India Reach Asian Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals Despite Bahrain Win
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
India have secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AVC Men’s Volleyball Asian Championship, despite Bahrain recording a straight-set victory over Oman in the final pool match.
Bahrain defeated Oman 3-0 on Wednesday, but the result was not enough to take them into the knockout stage. India advanced as the second-best third-placed team based on the tournament’s ranking criteria.
Bahrain Defeat Oman in Straight Sets
Bahrain produced a strong performance to beat Oman 25-16, 25-19, 25-23 and finish third in Pool A.
The victory brought Bahrain level with India in terms of wins, points and set ratio. However, India held the advantage in the point ratio, allowing them to claim the final available quarterfinal position.
Sayed Hashem Ali was among Bahrain’s leading scorers with 13 points, while Oman’s Fallah Saleem Al-Aabed Mubarak Al Jaradi also finished with 13.
Bahrain middle blocker Hasan Haider Mohamed contributed 11 points, including seven successful blocks. Abdulla Ebrahim Moh”D added 10 points, while Oman’s Majid Abdallah Ali Al-Shibli scored 11.
Thailand Top Pool C After Five-Set Battle
Thailand finished first in Pool C after overcoming Chinese Taipei in a closely contested five-set match.
Thailand won 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-10 to complete the pool stage unbeaten with three victories and seven points.
Korea finished second with seven points, while Chinese Taipei took third with four points. All three teams progressed to the quarterfinals.
Thailand’s Napadet Bhinijdee led the scoring with 28 points, while Chaiwat Thungkham added 26.
Iran Beat China to Win Pool B
Iran claimed top position in Pool B after defeating China 3-1 in a battle between two previously unbeaten teams.
The Iranian side prevailed 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, with Poriya Khanzadeh leading all scorers with 20 points.
Morteza Sharifi contributed 17 points for Iran.
China received double-digit contributions from four players, including Wang Bin with 18 points, Jiang Chuan with 14, Wen Zihua with 13 and Zhang Jingyin with 12.
Quarterfinal Lineup Confirmed
With the pool stage complete, the quarterfinal matchups have been finalized.
The schedule includes:
- Thailand vs Australia
- Iran vs Chinese Taipei
- Korea vs China
- India vs Japan
Thailand will face Australia and Iran will meet Chinese Taipei on Thursday, while Korea will play China and India will take on hosts Japan on Friday.
The championship in Fukuoka also serves as a qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup.
The remaining quarterfinal matches are set to determine which teams will continue their campaigns in the knockout stage.
