VOLLEYBALL – BAHRAIN have named their final 14-player senior men’s volleyball national which will be competing in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men.
The kingdom is set to host the tournament from June 2 to 9, with 12 of the continent’s leading national teams taking part.
Head coach Jorge Elgueta, a former Argentina international and two-time Olympian, trimmed down his squad from an initial list of 21 as they have been gearing up for the top-level Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) event the past several weeks. The official roster is headlined by star outside hitters Mohammed Yaqoob and Nasser Anan, along with opposite Ali Ebrahim, setter Mahmood Al Afyah, and middle blocker Mohammed Jassim.
The rest of the team includes outside hitters Mahmoud Abdulwahed and Sayed Mohammed Al Abrar; opposite Sayed Hashem Issa; setter Hussain Mansoor; middle blockers Hassan Al Warqaa, Hassan Al Shakhouri, and Hani Ali Alawi; and liberos Ayman Harwana and Abbas Abdulla.
The players left off the list were setter Mohammed Hadi, outside hitter Sayed Ahmed Murtadah, opposites Ebrahim Mohammed and Mohammed Anan, middle blockers Mohammed Omar and Ayman Isa, and libero Mohammed Ahmed. The nationals are set to enter a local camp today in the final lead-up to the competition. According to the Bahrain Volleyball Association (BVA), the participating national teams are scheduled to begin arriving in the kingdom from Wednesday.
The BVA also announced yesterday that renowned Lebanese volleyball official Emile Jabbour will be heading the competition’s refereeing committee as well as the AVC’s technical committee. Jabbour is a leading figure in the continental game, with many years’ experience as a technical delegate. He had also chaired the control committee at last year’s Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship as well as at the 21st Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship in 2022, both hosted by the kingdom.
Bahrain are in Pool A for the preliminary round of this year’s AVC Challenge Cup for Men together with the Philippines and world number 31 China. The hosts’ first assignment of this stage will be against the Filipinos on June 3. They then take on their Chinese counterparts the following day.
Pool B consists of defending champions Thailand, Kazakhstan, and world number 49 Pakistan, while Pool C features world number 28 South Korea, Indonesia, and world number 22 Qatar. Pool D comprises world number 35 Australia, world number 43 Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam.
Games will be played at Isa Sports City’s Isa bin Rashid Volleyball Arena. All are welcome to attend.
The 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men is the first of two top volleyball events set to be hosted by the kingdom this year. Bahrain will also be staging the 15th Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship from July 28 to August 4, which is set to feature 16 youth national teams.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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