VOLLEYBALL – Bahrain’s senior men’s volleyball national team narrowly lost to their counterparts from South Korea 1-3 (26-28, 19-25, 25-21, 23-25) yesterday in an international friendly match played in Seoul.
The contest was part of the Bahrainis’ overseas training camp in the South Korean capital as they gear up for the AVC Volleyball Men’s Continental Championship 2026, to be held in Fukuoka, Japan from Friday to September 13.
Yesterday’s game was the first of three tune-ups between the two sides.
The second is scheduled for today at 8am, while the third will take place on Tuesday at 9am. Both times are Bahrain.
Aside from their preparations for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) tournament, the friendlies are also being held as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the nationals also played a tune-up against professional South Korean club KB Stars on Friday, which the home team won 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-23).
The Bahrainis will be in Seoul until Wednesday, when they are scheduled to fly to Japan for this year’s AVC Volleyball Men’s Continental Championship.
They have a 13-player squad that travelled to East Asia for this period.
The national team’s roster includes middle blockers Mohammed Abdulla, Hassan Haider, and Ali Yusuf; opposite spikers Ali Ebrahim and Abdulla Mohammed Jaafar; outside hitters Sayed Hashem Issa, Mahmood Abdulhussain, Mahmoud Abdulwahed, and Ahmed Mohammed Saleh; setters Mahmood Alafyah and Ali Habib; and liberos Ayman Harwana and Abbas Sultan.
They are coached by Ivan Joksimovic from Montenegro.
Bahrain are one of 12 nations set to compete in Fukuoka.
The nationals are in Pool A for the preliminary round alongside defending champions and hosts Japan, Australia, and Oman.
Pool B features Iran, China, India, and New Zealand; while Pool C is composed of South Korea, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand.
Bahrain secured their spot in the tournament after winning the title in the AVC Men’s Cup 2025 – making history on home soil with their first-ever crown at any level of an AVC event.
This year’s championship is the 23rd staging of the competition.
Following the opening single round-robin, to be held until September 9, the top two teams from each pool will march through to the quarter-finals, where they will be joined by the two best third-placed squads.
The elite eight is then slated for September 10 and 11.
That will set the stage for the semi-finals on September 12, after which the gold and bronze medal contests will bring the curtains down on the championship on September 13.
The title winners in Fukuoka will earn a direct quota place for the men’s volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, while the top three finishers will secure berths in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup 2027.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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