Bahrain volleyball teams set for Asian events

TDT | Manama                                        

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Two of Bahrain’s national volleyball teams have learned of their preliminary round groups in three Asian competitions they will be competing in this summer.

The senior men’s squad will be playing in two of those events, while the youth national team will contest the other.

The draws for all three tournaments were held by the Asian Volleyball Confederation.

Bahrain’s senior men will first be competing in the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Men in Taipei, Chinese Taipei from July 8 to 15.

The Bahrainis are among a record 17 teams that will vie for the lone berth up for grabs in the FIVB Men’s Challenger Cup—a pathway to the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League.

The nationals will be playing in Pool F alongside Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Pool A features two teams in hosts Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan; Pool B comprises Saudi Arabia, Thailand and South Korea; while Uzbekistan, India and Hong Kong are in Pool C. Pool D consists of Mongolia, the Philippines and Macau, with Australia, Pakistan and Vietnam in Pool E.

Following this event, the men’s national team will also face off with the continent’s best in the 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship, to be held in Tehran, Iran between August 19 and 26.

Bahrain are in Pool D with Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. Two-time champions Iran are in Pool A with Hong Kong and Iraq; while Japan, Uzbekistan and Thailand are in Pool B. Pool C consists of China, Kazakhstan and Indonesia; while Qatar, India and Afghanistan are in Pool E.

Pool F rounds out the teams with Pakistan, South Korea and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the youth national team will be playing in the first edition of the Asian Men’s U16 Volleyball Championship from July 22 to 29 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

There are 15 teams set to compete in the tournament, which also serves as Asian qualification for next year’s FIVB Volleyball Men’s U17 World Championship, with the top three teams booking their tickets.

Bahrain are in Pool B with India, Thailand and Australia; while Kazakhstan and Hong Kong join hosts Uzbekistan in Pool A.

Pool C consists of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan and China; with Kuwait, Pakistan, Mongolia and Chinese Taipei in Pool D.