Bahrain made history on Tuesday in Manama, becoming the first-ever AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup champions after defeating Pakistan in four sets in the gold medal match at the Isa bin Rashid hall. The home triumph also secured Bahrain a place at the 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship.
The victory delivered a breakthrough moment for Bahrain, whose best previous finish in the competition was runner-up in 2023. The tournament also continued its trend of new champions, with Bahrain becoming the fifth different winner across five editions of the event, which had previously been staged under the name AVC Men’s Challenge Cup.
Final: Bahrain rally past Pakistan for inaugural Nations Cup crown
In the championship match, Bahrain responded after dropping the opening set, recovering to claim the title with a four-set win over Pakistan. Pakistan, meanwhile, had to settle for silver for the second consecutive year.
Bahrain’s scoring was led by opposite Mohamed Anan, who produced a match-high 27 points, including one ace. Outside hitter Mohamed Abdulla Yaqoob delivered a 20-point performance, highlighted by four aces and two kill blocks as Bahrain completed their comeback to lift the trophy on home soil.
For Pakistan, the primary contributors were outside hitters Usman Faryad Ali with 15 points and captain Murad Jehan with 11 points in the final.
With the win, Bahrain not only captured the inaugural AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup gold, but also added another new name to the competition’s list of champions, reinforcing the event’s reputation for producing fresh winners year after year.
Bronze medal match: Qatar sweep Korea
In the bronze medal match, Qatar secured a place on the podium with a straight-sets victory over Korea. Middle blocker Belal Nabel Abunabot paced Qatar with 12 points, including four kill blocks. Outside hitter Raimi Wadidie added 11 points, featuring two aces and a block.
Korea’s opposite Donghyeok Im was the top scorer of the match with 13 points, while outside hitter Subong Heo contributed 10 points in the loss.
10th-place match: Philippines beat New Zealand
Earlier on Tuesday, the Philippines won their direct match-up with New Zealand for 10th place, powered by a match-high 20 points from opposite Steven Charles Rotter.
Awards: Yaqoob named MVP as Dream Team is announced
Bahrain’s Mohamed Abdulla Yaqoob, the 30-year-old outside hitter who played a key role in the final, was recognized as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also selected to the competition’s Dream Team.
The Dream Team included setter Mahmood Alafyah (Bahrain), opposite Ali Khamis Ebrahim (Bahrain), outside hitter Murad Jehan (Pakistan), middle blockers Musawer Khan (Pakistan) and Belal Nabel Abunabot (Qatar), and libero Ayman Haroon (Bahrain).
Among individual tournament notes, Chinese Taipei’s opposite Chang Yu-Sheng finished as the top scorer of the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup with 104 total points (92 spikes, four kill blocks, and eight aces).
