Bahrain spikers eye Asian glory

TDT | Manama                                                               

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s national volleyball team have stepped up their preparations for two major continental tournaments taking place this summer. The nationals are set to compete in the fourth AVC Men Challenger from July 8 to 15 in Chinese-Taipei and then the 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship from August 18 to 26 in Tehran.

The Bahrainis have begun training under newly signed head coach Ruben Adrian Wolochin from Argentina. There is a roster of 20 players currently gearing up for the upcoming competitions. They include Mahmood Al Afia, Ali Habib, Hussain Mohammed, Nasser Anan, Mahmood Abdulhussain, Mohammed Yaqoob, Mahmoud Abdulwahed, Sayed Hashem Isa, Ali Ebrahim, Mohammed Anan, Ebrahim Mohammed, Hussain Ehsan, Abbas Al Khabbaz, Hussain Mahdi Al Jishi, Mohammed Omar, Mohammed Jassim, Hassan Alaiwi, Hussain Sultan, Abbas Sultan and Ayman Haroona.

The squad is expected to be reduced to 14 for the AVC Men Challenger. They are scheduled to leave for Taipei on July 5. That will be the first tournament Wolochin will be in charge of the national team. He has taken the place of Sydney Luciano, who was originally appointed to fill in the shoes of fellow-Brazilian Issanaye Ramires, who last year helped Bahrain capture an historic bronze medal in the 2022 AVC Cup for Men, which was held in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.

In the AVC Men Challenger, the Bahrainis are among a record 17 national teams taking part. Aside from a place on the podium, the contenders will also be vying 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 for the tournament’s preliminary round 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. Meanwhile, in the 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Tehran, Bahrain are amongst a field of 18 competing nations. They have been drawn in Pool D with Chinese Taipei and Mongolia for the event’s opening stage.

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.