Bahrain Shake Off Saudi Scare to March Into Final
The stage is set for a fitting finale to the WAVA Men's Volleyball Championship 2025, with hosts Bahrain facing an unbeaten Qatar side in tonight's gold medal match. Both arrived in peak form, but their semi-final wins followed sharply different arcs.
Bahrain Finally Blink
Bahrain's 3–1 win over Saudi Arabia (26–28, 25–16, 25–22, 25–22) was the first time the hosts had dropped a set in the tournament. They led 23–20 in the opener, only to collapse under a string of errors and a great service run from Marwan Al Hawasawi, who ended as top scorer with 23 points.
That early stumble jolted the Bahrainis into action. In the second set, their reliable trio—Naser Anan, Ali Ebrahim, and Mohammed Yaqoob—found rhythm. Anan later admitted they were briefly caught out. 'They came out aggressive and pushed us off balance,' he said. 'We weren't sharp enough on serve or block, and that's on us. But we stayed together, stuck to our system, and earned the win.' Yaqoob echoed him: 'We'd played two friendlies against Saudi and knew they had quality, but we weren't expecting the intensity they brought tonight. It caught us off guard. Now we prepare for Qatar and it's never an easy match against them.'
With Hassan Al Warqaa dominant in the middle and Bahrain's wings clicking, the second set swung their way 25–16. Saudi pressed through Mohammed Adel and Al Hawasawi, but coach Arnaud Josserand's late third-set sub Mohammed Anan shifted the tone. Bahrain sealed the next two sets 25–22.
Statistically, Bahrain edged it: 101 total points to Saudi's 88, 12 blocks to five, and fewer errors (28 to 34). Both sides served two aces, but Saudi's 18 service errors were costly compared to Bahrain's 12.
Qatar Stay Clinical, Wadidie Leads
Earlier, Qatar swept aside Oman 3–0 (25–18, 25–19, 25– 20). Raimi Wadidie starred with 17 points, including three blocks and two aces. 'We knew Oman would be aggressive, it's a semi-final,' said Waleed Mohamed Widatalla. 'But we stayed focused and followed the plan.'
Qatar reached the final with straight-sets wins over Lebanon (twice) and Kuwait. Bahrain had done the same to Jordan, Lebanon, UAE and Kuwait before this semi.
With 2024 Arab Championship and 2025 AVC Nations Cup titles already secured, Bahrain are one match away from a third crown in less than a year.
But tonight's 7pm final at Isa bin Rashed Volleyball Hall will test them, because Qatar haven't blinked either. Entry is free for all.
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