Brazilian Costa spikes the ball during the West Asia Volleyball Championship.

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 9: Kuwait Club will face Oman’s Al-Seeb today at 5:00 pm in the quarterfinals of the 4th West Asia Volleyball Championship. The tournament is being hosted by Kuwait at the federation hall in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex and will run until February 14.

Earlier today, a “Qatari derby” will see Al-Rayyan take on Al-Wakra at 1:00 pm, followed by a match between Bahrain’s Al-Ahli and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad at 3:00 pm. The quarterfinals will conclude at 7:00 pm with Bahrain’s Dar Kulaib facing Iraq’s Gaz Al-Janoub.

The preliminary round concluded the day before yesterday, with Kuwait losing 2-3 to Bahrain’s Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad defeating Dar Kulaib 3-2, and Al-Seeb beating Barqan 3-0. As a result, Al-Ahli topped Group B, Kuwait finished second, Al-Wakra third, and Lebanon’s Shabab Al-Batron came fourth. In Group A, Al-Rayyan led the standings, followed by Gaz Al-Janoub and Oman’s Majis. In Group C, Dar Kulaib claimed first place, with Al-Seeb second, Al-Ittihad third, and Barqan fourth.

According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-placed teams.

Kuwait Club is determined to secure a win today, maintain its run for the 4th edition title, and advance to the semifinals the day after tomorrow. The team will rely on key players Abdullah Bouftain and Abdullah Jassim, alongside foreign talents Estonian Oliver Vieno, Canadian Nicholas Hawk, and Brazilian Lenson Costa, on loan from Kazma.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff