Ahli bolster roster for Asian clubs volleyball

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Bahrain’s Al Ahli Club have bolstered their line-up for the upcoming 2023 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship, which is set to be hosted by the Kingdom from Sunday next week.

The Bahraini hosts have signed three top professional players for the 16-team competition, including Gabriel Jose da Silva Candido from Brazil, Yosvany Hernandez from Cuba and Davide Saitta from Italy.

All three players have years of experience competing with clubs in leagues around the world, and will be welcome additions to Ahli’s formidable line-up of top Bahraini stars who include Naser Anan, Mohammed Anan, Abbas Al Khabbaz, Ali Alsairafi, Sayed Mohammed Alabbar and Mahmood Abdulhussain, among others.

The Asian clubs championship is set to be held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority (GSA) president and Bahrain Olympic Committee chief His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

It is being organised by the BVA in cooperation with the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC). AVC president Rita Subowo is set to be a guest of Bahrain during the tournament, the BVA announced yesterday.

It will be the first visit for the continental volleyball chief in the Kingdom since she took office in 2020.

Ahli have stepped up their preparations for the competition under Tunisian head coach Nezar Al Shakili, a former Bahrain national team tactician.

They begin their tournament campaign against Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi from Indonesia on opening night.

They then take on Korean Air Jumbos Pro-Volleyball Club from South Korea in their second assignment the following evening, before completing their Pool A preliminary round campaign Tuesday against Canberra Heat from Australia.

Eight matches will be held per day between two arenas at Isa Sports City in Riffa.

Following the group stage, a rest day will be held on Wednesday next week, after which action will begin in the play-offs and placement pools.

The top two teams from each preliminary round pool move on to the round of eight playoffs, where they will again be divided into two further pools to determine the semi-finalists.

The head-to-head games from the opening stage will carry over.

The bottom two teams from each preliminary round pool will move on to the consolation bracket for the tournament’s final classification.

Pool B in the preliminary round features Shahdab Yazd from Iran, South Gas Sports Club from Iraq, Taichung Bank from Chinese-Taipei and Kam Air from Afghanistan.

Pool C comprises Suntory Sunbirds from Japan, Diamond Food Fine Chef-Air Force from Thailand, Bayankhongor Crownd Geo VC from Mongolia and Khaypil Sports Club from Yemen.

Pool D features Atyrau VC from Kazakhstan, Police Sports Team from Qatar, Aspiring Volleyball Team from Hong Kong and Kuwait Sporting Club from Kuwait.