Oman beat Algeria in Arab volleyball opener

MUSCAT, OCT 7
Oman’s men’s national volleyball team made a winning start to the 24th Arab Men’s Volleyball Championship, defeating Algeria 3-1 at the Arena Hall in Amman on Tuesday.
Oman secured the victory with set scores of 25-21, 23-25, 28-26 and 25-19, recovering from a second-set setback to claim their first win in the six-team tournament.
The opening set went Oman’s way as they established an early advantage with a 25-21 victory. Algeria responded in the second, edging a closer contest 25-23 to draw level and put the match back in the balance.
The third set proved pivotal. With neither side able to settle it within the usual 25 points, Oman eventually prevailed 28-26 to regain the lead. That narrow success left them one set away from victory, while Algeria needed to win the fourth to force a deciding fifth set.
Oman completed the job with a 25-19 win, their widest margin of the match, to seal the encounter and begin their Arab campaign on a positive note.

ENCOURAGING START
The result provides an encouraging start for Tunisian head coach Nizar Chekili’s side following their recent Asian championship campaign in Japan. Oman prepared for the Arab competition with a training camp at Sohar Sports Complex, focusing on physical readiness and addressing technical shortcomings.
The team also entered the tournament with the experience of winning the second West Asia Men’s Volleyball Championship in Muscat in July, when they defeated Qatar in straight sets in the final.
The Arab championship brings together Oman, hosts Jordan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Each team plays five matches under a single round-robin format, with the final standings determining the gold, silver and bronze medallists.
Oman are seeking to improve on their fourth-place finish in the previous edition, having claimed bronze at the 22nd championship.
Oman were scheduled to face Saudi Arabia in their second match on Wednesday, October 7. They will next meet Kuwait on Friday, October 9, followed by hosts Jordan on Sunday, October 11, before concluding their campaign against Bahrain on Wednesday, October 14.