The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Qatar went down fighting to South Korea in a gripping five-setter in their Al Annabi’s maiden AVC Asian Men’s Volleyball Challenge Cup appearance, in Isa Town, Bahrain, yesterday.
South Korea’s 3-2 (25-16, 19-25, 25-16, 22-25, 20-18) victory, which came after a two hours-14-minute affair that featured 211 rallies, propelled East Asians to the quarter-finals of the 12-team tournament.
They had beaten the other Group C counterparts Indonesia, on Sunday, meaning they will now join Pakistan and Australia, who also made it to the last-eight stage after securing straight-set wins yesterday.
Yesterday, South Korea took an early lead by winning the opening set with a convincing margin of 25-16 in 24 minutes. Qatar then made a strong comeback in the second set, winning 25-19 and leveling the score.
The third set mirrored the first, with South Korea making it 2-1 with a 25-16 win. Qatar managed to push the match to a fifth set by narrowly winning the fourth set 25-22.
The final set was a thrilling affair, with both teams pushing their limits. Ultimately, South Korea who had secured the bronze medal last year, secured their second win of the tournament, edging out Qatar with a decisive 20-18 win, marking the first five-setter in this year’s event.
The defeat means Qatar will have to win today’s final Pool C match against Indonesia to advance.
Earlier, Pakistan became the first team in Group B to make it to the quarter-finals. They secured a convincing victory over the reigning champions Thailand, winning in straight sets with scores of 25-22, 25-14, and 25-21.
The South Asians had earlier beaten Kazakhstan in straight sets on Sunday.
Australia beat Vietnam in straight sets in their Pool D clash, securing the win with scores of 25-18, 25-17, and 28-26. This was their second win in the Group stage, having triumphed over Chinese Taipei with a straight-set win on Sunday.
The quarter-finals will take place on Thursday.