Qatar will begin their West Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship campaign in Group B, facing tough regional rivals Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Doha: Fresh off their bronze medal win at the AVC Asian Nations Cup last month, Qatar will be aiming for gold this time when the West Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship kicks off in Manama, Bahrain on Saturday.
Under the watchful eyes of Argentine coach Camilo Soto, Qatar, who are also the Asian Championship bronze winners, concluded their preparations at the Qatar Volleyball Association Hall yesterday ahead of their departure for Manama.
Qatar will compete in a formidable Group B, facing tough regional rivals Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Qatar’s enthusiastic coach Soto said his men are ready for the task.
“We are in a strong group, but we are ready for the challenge. This championship is a crucial opportunity for us not only to compete but also to integrate some of our talented young players, renewing the squad for the challenges ahead."
"We have focused on strengthening our weaknesses from the last tournament, and I am pleased with the development we’ve shown. We are ready,” Soto said.
Speaking to media, Qatar player Othman Abdel Wahed indicated that the team has done all necessary “homework”.
“After a short rest, our focus has been entirely on preparing for this championship. We analyzed our performance in the last tournament and have worked hard on improving and building our chemistry as a team. There’s no doubt our group is strong, but our ambition is to win gold. We are ready to give our all to raise Qatar’s flag high and make our country proud,” Abdel Wahed said.
Apart from the Group B contenders, the competition also sees the participation of the host nation Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, and Lebanon who begin their campaigns in Group A.
Qatar will play their opening match against Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 19.
The action continues for Al Annabi on July 20 as they face Oman, before concluding their group stage campaign against Kuwait on the following day.
