KUWAIT CITY, July 17: The Kuwait junior volleyball team will depart for Istanbul, Turkey, to conduct a 10-day training camp in preparation for the 15th U-18  Asian Championship scheduled to take place in Manama, Bahrain, from July 26 to August 5. The team is set to play three to four test matches in Turkey.

The delegation is led by Nayef Al-Failakawi, a member of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Volleyball Association, and includes Abdullah Al-Rayes Adria, national coach Khaled Al-Mutairi, his assistant Meshal Al-Sabti, Egyptian physiotherapist Ahmed Fouad, and 12 players: Walid Al-Shammari, Ahmed Al-Sarhid, Salem Al-Shammari, Saad Al-Failakawi, Abdullah Al-Ali, Nasser Al-Sanea, Bandar Al-Ahmad, Salem Khadada, Muhammad Al-Dhahabi, Mishari Al-Mutouteh, Muhammad Al-Dukhi, and Muhammad Al-Huwaidi.

The team will compete in Group Four of the Asian Championship, facing India, South Korea, and Pakistan. Group One includes Bahrain, Australia, Hong Kong, and Thailand; Group Two features Japan, China Taipei, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan; and Group Three comprises Iran, China, Lebanon, and the Philippines.

Coach Khaled Al-Mutairi acknowledged the difficulty of the group in Asia, expressing hope for a strong performance and a high ranking despite the tough competition. He noted that the team recently participated in the Arab Championship in Jordan, finishing fifth. Local training for the team began on May 27, focusing on enhancing physical fitness alongside technical and tactical skills after the end of the students' examination period.

Al-Mutairi highlighted that most of the current team members are participating in an official foreign tournament for the first time, with the exceptions of Nasser Al-Sanea and Muhammad Al-Dukhi.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff