Bahrain bounce back with dominant win over Chad

Bahrain’s men’s volleyball team bounced back in style yesterday, cruising to a 3-0 win over Chad at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. The kingdom had begun the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Iran, followed by a 3-1 victory over hosts Saudi Arabia, before Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Türkiye, making the win over Chad a crucial response.

The Bahrainis set the tone early, taking the first set 25-20. Ali powered eight spikes and added a block point to give Bahrain the upper hand, while Mohamed contributed eight spikes and two blocks. Sayed Hashem added seven spikes and a block, turning tight rallies into points. Setter Husain orchestrated the attack with fast, precise sets that kept Chad off balance.

In the second set, Bahrain steadily built their lead. Hasan added two blocks and three points at the net, while Mahmood chipped in with five spikes and two blocks, shutting down Chad’s attacks. Naser Anan made an impact on both ends of the court, scoring three block points and three additional net points, keeping Bahrain in control. Despite a few points from Chad’s Paulin and Mountangue, Bahrain closed the set 25-17.

The third set proved the most competitive, with Chad pushing Bahrain to 25-25 through a series of long rallies. Anan scored a key block point, Ali added a crucial spike, and Mohamed finished the set with a decisive kill, before Mahmood sealed the match with a service ace to take the set 27-25.

Top performers for Bahrain included Naser Anan (3 block points, 13 points total), Ali (8 spikes, 6 points from serve), Mohamed (8 spikes, 10 points total), Sayed Hashem (7 spikes, 8 points), and Mahmood (5 spikes, 4 points from serve). Hasan and Mahmood’s blocking proved decisive in key moments throughout the match.

The win lifts Bahrain to two wins and two losses in the round-robin stage. Their final group match comes today against Qatar at 4pm, with a top-two finish securing a spot in the gold medal match tomorrow, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete for bronze.