Egypt Hold Off Battling Bahrain to Claim Title
BRAVE Bahrain went down fighting in a hotly contested five-set thriller against Egypt, settling for silver medals at the 17th Arab Junior Volleyball Championship in Amman, Jordan.
Egypt took the final showdown 3-2 with a score line of 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 20-25, 15-9, surviving a spirited Bahraini comeback that lit up the court at the Sports Palace Hall in Al Hussein Youth City.
Trailing by two sets, Bahrain’s junior men’s national team, led by the inspirational trio of opposite spiker Jassim Madan, setter Ali Thamer, and outside hitter Ali Talaq, battled fiercely to level the match. They forced a decisive fifth set but could not complete the fairytale comeback as the Egyptians rediscovered their rhythm and closed out the clash.
BVA vice-president Mohammed Al Thawadi and BVA and AVA secretary general Feras Al Helwachi were present to witness the electrifying final and later took part in the official closing and awarding ceremony. Alongside Egypt and Bahrain on the podium were Libya, who captured the bronze medal following a 3-1 (16-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-19) victory over Lebanon in the third-place decider.
The remaining tournament rankings from fifth to eighth saw Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, and Iraq claiming their spots respectively.
The competition was organised by the Arab Volleyball Association (AVA), chaired by Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, in coordination with the Jordan Volleyball Federation.
Bahrain’s path to the final was marked by a series of commanding performances. They entered the championship match unbeaten, having dispatched Lebanon in the semi-finals after a comprehensive takedown of Jordan in the quarter-finals. During the group stages, Bahrain had also achieved commanding wins over Kuwait, Iraq, and Palestine, sweeping their group.
In the final, head coach Santiago Faidutti of Argentina fielded a strong starting six comprising Madan, Talaq, Mohamed Alsendi (outside hitter), Ali Jawad (middle blocker), Mohammed Abdali (setter), and Ali Sultan (libero). However, the team was rocked by Egypt’s explosive start, finding themselves quickly down two sets.
Determined not to fade, Bahrain stormed back in the third set. After Khaled Elfeki helped Egypt to a 22-21 lead, Bahrain rallied with four straight points to clinch the set. In the fourth, Bahrain surged ahead early thanks to dominant play from Madan, building an 8-2 advantage. Egypt clawed their way back to within a point, but Bahrain’s composure held. Middle blocker Hasan Ebrahim made a key impact late in the set, while Talaq’s crucial block and a finishing spike from Madan knotted the contest at 2-2.
That setup, however, paved way for a resurgent Egypt in the decider. Fueled by early momentum, they secured an 8-2 lead and never relinquished control. Bahrain chipped away but could not get closer than four points down the stretch.
Despite the loss, Bahrain can take pride in a valiant performance that highlighted their resilience and showcased a promising generation of talent.
Signed,
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
