Manila: The Qatari national volleyball team will begin their journey in the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship by facing the Netherlands tomorrow, Saturday, in Group B of the tournament, which kicked off Friday in the Philippines and will continue until September 28. A record 32 international teams are participating.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Qatari team is seeking a strong start to the tournament, hoping to demonstrate a respectable level that reflects its development in recent years and meets the expectations of its fans, especially given the intensive preparations and the strong desire to make another achievement to add to the record of Qatari volleyball.
The Qatari team will play their second match in the tournament against Poland on September 15, before concluding the first round against Romania on September 17. This is the second participation for the Qatari team in the Volleyball World Championship, following its debut in the 2022 edition held in Poland and Slovenia.
The Qatari national team prepared for the tournament through a series of preparations, the last of which was an intensive training camp in Doha, which included seven friendly matches: two against Egypt, two against Iran, and three against Ukraine. The technical staff, led by Argentine Camilo Sotto, fielded a number of players to assess their technical readiness for the tournament.
The tournament draw placed the Qatari team in Group B alongside Poland, the world's top-ranked team and the defending champion, as well as the Netherlands and Romania, in what was described as one of the toughest groups.
The Tunisian national team began their journey Friday with a 3-0 victory over the host nation, the Philippines, in the opening sets (25-13, 25-17, 25-23). This victory gave Tunisia three points in Group A, bringing them one step closer to repeating their 2022 achievement and qualifying for the knockout rounds. In contrast, the Philippines did not score any points in its first matches of the tournament.
The tournament will feature 32 international teams, divided into eight groups. Group A includes the host team, along with Tunisia, Egypt, and Iran. Group B includes Qatar, Poland, the Netherlands, and Romania. Group C includes France, Argentina, Finland, and South Korea. Group D includes the United States, Cuba, Portugal, and Colombia.
Group E includes Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Chile. Group F will feature Italy, Ukraine, Belgium, and Algeria. Group G includes Japan, Canada, Turkey, and Libya. Group H includes Brazil, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and China. The tournament will be held in a group format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.
The round of 16 matches will be held from September 20 to 23, with the quarterfinals on September 24 and 25, the semifinals on September 27, and the tournament concluding with the medal matches on September 28.