Isa City, Bahrain, June 6, 2024 – The anticipation has reached fever pitch as Qatar, Kazakhstan, Korea and Pakistan emerge triumphant in respective encounters to energy their methods into the semifinals of the 2024 AVC Problem Cup for Males at Isa City Sport Metropolis Corridor C right here on Thursday.
Within the action-packed Day 5 encounters to find out the High 4 groups of this topflight event, Qatar demolished China 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-19), whereas Kazakhstan downed Australia 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21).
Pakistan bounced again to beat Vietnam 3-2 (19-25, 27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12) and Korea overcame a powerful problem from Bahrain to beat the hosts 3-2 (26-24, 32-30, 22-25, 22-25, 15-12).
With their excellent performances on Thursday, the 4 profitable groups made it to the highly-anticipated semifinals on Saturday. Qatar now go up in opposition to Kazakhstan and Pakistan battle it out with Korea, setting their sights on the lone berth up for grabs for the 2024 FIVB Males’s Challenger Cup in Linyi, China from July 4 to 7, the final qualification event for eight certified groups together with hosts China to battle it out for a spot within the revamped 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), which can broaden to 18 groups.
Qatar, present world No.21 and silver medallists on the 2023 FIVB Challenger Cup on residence soil in Doha, cemented their standing as a dominant crew to be reckoned win within the AVC Problem Cup as they powered previous world No.31 China in thrilling straight units to safe their semifinal berth.
Enjoying with out skipper Jiang Chuan within the first set, China discovered the going get robust. Regardless of placing up a courageous struggle in opposition to the fired-up Qataris, China succumbed to their 19-25 defeat to the well-organized rivals within the opener.
Nonetheless brilliantly led by Ibrahim Ibrahim Mohamed and Youssef Oughlaf, the Qataris raced to an preliminary 20-16 lead within the second set and prolonged it to 24-18, courtesy of the 206cm-tall Ibrahim Ibrahim’s lightning-fast assaults and Oughlaf’s lethal spikes. Star spiker Zhang Jingyin, who stands 207cm tall, saved the day for China as he overcame smaller blockers together with his highly effective assault. Nonetheless, Qatar continued their very good kind to take the primary set 25-19, with Renan tipping over the Chinese language blockers for the final level.
China, which picked up silver medal on the reschedule Hangzhou Asian Video games final yr and the winners on the 2022 AVC Cup in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, put their acts collectively in effort of constructing amends for the loss within the first two units. Their extra dedication paid off briefly because the Chinese language managed to degree it at 10-10 and moved forward 11-10, due to Zhang Jinygin’s nice spike.
Nonetheless, the Qataris proved too robust offensively and defensively. As Qatar got here again with mighty assaults to catch the Chinese language at 11-11, center blocker Belal Nobel Abunabot blocked solidly, whereas Oughlaf and Renan mixed properly to penetrate the Chinese language defence with their assaults and Ibrahim Ibrahim carried out two aces in a row to assist the crew seize the set with the same margin 25-19 and match.
The China’s letdown was a battle remake of the final yr’s Asian Senior Males’s Championship in Urmia, Iran, the place the Chinese language went down in straight units to Qatar within the third-place playoff conflict.
Ibrahim Ibrahim Mohamed chipped in with 15 factors from 11 kills, one block and team-leading 3 aces for Qatar, whereas Belal Nabel Abunabot and Youssef Oughlaf saved good firm so as to add 12 and 11 factors respectively. Qatar additionally restricted the Chinese language offense to the purpose that no rivals’ participant reached double digits in scoring in opposition to them. Peng Shikun scored 8 factors on the China’s loss, with Wang Jingyi and Zhang Jingyin contributing 7 factors apiece.
Qatar’s absolute dominance was additionally seen within the match stats because the winners dominated in kills (41 to 31), blocks (6 to three) and aces (5 to 2), moreover benefiting from extra opponent errors (23-21).
In the meantime, world No.53 Kazakhstan, which had disappointing outings final yr to complete a distant thirteenth place on the Asian Senior Males’s Championship and seventh place on the earlier version of the AVC Problem Cup in Chinese language Taipei, defied in opposition to all odds to beat world No.34 Australia with a comeback 3-1 win.
Australia, which didn’t drop a set to Chinese language Taipei and Vietnam to high Pool D, made a stable begin within the error-filled first set in opposition to Kazakhstan. Each side had been susceptible with unforced errors and inconsistent serves, however the Aussies proved steadier to take the set. Nodirkhan Kadirkhanov served out extensive to assist Australia transfer forward to the set level 24-20, however a spike from Nehemiah Mote which landed out of bounds additionally gave Kazakhstan one other breath of air. Nonetheless, the Kazakh problem was brief stay as Thomas Heptinstall fired an excellent shot which went unanswered. Australia grabbed the primary set 25-21.
