DAY 3 WRAP-UP
Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2023 – The action-packed quarterfinal pools are set for the 2023 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship in two halls of Issa Bin Rashid Gymnasium in Bahrain hosting this topflight eight-day competition.
Top contenders Suntory Sunbirds from Japan, Korean Air Jumbos Pro-Volleyball Club, Shahdab Yazd of Iran and Police Sports Team of Qatar, all of whom had earlier secured their qualification to the next phase prior to Tuesday’s play, were joined in the elite eight by Indonesia’s Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, Kuwait Sporting Club, Bayankhongor Crownd Geo VC from Mongolia and South Gas Sports Club of Iraq.
Bahrain’s Al-Ahli Sport Club were unceremoniously eliminated from further title contention despite winning their final assignment of the preliminary round against Australia’s Canberra Heat.
Jakarta Bhayangkara sealed the hosts’ fate with a stunning victory against the Korean Air Jumbos, which also earned the Indonesians first place in Pool A. Shahdab topped Pool B, the Sunbirds were first in Pool C and Police led Pool D.
The Sunbirds and Bayankhongor are in quarterfinal Pool E along with Jakarta Bhayangkara and Jumbos, while Pool F features Shahdab, South Gas, Police and Kuwait Sporting Club.
The remaining eight sides are Diamond Food Fine Chef-Air Force of Thailand, Khaypil Sports Club of Yemen, Al-Ahli and Canberra Heat in Classification Pool G along with Taichung Bank of Chinese Taipei, Kam Air of Afghanistan, Atyrau VC of Kazakhstan and Aspiring Volleyball Team from Hong Kong, China in Classification Pool H.
Al-Ahli completed their preliminary round campaign with a resounding 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-20) victory over their Aussie rivals. The Bahrainis were in control from the opening serve and earned their second win of the tournament to go to five points on the Pool A standings, but it was not enough to send them through.
Brazilian Gabriel Candido scored 21 points to spearhead the Al-Ahli cause, while Mohammed Yaqoob had eight and Ali Alsairafi seven. Kevin Phang and Trent O’Dea finished with nine points apiece to pace Canberra Heat in their third straight defeat.
In Jakarta Bhayangkara’s big win over Korean Jumbos in Tuesday’s other Pool A fixture, Farhan Halim put on an impressive 24-point effort to help lift his club against their heavily favoured opponents. The Indonesians needed a win to ensure their spot in the next stage along with the Koreans, and they delivered superbly with a 3-1…
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