Alkass Digital
Qatar yesterday booked a high-octane quarter-final clash with China in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Men’s Challenge Cup after securing a dominant win over Indonesia in Isa Town, Bahrain.
The Group C encounter saw Al Annabi spikers delivering a strong performance to secure their first win in the tournament, a 3-0 victory.
From the start of yesterday’s match, Qatar set pace dominating the opener 25-17 in 24 minutes. They continued to maintain their momentum in the second and third sets, winning 25-15 and 25-17 respectively, completing the match in just 1 hour and 8 minutes.
Qatar’s victory came a day after they went down fighting to South Korea in a gripping five-setter that was dragged beyond two hours.
Qatar finished the Pool stage in the second spot behind South Korea as both teams advanced to the last eight. Joining them in the quarters are China, Kazakhstan, Australia, Bahrain, Pakistan and Vietnam.
The rest of the teams who missed the cut will be in action in the 9-12th place play-offs today and Friday.
Meanwhile, China showcased their prowess in a commanding 3-0 victory over hosts Bahrain in Pool A, winning the match with set scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-16 in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Vietnam also delivered a stellar performance against Chinese Taipei, winning their Pool D match 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-14) in 1 hour and 8 minutes. Chinese Taipei, who failed to advance, will next meet last year’s champions Thailand, who also came third in Pool B. Philippines will face Indonesia in another ninth-place-play-off today.
Tomorrow, the stakes are even higher with the kick-off of the quarter-finals. Qatar will take on China for a place in the semi-finals, while Kazakhstan will challenge Australia. Bahrain will meet South Korea, while Pakistan will go up against Vietnam, bringing the tournament one step closer to Sunday’s title clash.