Spikers set for Asian challenge

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s volleyball team are set for their latest continental challenge as the AVC Volleyball Men’s Continental Championship 2026 gets underway tomorrow in Fukuoka, Japan.

The kingdom’s spikers are among 12 teams competing in the Asian Volleyball Confederation’s premier men’s competition, which runs until September 13.

Bahrain begin their Pool A campaign against Australia on Saturday at 4am, Bahrain time, before facing defending champions and hosts Japan on Sunday at 1.30pm.

They conclude the preliminary round against Gulf rivals Oman next yesterday at 4am.

The nationals head into the tournament following an overseas training camp in Seoul, where they played three international friendlies against South Korea as part of their final preparations.

Coached by Montenegro’s Ivan Joksimovic, the squad features 13 players for the continental showpiece.

Middle blockers Mohammed Abdulla, Hassan Haider and Ali Yusuf are joined by opposite spikers Ali Ebrahim and Abdulla Mohammed Jaafar; outside hitters Sayed Hashem Issa, Mahmood Abdulhussain, Mahmoud Abdulwahed and Ahmed Mohammed Saleh; setters Mahmood Alafyah and Ali Habib; and liberos Ayman Harwana and Abbas Sultan.

Joksimovic’s men face a demanding route through the preliminary stage, with Japan entering as defending Asian champions and Australia another established continental side.

Pool B comprises Iran, China, India and New Zealand, while Pool C features Qatar, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.

Following the single round-robin preliminary phase, the top two teams from each of the three pools will advance to the quarter-finals along with the two best third-placed sides.

The last eight will be played on September 10 and 11, followed by the semi-finals on September 12 and the medal matches the following day.

The Bahrainis earned their place in this year’s championship after making history on home soil by winning the AVC Men’s Cup 2025, their first title at any level of an AVC competition.

They have since continued their strong form, winning gold at the fourth GCC Games in Doha in May before finishing fourth at the AVC Men’s Cup in Ahmedabad, India, in June.

The Fukuoka tournament will mark the kingdom’s 12th appearance in the Asian men’s championship. Bahrain finished 10th in 2021 before improving to eighth at the previous edition in Iran in 2023.

The stakes are particularly high this year, with the champions earning a direct quota place for the men’s volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, while the top three will qualify for the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup 2027.