Najma, Muharraq advance in Crown Prince’s Cup volleyball

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Al Najma and Muharraq have both advanced to the semi-finals of this year’s His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Cup volleyball tournament.

Najma earned their place following a win in four sets against Al Nasser in the opening quarter-final stage, while Muharraq booked their berth with a straight-sets sweep of Nabih Saleh.

Both Najma and Muharraq now await their opponents in the last four.

Najma were spearheaded in their victory by top Bahraini talents Fadhel Abbas, Hassan Dhahi, Hussain Mahdi and Mahmood Hassan, among others, along with Swedish professional Jacob Link.

They battled back from a set down to overcome the Nasser challenge 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-13).

For Muharraq, their key players were Abbas Al Khabbaz, Sayed Ali Mohammed, Mahmood Al Afia, Ali Al Sairafi, Hussain Ehsan, Majeed Mohammed, and Russian import Victor Sysoev.

They outclassed Nabih Saleh 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-17) to qualify for the next round.

The tournament’s defending champions are Dar Kulaib, who won last year’s competition after defeating Al Ahli in four sets in a rocking final.

Both Dar Kulaib and Ahli are currently engaged in a tight battle for the title in the 2023/2024 Isa bin Rashid Bahrain Volleyball League.

This best-of-three finals series is currently tied at 1-1, with Dar Kulaib drawing first blood in game one but then Ahli extending the series with a thrilling game-two win.

The rubber match to decide the crown is scheduled to be held tonight at Isa bin Rashid Arena, scheduled for a 9pm start.