Bahrain to host Asian U18 volleyball

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is set to host the Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship later this year. The competition is in its 15th edition and it will be held for the very first time in the Kingdom.

Matches are set to be played at Isa Sports City in Riffa, with the prestigious Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) tournament scheduled for July 28 to August 4.

A total of 19 countries have expressed interest to participate, but due to the modified regulations set by the AVC, only 16 are expected.

Twelve berths are already secured, with the other four still up for grabs.

To fight for their places in the competition, some teams have to first compete in zonal qualifications.

They comprise Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Oman from Western Zone; and Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan from the Central Zone.

Only two teams apiece from the aforementioned zones will book their tickets to Bahrain and be part of the 16-nation field for the Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship.

The official draw for the event was conducted yesterday and the four pools of four teams each in the tournament’s preliminary round are now set. Hosts Bahrain are in Pool A along with seventh seeds Thailand, Australia, and Hong Kong, China.

Defending champions

Pool B features number one seeds and defending champions Japan, sixth seeds Chinese Taipei, and one nation apiece from the Western Zone and Central Zone’s qualifiers.

Pool C is composed of second seeds and runners-up from the competition’s previous edition in 2022 Iran, fifth seeds China, the Philippines, and the second team from the Western Zone qualification.

Pool D consists of third seeds and last edition’s bronze-medallists India along with fourth seeds South Korea, eighth seeds Kuwait, and the other Central Zone nation to qualify.

The schedule and format of the qualification contests has yet to be announced by the AVC.

Though Bahrain is set to organize this championship for the first time in history, the Kingdom had already hosted the Asian under-20 championship three times in the past, including in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

All tournaments were well-received by participants and officials alike. The three previous editions of the Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship were all held in Iran, with the last time in 2022 taking place in Tehran.

There, the Japanese claimed the gold medals after defeating the hosts in straight sets in the final, while the Indians came away with the bronze medals after edging past South Korea in five sets.

Meanwhile, Bahrain may also be awarded the rights to host this year’s AVC Challenge Cup for Men—a senior competition for national teams.

According to the AVC calendar for 2024, Bahrain and Australia are potential venues for the competition, with the final decision still to be determined.

The tournament is currently slated to take place from June 2 to 9.