Bahrain national volleyball team will begin their title defence at the Second GCC Games today when they take on highly favoured Qatar on the inaugural day of the volleyball competition in Dammam.
The nationals had won the competition in the first edition of the games, nicknamed ‘Bahrain 11’, and were held on home soil in 2011.
Five teams – Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman – are lined up for this round robin championship. Kuwait withdrew at the last minute and therefore the programme was rescheduled.
Bahrain’s first game today is set to kick off at 5.3pm. They will then face the UAE on Thursday at 1.30pm. Their third match is against hosts Saudi Arabia the following day at 5.30pm. They take on Oman in the concluding game on Sunday at 3.15pm.
Argentina’s El Geta Jorge, the head coach for Bahrain, led his team’s final preparations yesterday at Al Khaleej Club gym ahead of their opener.
The team will be pinning hopes on Hasan Dahi, who has recovered from a wrist injury. Jassim Al Nabhan, Ali Al Sairafi, Mohammed Saleh, playmaker Hussain Al Haiki and Mahmood Abdulwahed are other prominent Bahraini players in the squad.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s goalball team started their campaign with a heavy 3-11 defeat to recently-crowned GCC champions Saudi Arabia at Al Raka Gym yesterday. The Saudis took control of the entire matches and were ahead 5-2 at half-time.
The tournament features only four teams – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE – as both Kuwait and Oman were unable to send their teams.
Bahrain coach Husain Meshaima started the game with his trio Husam Abdulaziz, Ebrahim Al Mudaweb and Mohsin Abdulrazzaq, who faced solid opposition from Saudi Arabia’s Ammar Al Rashidi, Musaaad Al Huwaimel and Khalid Tasan.
Bahrain’s three goals included a brace by Ebrahim Al Mudaweb, before substitute Abdulaziz Abdulnabi fired a late strike for the team in red jerseys. Bahrain will play their second game tomorrow at noon against the UAE, who drew 4-4 with Qatar yesterday.
Bahrain will take part in 11 disciplines at the two-week regional gathering. The remaining nine teams representing the kingdom at the Dammam games are athletics, football, basketball, handball, weightlifting, table tennis, bowling, karate and swimming.