Ningbo, China, September 20, 2023 – Powerhouses started their voyage with different outcomes on the second match day of the 19th Asian Games Men’s Beach Volleyball Competition here at Xiangshan Beach Volleyball Center.
World Ranking No. 3 and defending champions Samba/Janko of Qatar proved their capability in scoring crucial points especially in the second set as they grabbed a thrilling 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) victory against Pribadi/Efendi of Indonesia in Pool B.
In Pool C, No. 3 seeds Taovato/Tipjan of Thailand resisted the counterattacks from No. 14 seeds Takahashi/Ageba of Japan to achieve a convincing 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) win.
However, No. 4 seeds Kaewsai/Jongklang of Thailand had a total different scenario in Pool D, as they were overturned in 1-2 (22-20, 12-21, 11-15) by No. 13 seeds Ashfiya/Akbar of Indonesia, led by Ashfiya Mohammad, silver medalist of last edition of Asian Games.
With consecutive two clean blocks, Thailand enjoyed a good start of 4-1 lead. However, Indonesia sharpened their attacks and improved their defense to chase up to a 7-7 tie. Both sides traded points by showcasing their attacking techniques until 19-19 tie. Following a flash spike and an attacking error from the opponent, Thailand reached a hard-fought 22-20 win.
The second set turned out to be another phenomenon, seeing the Thais fail to match up with the diverse play of Indonesia. The gap was gradually widened before Indonesia wrapped up the set in 21-12 with a spectacular block.
Indonesia kept their momentum in the decider to build a 5-1 lead thanks to their efficient blocks and varied attacks. Thailand requested a timeout and then gradually caught up to 10-11. However, their mistakes at the crucial moment ruined themselves. Following an attacking error, they surrendered to the Indonesian duo 11-15.
“Indonesia is a strong team. We had a close first set and took a difficult win. But we made too many mistakes in the following two sets and that’s why we lost the match.” said Dunwinit Kaewsai of Thailand. “We will face Palestine tomorrow and we will try our best to win.”
No. 1 seeds Ha Likejiang/Wu Jiaxin of China also had a frightening experience but a good ending in their first match of the Games, as they pulled off an epic 2-1 (21-18, 20-22, 18-16) victory over No. 16 seeds Garcia/Buytrago of Philippines.
Thanks to their dogged defense, Philippines stuck to the host from the beginning until 15-15 tie. China requested a timeout and their height advantage…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Asian Volleyball Confederation…