Australia nonetheless did a greater job with good offensive system within the second set. Sam Flowerday was on fireplace to provide you with distinctive assaults, whereas Beau Graham and Matthew Aubrey produced stable blocks to assist Australia take a three-point benefit for the commanding 18-15 lead. Nonetheless, veteran Vitaliy Vorivodin gave Kazakhstan a powerful comeback to hammer off-the-block swings for the Kazakhstan’s rating tied at 18-18 and once more 23-23. Fellow center blocker Damir Akimov additionally carried out properly so far as he may help on this hotly-contested set, giving Kazakhstan the remaining two factors, one from his quick spike and one other one from his ace serve. Kazakhstan received the shut set 25-23.
Their confidence boosted after profitable one set, Kazakhstan continued their onslaughts to assert the subsequent two units on a excessive observe 25-18, 25-21 for a dramatic 3-1 victory.
Kazakhstan had three gamers who reached double digits in scoring. Vitaliy Vorivodin, who scored the Kazakhstan’s final level of the match by means of his highly effective mid-court assault, and Petr Churzin delivered 12 factors apiece, with Aibat Netalin including 10 factors. Sam Flowerday scored a match-high 16 factors from 13 kills, one block and two aces on the Australia’s loss.
The third match noticed Pakistan, which captured the latest CAVA Nations League on residence soil, come again to beat Vietnam, the one Southeast Asian facet left for title rivalry, in epic tie-breaker.
The electrifying match, which showcased excessive ranges of ability and dedication from each groups, saved followers on the Isa Sport Metropolis Corridor 3 on the sting of their seats from begin to end.
World No.54 Vietnam, which completed a well-earned fourth place on the earlier version final yr in Chinese language Taipei, dominated the opening set to win 25-19, leveraging robust assaults from Nguyen Ngoc Thuan and Truong The Khai and stable protection.
Led by Ali Usman Faryad, who landed the Greatest Exterior Hitter and MVP on the CAVA Nations League, Pakistan made a profitable comeback with a hard-fought 27-25 win within the second set, showcasing resilience and strategic performs.
Persevering with their momentum, Pakistan clinched the third set 25-23 in one other intense competitors. Vietnam fought again fiercely to take the fourth set 25-21, pushing the match right into a decisive fifth set.
Within the do-or-die tie-breaker, either side nonetheless lived as much as expectations, pouring the whole lot they needed to win the decider, however Pakistan fared higher at residence stretch to lastly edge out the Southeastern rivals 15-12.
Ali Usman Faryad tallied 20 factors from 16 kills, one block and team-leading three aces for Pakistan, whereas veteran Aimal Khan and Afaq Khan added 19 and 12 factors respectively. Nguyen Ngoc Thuan led Vietnam with 19 factors, whereas Truong The Khai and Tran Duy Tuyen contributed respective 17 and 16 factors.
The final match of the day noticed world No.27 Korea avenge the straight-set loss to world No.66 Bahrain within the semifinal conflict of the earlier version in Chinese language Taipei to beat the host facet in hard-fought five-set thriller.
Each groups locked horns within the first two aggressive units, however Korea performed higher offensively as they survived a scare from the host facet to win each thrilling units 26-24, 32-30.
The primary set noticed Bahrain struggle again from trailing 6-10 and 18-21 to catch the formidable Koreans at 22-22 and went on their fantastic kind to achieve the set level 24-23. Nonetheless, they only let the set win slip by means of their fingers when Korea pulled their sport collectively and hit again to take the hard-fought set 26-24.
The second set was extra thrilling as Korea and Bahrain performed neck and neck, with the previous main narrowly and the latter sizzling on the rivals’ heels. Kim Jihan and Lim Sungjin performed impressively to place the Koreans in entrance 24-23, however the host facet didn’t need to surrender as they bounced again bravely. After buying and selling a collection of assaults, Korea stayed in management. Kim Jihan produced a strong mid-court assault to place Korea in entrance once more 31-30 and skipper and setter Hwang Taekeul carried out an ace serve to finish the hosts’ problem on this hotly-contested set 32-30. Korea led commandingly 2-0.
Conceding two straight units, Bahrain regrouped to win the subsequent two units, due to their tightened defence and mixture assaults from reverse Khamis Ali and center blocker Abdulla Mohamed and environment friendly blocks by Abdulla Mohamed and Abdulla Mohamed Yaqoob. Bahrain took the third set 25-22 and repeated that nice kind with one other win within the fourth set with related margin 25-22.
The decider was additionally tight, with either side giving all out to win the match. Korea led all the way in which till they reached the match level 14-12 and center blocker Lee Sanghyeon didn’t let his crew right down to hammer a quick spike on the web at hand the crew the set and match win 15-12.
Kim Jihan performed an important function within the Korea’s victory as he scored a match-high 28 factors from 26 kills and two blocks for the crew, whereas Shin Hojin added one other 22 factors together with 20 kills from 32 makes an attempt. Abdulla Mohamed Yaqoob delivered 22 factors together with 19 kills from 41 makes an attempt on the Bahrain’s loss.
On Friday, the Classification Spherical for playoff matches sees Indonesia struggle it out with Chinese language Taipei for the eleventh positio, with Philippines difficult Thailand for the ninth place. Within the Fifth-Eighth playoff encounters, China face Australia and Vietnam go up in opposition to hosts Bahrain.
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