Iran Edge Bahrain in Islamic Solidarity Games Opener Josserand’s Men Go the Distance in Five-Set Defeat

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s men’s volleyball team made a strong start to their Islamic Solidarity Games campaign but narrowly lost to Iran 3–2 (25–21, 22–25, 25–16, 22–25, 15–7) at Riyadh’s Boulevard Arena yesterday.

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, with Bahrain and Iran trading sets throughout. Iran took the first set 25–21, using sharp attacks from Alireza and Pouya to open a small gap. Bahrain responded in the second, rallying behind Mohammed Anan and Hasan Al Warqaa, who combined for multiple kills and key blocks, taking the set 25–22.

Iran regained control in the third set 25–16, with efficient spiking and solid serving putting pressure on the Bahraini defence. Bahrain bounced back in the fourth, keeping rallies tight and exploiting gaps in Iran’s coverage to take the set 25–22 and force a deciding fifth.

In the tiebreak, Iran surged to an early lead and maintained control. Despite Bahrain producing 22 points from blocks, 16 points from serves, and 34 points in the paint, the team could not recover, ultimately losing 15–7 in the final set. Standout performers included Naser Anan, who contributed nine points, Hasan Al Warqaa with 14 points, and Mohammed Anan, who scored 14 kills.

Head coach Arnaud Josserand guided the team through their first match in Riyadh, with Bahrain now focusing on their next fixture against hosts Saudi Arabia at 7 pm, who are coming off a straight-sets win against Chad in their opening match yesterday.