Dar Kulaib, Muharraq Set for Blockbuster Final

TDT | Manama

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Dar Kulaib and Muharraq meet tonight in the 2025–26 His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Cup final, with the first serve scheduled for 7pm at the Isa Bin Rashid Volleyball Arena. The match will be followed by the official awarding ceremony, bringing the curtain down on one of Bahrain’s most prestigious volleyball competitions.

This year’s final carries added significance as it is a repeat of last season’s decider, where Muharraq edged Dar Kulaib in four sets to complete a league-and-cup double. That result still lingers, but the dynamics heading into this edition feel far less predictable. Dar Kulaib arrive in strong form, buoyed by their recent league title and a growing sense of momentum built across the season.

Adding further significance, tonight’s final will also mark the last match in charge for Dar Kulaib’s Montenegrin head coach Ivan Joksimovic. He is set to depart after the final to take over as head coach of the Bahrain men’s national volleyball team, giving the occasion an emotional layer as well as a competitive one.

Their path to the final was anything but routine. In the semi-final against Bani Jamra, Dar Kulaib were forced to recover after dropping the opening set 21–25. What followed was a sharp shift in control: they raised their intensity, tightened their blocking, and dictated the tempo to take the next two sets 25–16 and 25–18. The fourth set turned into a tense battle, but Dar Kulaib held their nerve in the closing points to edge it 30–28 and seal a 3–1 victory, booking their place in the final and keeping alive their hopes of a domestic double.

Muharraq, by contrast, advanced in more clinical fashion. Their semi-final against Al Ahli was a straight-sets statement of control, winning 25–18, 25–22, 25–17. The defending champions looked composed throughout, combining disciplined defense with efficient attacking play. Swedish import Jacob Link played a key role in maintaining their offensive rhythm, while the team’s structure and organization limited Al Ahli’s ability to build any sustained pressure.

Under the lights of Isa Bin Rashid Arena, a familiar rivalry returns to decide its next chapter.