VOLLEYBALL – BAHRAIN have named their final 13-player squad that will compete in the AVC Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship 2026, which is set to take place from Sunday to July 18 in Haikou, China.
The kingdom’s youth men’s spikers are one of 16 national teams from across the continent that will be hitting the court in the event, which is being organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC). The nationals were scheduled to depart for China last night.
The tournament was originally set to be hosted by Bahrain, but was forced to relocate due to the unfortunate events in the region.
The Bahrainis will be playing in preliminary Pool B against India, the Philippines, and Iran. Pool A features defending champions China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Pool C is composed of Pakistan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan; while Pool D includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain’s roster features many of the kingdom’s up-and-coming young talent. The team list includes Abbas Mohamed, Ahmed Husain, Ali Abdulla, Ammar Ebrahim, Ebrahim Al Hamar, Hadi Ahmed, Hussain Albalooshi, Karrar Yaqoob, Mohamed Haram, Mohamed Kadhem, Mustafa Ebrahim, Nasralla Haram, and Sayed Hasan Alabbar.
The kingdom’s delegation is headed by the team’s general manager Salah Janahi, and it includes head coach Yusuf Khalifa, assistant coaches Mohamed Salman and Abdulla Almahroos, physical trainer Hasan Aldairi, and physiotherapist Mohamed Attia.
Prior to their departure yesterday, the nationals were visited during their local training session by Bahrain Volleyball Association (BVA) board members, including BVA vice-presidents Habib Mohammed and Mohammed Al Thawadi and BVA secretary general Feras Al Helwachi.
Bahrain begin their title bid against their Indian counterparts on Sunday at 5am, Bahrain time. They then play their Filipino opponents on Monday at 8am, before completing their opening stage schedule against Iran on Tuesday at 5am. Both times are also Bahrain.
At the end of the single round-robin, the top two teams from each pool move on to the quarter-finals.
The Bahrainis are set to compete in the AVC’s premier under-18 competition for only the third time in its history. The kingdom’s youth squad made their debut in 2014 in Sri Lanka, where they finished ninth from 15 teams; and also competed in the previous edition in 2024, which was held in the kingdom and where Bahrain made it to the quarter-finals before finishing seventh overall.
China secured the gold medals then after beating Iran in a five-set thriller at Isa bin Rashid Volleyball Arena, located at Isa Sports City in Riffa. Pakistan joined them on the podium as bronze-medallists.
This year’s AVC Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship will be its 16th edition. The tournament will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 FIVB Boys’ U19 World Championship, with the top four finishers earning their right to represent the continent on volleyball’s biggest youth stage.
Bahrain have played in the worlds twice before – first in 1991 where they finished 11th from 12 nations and then again as hosts in 2017, when they ranked 13th from 20 countries.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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