Champions Qatar Meet Australia In Nations Cup Clash

2025-06-19 02:24:44

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fawad Hussain | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Reigning champions Qatar are brimming with confidence as they kick off their campaign in the 2025 AVC Men's Volleyball Nations Cup with a Pool B clash against Australia in Manama, Bahrain, today.

With both teams already through to the quarter-finals, today's match at the Isa Bin Rashid Hall will determine the group leader, following Kazakhstan's withdrawal from the tournament.

After their scheduled opener against Kazakhstan was cancelled, Qatar shifted their full focus to preparing for the Australia match under the guidance of Argentine coach Camilo Soto.

Qatar enter the game with high morale, aiming to retain the title they won last year by defeating Pakistan in the final of the tournament, which was previously known as the Asian Challenge Cup.

“We have prepared well for the tournament. We held a camp with the Japanese team and played some good matches against them,” said Qatar's middle blocker Osman Abdulwahid ahead of the match against Australia.

“We are on track, and our aim is to win another title here. We are treating each match like a final, and right now our full focus is on the game against Australia,” he added.

Following Kazakhstan's withdrawal, 11 teams remain in the competition, divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage after the conclusion of group matches.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for June 21, with the semi-finals to be played on June 23. The final will take place the following day.

In other matches today, Pakistan will face Chinese Taipei in Pool C, South Korea will meet Vietnam in Pool D, while hosts Bahrain will take on Indonesia in a Pool A fixture.

With the FIVB Volleyball Nations League restructuring its format and eliminating the Challenger Cup as a direct qualifying route, this tournament now offers non-participating countries a chance to earn world ranking points in pursuit of future qualification to the Nations League.

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