Bahrain defeated Saudi Arabia, 3-0, in a gripping final to win the 2023 West Asian U-19 Volleyball Championship in Jeddah last night.
The kingdom's young stars were so dominant that they won every game they played in the competition and did not drop even one set. Each one of their six victories was by a 3-0 margin.
And, as they started the third set leading 2-0 in last night’s pulsating final, Bahrain looked like they would indeed cap their magnificent, unbeaten run in the tournament without losing even a single set.
But the hosts seemed to have other plans, as they scrapped their way to an 8-7 lead by the time the third set was six minutes old.
Bahrain, however, were not about to relinquish their stranglehold on their opponents and, three minutes later, had drawn level at 10-10.
The Saudis, fighting to stay alive in the game, managed to eke out another one-point lead a couple of minutes later, with the scoreboard reading 12-11 in their favour.
But any thoughts they might have had of increasing that lead were dashed within two more minutes as the Bahrainis drew level at 14-14 and then surged into a three-point advantage, at 17-14.
Soon, Bahrain were ahead, 20-17, and just five points away from a famous, trophy-clinching victory.
However, the Saudis just refused to give up and steadily reduced the deficit until they were just one point behind their opponents, at 21-20, before finally drawing level at 22-22.
That, though, was their last moment of joy as the Bahrainis found their momentum again and, after three more minutes, were celebrating ecstatically with their support staff after clinching the set 25-22 to seal a most dominant tournament win.
“This team has performed outstandingly well throughout the tournament,” Bahrain’s head of delegation Salah Janahi told the GDN by phone from Jeddah.
“I am absolutely delighted with the way they played to win the championship. Winning all our matches without losing a single set is an amazing achievement.
“And, I think, the way we played today was our best performance in the championship. Credit to the players because they showed full commitment and followed the coach’s instructions to the letter.”
The victorious young Bahraini players were the stars of the future, Janahi added.
“These are very talented players, all of them,” he said.
“We are going to focus on them even more so they can be groomed for the U-21 squad and the senior national team.
“In the meanwhile, we hope that this team continues to perform as well as it has done in this tournament.”
Earlier, the match began in familiar fashion for Bahrain as they raced to a 15-9 lead in the first set after only 13 minutes of play. In another few minutes, they were leading 22-12, just three points away from going 1-0 up in the game.
The Saudis, however, suddenly appeared to find their groove as they added six points in quick time with their opponents unable to score even one.
Now, the Saudis were just four points in arrears, at 22-18, and might have fancied their chances of taking the set if their new-found momentum continued.
It was now the Bahrainis’ turn to recapture their earlier form and, before long, they had taken the set, 25-21.
The Saudis, though, had grown in confidence after their six-point spurt late in the first set and, a few minutes into the second, had snuck into a two-point lead, at 5-3.
About six minutes later, they were leading 11-10 and the Bahrainis had begun to look like they were under pressure for the first time in the tournament.
It wasn’t for long, though, as Bahrain crept into a two-point lead at 16-14. The Saudis were determined to keep up the fight, however, and soon drew level, at 16-16, and then took a one-point lead, at 17-16.
Again, the hosts’ slim advantage didn’t last for long with Bahrain equalising promptly, 18-18, and then scooting to a 21-18 lead.
Now, the Saudis were under pressure and Bahrain capitalised, quickly adding three more points with the scoreboard reading 24-18 and the visitors just one point away from going 2-0 up in the game.
The Saudis managed to delay the inevitable by adding two more points but that was all they got before Bahrain nailed down the point they needed to take the set 25-20 and lead 2-0 in the match.
And, another 25 minutes later, they took the third set to become worthy champions.
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