Bahrain face India in Asian volleyball opener

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain take on India today to kick start their campaign today in the 21st Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Chiba, Japan. The game is scheduled for a 3.3 am start, Bahrain time.

The biennial competition, organised and run by the Asian Volleyball Confederation in cooperation with the Japan Volleyball Association, is set to continue until September 19.

Bahrain are in Pool A of the preliminary round alongside their Indian counterparts, fellow-Gulf side Qatar, and hosts Japan, who were the bronze-medallists at the last edition of the competition in 2019.

There are 16 national teams from across the continent in the competition, which also acts as a qualifying event for the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. Both the gold and silver medallists book their tickets to the world.

The Bahrainis are in Chiba with a roster that includes Abbas Mohammed Alkhabbaz, Hussain Abdulla Sultan, Ali Khairalla, Mahmood Hasan, Ali Ebrahim Habib, Mohammed Yaqoob, Mahmood Abdulwahed, Mohammed Saleh Anan, Hussain Mahdi, Ali Alsairafi, Nasser Saleh Anan, Mahmood Alafyah, Mahmood Abdulhussain Salman and Ali Habib.

Following today’s game, the Bahrainis take on the Japanese tomorrow, before facing off with Qatar on Tuesday. Defending champions Iran, Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong are in Pool B, while Pool C consists of reigning silver-medallists Australia, China, Sri Lanka and Kuwait.

South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia make up Pool D. The top two teams from each group make it to the round of eight.

The semi-finals are scheduled for September 18, while the bronze and gold medal games are set for September 19. This year’s championship will be Bahrain’s 10th participation in the continent’s leading event.

Bahrain first competed in 1979 as hosts, and last appeared in 2015 when they finished 12th. Bahrain’s best classification was eighth, which they achieved in the 1987 edition.