Arabi clinch Qatar Volleyball League for the 26th time

Al Arabi were crowned champions of the Qatar Volleyball League for the 26th time, despite losing their final round match to Al Rayyan on Friday night.
Arabi needed to pocket just two sets and they did that with ease even as Rayyan won the match 25-12, 23-25, 25-22, 18-25, 12-15. Arabi topped the leaderboard with 51 points, while Rayyan had to settle for second place with 49 points. Qatar SC claimed the third spot.
The match, which doubled as the season’s grand finale, saw Arabi revamp their lineup by bringing in Cuban star Jose Miguel Gutierrez from Italy, replacing Russian outside hitter Aleksei Spiridonov. Gutierrez, alongside Brazilian powerhouse Gabriel Candido, propelled Al Arabi to triumph, winning the essential sets early in the match.
Oliver Venno of Al Rayyan emerged as the top scorer with 23 points, but it was Candido and Gutierrez who led Arabi to victory with 19 and 17 points respectively.
After a somewhat disappointing third place finish at the West Asian Club Championship, Arabi’s league victory marks a significant turnaround, showcasing their resilience. This title further extends their record to 26, leaving Rayyan SC with 11 titles and marking their 14th runner-up position.
Arabi players received gold medals and the league shield, in addition QR250,000 in prize money.
Rayyan took home QR150,000, while Qatar SC were richer by QR100,000.
Following the victory ceremony, Ali Ghanem al-Kuwari, President of the Qatar and West Asian Volleyball Federations, praised the technical level of the tournament, and said that the teams presented a high level performance during the league competitions this season.
He praised the performance of all the teams and congratulated the Arabi team for winning the title.