The competitions of the 43rd edition of the Arab Club Volleyball Championship for men, which concludes on the twenty-sixth of January, will begin this evening, with the participation of 15 teams competing for the Arab title, on the volleyball courts of the Al Arabi and Qatar clubs in Doha.
The tournament opens with three matches between Al Salam of Oman and Baniyas of the Emirates, Al Jazeera of the Emirates and Burgan of Kuwait, and Qatar of Qatar and Gaza of Palestine. On the second day, four matches will be held, as Al-Shorta of Qatar will meet with Erbil of Iraq, Al-Seeb of Oman will meet Zamalek of Egypt, Al-Kuwait of Kuwait will meet Al-Hilal of Libya, and Dar Kulaib of Bahrain will meet Al-Ahly of Egypt.
The draw for the tournament, which was conducted via video communication technology, resulted in the Qatar Club and Police teams, representing Qatar in the tournament, falling into the third and fourth groups, respectively, with the participation of 15 teams representing 10 Arab countries.
The group stage matches will continue until January 20, with the quarter-finals and position determination matches being held on January 22, while the semi-final and position matches will be played on the 24th of the same month.
• The first group: Al-Suwaihli of Libya, Al-Salam of Oman, and Baniyas of the Emirates.
• The second group: Al-Seeb of Oman, Al-Kuwait of Kuwait, Al-Hilal of Libya, and Zamalek of Egypt.
• The third group: Erbil of Iraq, Dar Kulaib of Bahrain, Al-Ahly of Egypt, and Al-Shorta of Qatar.
• The fourth group: Gaza of Palestine, Burgan of Kuwait, Qatar of Qatar, and Al Jazeera of the Emirates.
Al Khalifa: Thank you to all the teams
Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, President of the Arab Volleyball Federation, stressed the great role that the Arab Volleyball Championship plays in strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between Arab brothers and developing the technical and skill level of the game in the region.
Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed said that this tournament is one of the most prominent Arab tournaments, and reflects the Arab Federation’s commitment to developing the game at the regional level, welcoming all participating clubs.
He pointed out that the participation of 15 clubs in the current edition in Doha reflects the prestigious status of the tournament and everyone’s keenness to compete to achieve the title, expressing his thanks to the Qatar Volleyball Association and the organizing committee for their efforts in providing success factors and creating a distinctive competitive environment.
He also thanked all participating clubs for their contribution to the success of this major sporting event.
Al Kuwari: An opportunity for Arab sports convergence
Ali Ghanem Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, stressed that the tournament represents an opportunity to exchange experiences, build distinguished sports relations, and enrich the spirit of fair competition. He said in his statements: “Welcome to Doha, the capital of Arab sports and meeting. Your participation in this major sporting forum reflects the values of brotherhood and the spirit of cooperation between Arab clubs.”
He added: “We hope that this tournament will be an opportunity to develop Arab sports and enhance the status of volleyball. We wish everyone a good stay in Doha and sporting moments worthy of this great event.”
Distinctive media coverage
Saeed Jumaa, Member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Volleyball Association and Chairman of the Media Committee, stressed the importance of local media as an essential partner in the success of tournaments. He pointed out that the media arrangements to host the tournament had been completed, welcoming the delegations participating in this major sporting event that reflects the values of brotherhood and the spirit of cooperation between Arab clubs.
He explained that there is great media coverage through various media outlets, as integrated media centers have been equipped in the Qatar Club and Al Arabi Club halls to provide all means of comfort for media professionals. He indicated that more than 150 local and Arab media professionals are participating in covering the tournament, with media passes distributed before the start of the competitions. He stressed that this turnout reflects the importance of the tournament and the media’s interest in covering it and contributing to its success.
Readiness of the rulers
The referees participating in the tournament conducted an inspection tour supervised by Dr. Wael Qandil, a member of the Arab Federation’s Referees Committee, to ensure the readiness of the stadiums and the safety of the tools and equipment used, in accordance with the legal standards approved by the International Volleyball Federation. Qandil also confirmed that the referees were fully informed of the new amendments to the laws of the game. , which will be applied for the first time in this tournament. They stressed the importance of these amendments in enhancing transparency and developing the technical performance of the matches.
Technical meeting of the tournament
The technical meeting of the Arab Volleyball Championship was held in the presence of Ahmed Abdel-Daem from the arbitration committee, Adel Al-Banna, deputy director of the Bahraini Federation, and Youssef Kanoo, member of the Board of Directors of the Qatari Federation and head of the tournament’s organizing committee, in addition to representatives of the participating clubs. During the meeting, all organizational matters were coordinated, including determining each team’s uniform.
Al-Qatrawi concluded his preparations for the Palestinians
The Qatari team enters today’s opening match to face the Palestinian Gaza team, hoping to achieve the first victory in the first group. The King has completed his preparations through training and a friendly match with the Police team in which he achieved a 3-1 win. Hence, the King seeks a strong presence and victory in the tournament that He aims to win her title.