2021 Asian Volleyball Championship | India go down in straight sets to Qatar in opening fixture
The Indian men’s volleyball team went down to Bahrain in straight sets in their opening match of the 2021 Asian Volleyball Championships, on Sunday. India will be up against the likes of world no.30 Qatar in their next match, followed by nine-time Asian champions Japan in the last group stage clash.
Pitted against the 87th ranked team in the world, India, just three places above them, lost in straight sets in their opening match of the 2021 Asian Volleyball Championships. The Indians gave stiff competition in the first game, having lost 27-25 in the end, however, the second and third sets were runovers. The final match score at the Chiba Port Arena read (27-25, 25-21, 25-21) in favour of Bahrain.
Apart from India and Bahrain, world no. 30 Qatar and hosts Japan also feature in Group A of the tournament. The Indian’s will have their task cut-out against a strong Qatar side in the upcoming match, followed by an uphill task against nine-time Asian champions Japan.
The Indian team has to finish in the top two of the group stage to qualify for the quarter-finals of the meet. India has appeared in all editions of the biennial events apart from three, since its inception in 1975. The fourth-place finish in the 2005 edition was the best performance by the Indian team at the tournament.