Urmia, Iran, August 20, 2023 – Reigning and consecutive two-time champions and hosts Iran made a dominant debut in the 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship on Sunday, while Japan and Qatar completed clean sweeps of their preliminary round pools on the action-packed second day here.
The action and intensity continued to heat up at the two playing courts of Al Ghadir Hall, and the large crowds attending the games here were treated to plenty of exciting volleyball, showcasing the continent’s premier talent.
The home team certainly did not disappoint them. The Iranians opened their quest for an historic treble with a resounding three-set hammering of Hong Kong, China, much to the delight of their legions of fans packing the local arena.
But Iran were not the only team putting on a fantastic performance on Sunday, as other top contenders including Japan and Qatar maintained their winning ways for their second straight games to secure their berths in the Final 12 as pool winners. Both teams made easy work of their opponents, with the Japanese ousting Uzbekistan and the Qataris routing Afghanistan, each in three sets.
Also triumphant on Sunday’s six-game programme were Indonesia, which beat Kazakhstan to bounce back from a day one loss against China, while Chinese Taipei and Pakistan made impressive starts to the competition with hard-earned victories against Bahrain and Bangladesh respectively.
Aside from Japan and Qatar, Iran, Chinese Taipei and Pakistan also secured their places in the tournament’s Final 12 with their victories. Bahrain are also through despite their loss.
Five more games are scheduled for Monday to mark the end of this preliminary phase. The first fixtures get underway from 1.15pm, local time, while the last game is scheduled for a 7.15pm start.
Iran were in a class of their own in their Pool A victory against Hong Kong, China. Boosted by their loyal fan-base, the Iranians flexed their muscles and lived up to their tag as title favourites in their convincing 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-16) triumph against the East Asians.
Opposite spikers Amin Esmaeilnezhad and Saber Kazemi spearheaded their balanced scoring with eight points apiece, while skipper Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi, Mohammad Valizadeh and Mobin Nasri Mastanabad all finished with seven points for the world No.10 national team.
Outside hitter Ngai Yiu Cheung and opposite Chun Ho Damian Tam were the top scorers for Hong Kong, China with six and five points…
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