Bahrain Meet Hosts India in AVC Clash

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain face hosts India tonight at 6:30pm in Ahmedabad in their Pool A campaign of the AVC Men’s Cup 2026, riding strong momentum after a flawless start to their title defence.

Bahrain’s men’s volleyball team have begun in confident fashion, opening with a four-set win over Chinese Taipei on Saturday before following up with a comfortable straight-sets victory over New Zealand on Sunday. They dominated from start to finish in that second outing, winning 25–19, 25–21, 25–16, with Mahmood Abdulhussain leading the scoring with 11 points.

A third consecutive win would leave Bahrain on the brink of a semi-final berth, further strengthening their bid to defend the title they claimed last year — their first-ever triumph in any Asian Volleyball Confederation competition, achieved on home soil.

That breakthrough victory also secured qualification for the AVC Men’s Continental Championship 2026 in Fukuoka, Japan later this year, underlining Bahrain’s rapid rise in Asian volleyball.

Much of their recent progress has come under Montenegrin head coach Ivan Joksimovic, who is only in his second tournament in charge. He already guided the side to gold at last month’s GCC Games, further reinforcing their growing momentum under his leadership.

After today’s clash with India, Bahrain will have a rest day before facing Kazakhstan on Thursday at 3:30pm. They conclude their Pool A schedule on Friday evening against Australia at 6:30pm.

At the end of the single round-robin stage, the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals next Saturday. The gold and bronze medal matches follow the next day, alongside classification fixtures determining fifth through tenth place in the final standings.