Dr. Abdullah Talib with other officials.

MANAMA, Jan 16: The draw for the third West Asia Men's Volleyball Clubs Championship, held in Bahrain, set the stage for an exciting opening clash between two Kuwaiti teams. Kuwait Club will face Al-Qadsiya on the first day of the championship, February 7, at Isa bin Rashid Hall in Riffa.

The tournament, scheduled to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from February 7 to 15, features eight participating clubs: Kuwait Club and Al-Qadsiya from Kuwait, Al-Arabi and Al-Rayyan from Qatar, Iraq's North Refineries, Oman’s Al-Salam, and Bahrain’s Al-Ahli. Teams will compete in a single-round league format. On the opening day, Kuwait will meet Al-Qadsiya, Al-Arabi will face North Refineries, and Al-Salam will go up against Al-Ahli.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Club's first volleyball team begins its campaign today in the preliminary round of Group Two at the Arab Clubs Championship in Qatar. They are set to face Libya’s Al-Hilal at 6:30 pm at the Qatari Club Hall. Also in Group Two, Oman’s Al-Seeb will take on Egypt’s Zamalek in the same venue. Over in Group Three at Al-Arabi Club Hall, Iraq’s Arbil will play Qatar’s Al-Shorta, while Bahrain’s Dar Kulaib will square off against Egypt’s Al-Ahly.

The Arab Clubs Championship, which began two days ago in Doha, runs until January 25, featuring 15 participating teams.

Dr. Abdullah Talib, assistant coach of the Kuwait Club volleyball team, expressed confidence in the team’s preparation. He stated that the players are in excellent form following their Qatari training camp, with the technical staff focusing on refining their skills and physical readiness for the tournament. However, the team is managing the absence of coach Abdullah Bouftin due to injury.

In domestic volleyball news, a single match is scheduled for tomorrow in the Women's League. Salwa Al-Sabah Club will face Al-Oyoun Girls at 6:00 pm in Al-Oyoun’s hall.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff