*** ----> Bahrain to face Saudi for West Asian volleyball title | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Bahrain to face Saudi for West Asian volleyball title

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain will take on hosts Saudi Arabia for the gold medals this evening in the first West Asian Men’s U20 Volley- ball Championship, currently being held in Qatif.

The junior nationals booked their spot in the title contest following a four-set win in their semi-final game against Leba- non at Prince Nayef bin Abdu- laziz Sports Hall. The Saudis, meanwhile, defeated Iraq in a five-set thriller.

Tonight’s final is scheduled for a 6.30pm start at the same venue. Losing semi-finalists Leba- non and Iraq will battle for the bronze medals at 4.30pm.

Meanwhile, Syria and the UAE will face off for seventh place overall at 12.30pm, fol- lowed by Kuwait taking on Pal- estine at 2.30pm for fifth place on the final classification.

All the games are part of the tournament’s concluding day’s programme. Bahrain head into the final having lost just once so far, but the Saudis have been dominant, going undefeated to date.

The nationals, coached by Tunisian tactician Saber Ab- dulwahed, will be fielding a roster that includes Hussain Ali, Redha Matrook, Ali Al Bosta, Hassan Al Warqa, Sayed

Hashem, Ali Hussain, Ali Ha- bib, Sadeq Marhoon, Sayed Ahmed Murtadha, Hussain Abdulredha, Hassan Aliwi and Abbas Ihsan. Bahrain are using this West Asian tournament to prepare for the 21st Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship, which will be held in the King- dom next month.