Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2022 – Hosts Saudi Arabia captured their unprecedented title at the 1st West Asia Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship after pulling off exceptional straight-set victory against Bahrain in the thrilling final showdown at Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Sports Hall in Dammam on Sunday.
In the highly-anticipated clash before a large number of spectators inside the competition site, Saudi Arabia, the only undefeated team in the 10-day championship, struggled to beat Bahrain in hard-fought three-set thriller 27-25, 25-18, 25-22 to eventually underline their supremacy over the inaugural competition with remarkable unbeaten record.
The aggressive confrontation in the final clash began with excitement that ignited one of the most-watched competitions between the two strong teams. Both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain similarly came up with hard attacks, effective blocks and well-placed serves which saw lead change hands for several times. However, the Saudi Arabians fared better at home stretch to clinch the hotly-contested opening set 27-25.
The second set turned out to be a more comfortable task for the host side. Making a confident start, Saudi Arabia gained control and once stayed in front with a 10-point clear. Bahrain struck back bravely, but their attempts were to no avail. The host team sealed the second set 25-18 to stretch the lead to 2-0.
Bahrian
Going down two straight sets, Bahrain gradually pulled their game together in the third set to surge ahead Saudi Arabia with a 5-point lead. However, the hosts’ greater determination proved too much for the visitors. Boosted by the cheering home crowd, Saudi Arabia counter-attacked well to get the lead back on track and went on their fine form to capture the well-fought set 25-22, match and the championship.
Iraq
In the third-place playoff clash earlier, Iraq survived a strong challenge from Lebanon to see off the tough oppositions in close battle 25-20, 25-12, 26-28, 20-25, 15-12. The Iraqis took home bronze medal, with Lebanon finishing in fourth place.
The 5th-6th playoff match saw Palestine brush off Kuwait in three straight sets 25-13, 28-26, 25-19. Palestine ended their campaign in 5th place, with Kuwait in 6th position.
The United Arab Emirates were placed 7th in the championship after comeback 3-2 (22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-12, 19-17) victory against Syria, which returned with the 8th place overall.
Mr Ali Ghanem Al-Kuwari, President of the West Asia Volleyball Association (WAVA)...
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