Qatar Dig Deep to Clinch WAVA Men's Volleyball Championship
Qatar's perfect start silenced a packed Isa bin Rashid Arena as they raced to a two-set lead on their way to winning the 1st WAVA Men's Volleyball Championship. Bahrain, slow out of the gates, were caught off-guard by the wall of hands across the net. Qatar's 17 blocks told the story — Yousif Oughlaf and company read Bahrain like a book, while their back-row defense turned spikes into restarts. Bahrain couldn't crack the rhythm and trailed by margins of seven in the opening two sets.
Bahrain fought back briefly, taking the third and fourth sets before Qatar edged out the final set to seal the title. The full set scores read 25–18, 25–18, 19–25, 21–25, and 15–13.
Bench Sparks Backfire
With his team reeling, Bahrain coach Arnaud Josserrand shuffled the deck. Substitutes like Mahmoud Abdulwahid and Abbas Al-Khabbaz added grit and bite. From there, the momentum flipped. Mohammed Yaqoob lit up the third with searing kills, and Mohammed Anan followed suit. Bahrain surged to take sets three and four, defending their home court with renewed purpose.
Heartbreaker in Five
It all came down to a nervy fifth, and Qatar blinked less. Oughlaf powered through late, his 21 points instrumental, but it was Bahrain's own misstep that ended it. With the score at 13–14, Yaqoob, who Bahrain's best on the night with 22 points, committed a foot fault. The challenge confirmed it. A final moment that will sting for a long time for the Bahrainis.
Bronze for the Bold
Elsewhere, Oman clinched third with a composed 3–1 win over Saudi Arabia. Ismail Al Hidi scored 20 in a performance that showcased Oman's rising pedigree in the region.
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