Qatar players celebrate their 25-21, 25-17, 25-21 win over Chinese Taipei in the opening match of their volleyball campaign at the Asian Games yesterday. PiCTURES: Karim Jaafar
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Qatar overcame a tense first set before overpowering Chinese Taipei in their opening match of the Asian Games volleyball tournament at the Ansan Sangrosku Gymnasium yesterday. |
The much taller and muscular Qataris took time to find their rhythm initially but once they settled down, they clearly emerged the better side, clinching a 25-21, 25-17, 25-21 victory in the Group A fixture which lasted 75 minutes.
Qatar had been camping in South Korea since September 10, training hard and acclimatizing to the conditions, and their superior fitness level was very much on show yesterday as they played without any fear or pressure.
They smashed hard and produced daring dives to retrieve the ball from seemingly impossible situations.
Ibrahim Ibrahim, primarily a blocker, allowed himself the liberty of contributing as an all-rounder, coming up with several smashes to win key points for Qatar.
The 6’8” genial giant was all smiles later, posing for pictures and giving interviews in fluent English, Arabic and French.
“Yeah, I like to make chip in for the team’s cause in whatever manner I can,” said the Senegal-born Ibrahim, who added that the players were a well knit unit who back each other up.
“We have been training hard at our camp here, but at the same time we were also building team spirit, which is a key element of the preparations.”
But he was nevertheless relieved Qatar had won the opener. “It was the first match of the tournament and it is always a weight off your shoulders when you start off with a victory, but we are under no illusions because there are many teams in the event who are capable.”
He added that he had enough experience playing tough matches and absorbing pressure. “This is my third Asian Games, so I am used to all the pressure. The team also does a good job handling pressure,” he said.
Qatar were off to a flier, racing a 3-0 lead but perhaps as a result of overconfidence, errors crept into their game, allowing Taipei to breathe down their necks.
After drawing level at 7-7, Taipei even managed to take the lead for the first time but a couple of searing smashes by Jumah Mohamed and Nadir Sidikh restored Qatar’s advantage as they went ahead 13-11.
From then onwards, Qatar kept themselves marginally ahead all the time, and when Ibrahim produced a brilliant block, they suddenly had a three-point cushion at 20-17. That came in handy as Qatar closed out the set without much trouble.
Chinese Taipei’s morale appeared shattered in the second set, and with Jumah and Mubarak Hammad drilling holes in their defence with a string of powerful smashes, Qatar were soon 14-7 ahead.
Jumah then finished off the set, placing what could have been a explosive smash gently into the vacant space.
Taipei showed some resolve in the third set, with Feng Huan, Hao Chang and libero Shun Lin combining well,
but after another close battle, Qatar broke away for a 20-17 lead which proved crucial.
But while Ibrahim, Jumah and Mubarak stole most of the honours, Qatar’s libero Sulaiman Saad also deserves special mention for going about his business in a calm and purposeful manner. Despite being only 5’9” tall, Saad simply excelled in his tough defensive role which is designated at the start of the game.
The libero’s position cannot be rotated which means he has to have enough stamina to play the full match without a break. And Sadd had plenty of it as he set up several key points for Qatar.
Qatar coach Juan Cichello, however, refused to single out any single player for praise after the match.
“It’s the team. Always,” the Argentinian said. “All the players performed well. Volleyball is always a team game where several elements have to combine well in order for the team to succeed.”
Qatar will take on Kazakhstan tomorrow in their second Group A game. The Kazakhs will be looking to avoid a second straight defeat, after losing to South Korea 75-60 on Saturday.
Sixteen teams divided into four groups are playing the preliminary rounds which will finish on September 27.
