Team Qatar Open FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship Campaign with Defeat to Venezuela

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August 20, 2026
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20-August-2026

Team Qatar Open FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship Campaign with Defeat to Venezuela

Doha: Qatar’s U17 volleyball team began their campaign at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship – Doha 2026 with a 3–0 defeat to Venezuela on Wednesday at Aspire Sports Hall.

Venezuela won the Pool A encounter 25–16, 25–16, 25–23, with Qatar producing their strongest performance in a closely contested third set.

Team Qatar will face France in their second group-stage match on Friday, August 21, before concluding the preliminary round against Tunisia on Sunday, August 23. All three of Qatar’s matches will be played at the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall.

Ismail Al Shaib, Team Manager of Qatar’s U17 national team, said hosting the championship provides the players with an important opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading teams, while noting Qatar’s extensive experience in organizing major international sporting events.

Al Shaib described the opening match against Venezuela as a difficult test, particularly as the Qatari players were making their first appearance at a world championship. He noted that the team improved as the match progressed and produced a more competitive display in the third set, which Venezuela narrowly won.

“We approach every match in this championship as if it were a final, and we aim to give our best in every encounter, especially as the tournament brings together some of the strongest teams in the world,” Al Shaib said.

Looking ahead to the match against France, Al Shaib acknowledged the challenge posed by one of the world’s strong teams and said the technical and administrative staff would work to prepare the players in the best possible way to deliver a strong performance.

He added that Qatar’s participation is not solely focused on results, but also on identifying promising players who could progress to the senior national team in the future. He stressed that the championship represents an important opportunity for the players to gain valuable experience at the highest international level.

Elsewhere on the opening day, Poland defeated Argentina 3–0, Iran recorded a straight-sets victory over Algeria, Italy beat Romania 3–0, and Türkiye overcame Spain by the same scoreline.