.

Largely behind the exploits of their ace spiker Kim Yo-han, the Koreans took the first and the third sets to the delight of the wildly cheering Korean gallery.

But the Iranians, cheered on by their own throngs, would not be undaunted, fighting back with efficient blocking and receiving and ferocious attacks by Mohammad Mousavi and Ahmat Merheni.

On the fifth and deciding set, the Iranians broke away from a 6-all deadlock on four blocks, two kills and one Korean error.

They made it 14-10 on a kill by Mousavi.

A service error by Farhad Nazari Afshar ensued before the Iranians eventually clinched the match watching a Korean spike go long.