Kitakyushu, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India began their campaign at the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship with a straight-sets defeat to three-time champions China, losing 21-25, 26-28, 25-27 in a hard-fought Pool B encounter.
India were edged in the opening set but showed greater resistance in the next two. They pushed the second set beyond regulation before China prevailed 28-26, while the third followed a similar pattern as China held their nerve in another closely contested finish to complete the victory.
China head coach Vital Heynen said his team had achieved its pre-match objective but acknowledged that the players failed to maintain their strong performance towards the end of the second and third sets.
Heynen, as reported by Xinhua, said the team still had room for improvement.
China dominated the attacking numbers with 45 points compared with India’s 39, while the three-time champions also produced nine blocks against India’s six.
The victory earned China three points and placed them second in Pool B, behind Iran on points ratio after both teams had played one match. Iran had opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over New Zealand on Friday.
In other matches, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1 (29-27, 19-25, 25-15, 26-15), hosts Japan beat Oman 3-1 (25-18, 25-13, 20-25, 25-9), and Thailand swept Qatar 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-15). In Pool A, Australia defeated Bahrain 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23).
The 12 participating teams have been divided into three pools. The top two teams from each pool and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals.
The tournament runs until September 13. The champions will earn Asia’s first men’s volleyball berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while the three medalists will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup.
India will face Iran in their next league match, while China will take on New Zealand on Monday in their second Pool B fixture.
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