Bahrain’s junior spikers step up preparations for Asian battles

TDT | Manama                                                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s junior national volleyball team are in their final stages of preparation to compete in the 21st Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship, which will be hosted by the Kingdom starting next week. The tournament, organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation in cooperation with the Bahrain Volleyball Association, is set to begin on Monday and continue until August 29.

As part of their programme ahead of the event, the Bahrainis played a friendly match against their counterparts from Egypt at the BVA arena in Riffa.

They won the game 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 28-26). Despite the end of the contest in straight sets, both coaches decided to play a fourth set to give some of the substitute players some time on the court.

The nationals are scheduled to play another friendly match against the Egyptians. Bahrain are in Pool A for the 17-nation continental showcase alongside Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. Pool B features Iran, Japan and India; Pool C includes South Korea, Qatar and Kuwait; Pool D consists of Thailand and the UAE; Pool E features Iraq, Australia and Bangladesh and Pool F comprises China, Taipei and Pakistan. Kazakhstan were also supposed to take part and were drawn in Pool D, but have withdrawn.

Some of the participating national teams have already begun arriving in the Kingdom. The Japanese were the first from abroad to reach Bahrain, and they were welcomed upon their arrival at Bahrain International Airport by officials from the BVA.

Japan did not waste any time, as they went right to work with a training session at the BVA arena a few hours after touching down. Other teams are scheduled to continue arriving in the days ahead of the tournament’s start. This year’s Asian under-20 event will be the third time Bahrain is hosting. The Kingdom previously also staged the tournament in 2014 and 2018.