KUWAIT CITY, Nov 5: The culminating match of the Al-Ittihad Refresher Volleyball Championship is set to take place at 7:00 p.m. This highly-anticipated clash will see Kuwait and Burgan facing off in the Al-Ittihad Hall, located within the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex. Preceding the grand final, there will be a contest at 5:00 pm to determine the third and fourth places, featuring Al-Qadsia and Kazma in the same hall. Burgan secured their spot in the championship’s final battle by finishing atop the rankings at the end of the initial tournament round, amassing 21 points. This positioned them ahead of Kuwait in second place and Al-Qadsia in third place.

Meanwhile, Kazma claimed 14 points, Al-Arabi 13, Yarmouk 8, Al-Shabab 7, Al-Sahel 2 points, and Al-Tadamon 1 point. Following the tournament’s structure, the top-seeded team from the first round, “Burgan,” is set to compete against the fourth-place team, Kazma, while the second-seeded Kuwait will square off against the third-seeded Al-Qadsia.

This final appearance is a historic moment for Burgan, under the guidance of Argentine coach Alejandro Schneider. The team were established in 2015, and their impressive journey has led them to the championship final.

On the other hand, Kuwait boast a wealth of experience in finals and are managed by Turkish coach Taner Atik. Nine clubs participated in the Al-Ittihad Championship, with Sulaibikhat opting to sit out and return for league and cup competitions. Al-Jahra, in the general category, withdrew from volleyball, handball, and basketball tournaments for the 2023-2024 season due to financial constraints within the club.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff