Zaid Al-Kazemi

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 3: Kuwait’s national men’s volleyball team, known as the “Blue Spikers,” will begin its campaign in the inaugural Arab Men’s Challenge Cup with an opening match against hosts Jordan on November 28 in Amman, where the tournament will run until December 5. The opening day will also feature clashes between Egypt and Libya, and Bahrain and Palestine.

The official draw for the championship was conducted virtually earlier this week, in the presence of Feras Al-Halwaji, Secretary-General of both the Bahraini and Arab Volleyball Federations. A total of seven national teams will compete: Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan.

In preparation for the event, the team has launched its daily training sessions at the Volleyball Federation Hall within the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Complex, under the guidance of Argentinian head coach Julian Alvarez and assistant coach Zaid Al-Kazemi. The team’s preparation plan, developed in coordination with the National Teams and Training Committee, spans one month — beginning with intensive local training followed by an external training camp abroad.

The initial squad for Kuwait includes: Adhbi Al-Enezi, Abdullah Buftain, Omar Al-Enezi, Nawaf Al-Sanea, Mohammed Al-Dhafiri, Ibrahim Safar, Abdullah Al-Mwainaa, Abdulnasser Al-Enezi, Fares Siraj, Bader Al-Attar, Rashid Anbar, Ahmed Al-Munais, Nasser Dashti, Abdullah Al-Enezi, Youssef Mandil, Talal Abdulrazzaq, Abdulrahman Al-Mulla, Fahad Saad Yaqoub, Hassan Al-Qattan, Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa, and Saud Al-Duwaisan.

Meanwhile, international referee Abbas Ashkanani has been selected to officiate volleyball matches at the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, set to take place from November 5 to 13.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff