Team Qatar Open Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship Campaign Against Thailand

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September 4, 2026
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4-September-2026

Team Qatar Open Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship Campaign Against Thailand

Tokyo: Qatar’s senior men’s volleyball team will begin their campaign at the 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship on Saturday when they face Thailand in their opening Pool C match.

The championship is being held in Fukuoka, Japan, from September 4 to 13, with Qatar drawn in Pool C alongside Thailand, Korea and Chinese Taipei.

Team Qatar completed an intensive preparation programme ahead of the continental championship, which will also serve as part of their preparations for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, taking place in Japan from September 19 to October 4.

The team held a training camp in Slovenia from August 15 to 26 under Argentine head coach Camilo Soto, with the technical staff focusing on improving physical and technical readiness, testing different options and strengthening cohesion among the players.

During the camp, Qatar played three friendly matches against Egypt, in addition to facing several Slovenian professional league clubs. The matches provided the coaching staff with an opportunity to assess the players’ readiness and performance, particularly following the introduction of several new players as part of the team’s development plans.

Nine new players took part in the preparations alongside the more experienced members of the squad, as Qatar continue to build a competitive team for upcoming events while benefiting from the experience of their established internationals.

The 14-player squad comprises Mahdi Samoud, Andrea Cross, Abdulrahman Bakri, Mubarak Mousa, Abdullah Naseem, Pape Maguette, Mohammed Abdulwahab, Ibrahim Saeed, Rahimi Didi, Renan Ribeiro, Youssef Al Yafei, Mohammed Al Waleed, Mohammed Al Sharshani and Naji Mahmoud.

Qatar will face Chinese Taipei on Sunday before concluding the preliminary round against Korea on September 8.

The top two teams from each pool, along with the best third-placed team, will advance to the quarterfinals.

Team Qatar will be aiming to progress beyond the preliminary round and secure a place in the knockout stage as they look to mount a strong challenge at the continental championship.