Bahrain has triumphed, becoming the inaugural champions of the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup. This historic win marks their first gold medal in the five editions of this competition, previously known as the AVC Men`s Challenge Cup. Their best previous result was a second-place finish in 2023. This victory also secures Bahrain a place in the upcoming 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship.
In the final match held on Tuesday in Manama, the home team faced Pakistan. After losing the first set, Bahrain mounted a comeback to win the match in four sets with scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-17, and 25-18. This result means Pakistan earns the silver medal for the second consecutive year.
Key players in the final for Bahrain included outside hitter Mohamed Abdulla Yaqoob, who scored 20 points with four aces and two kill blocks. Opposite Mohamed Anan was the match`s top scorer, contributing 27 points, including one ace. Pakistan`s efforts were led by outside hitters Usman Faryad Ali (15 points) and captain Murad Jehan (11 points).
In the bronze medal match, last year`s champions Qatar secured third place by sweeping Korea in three sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-23). Middle blocker Belal Nabel Abunabot was instrumental for Qatar with 12 points, including four blocks. Outside hitter Raimi Wadidie also added 11 points with two aces and a block. For Korea, opposite Donghyeok Im was the leading scorer with 13 points, followed by outside hitter Subong Heo with 10.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Philippines defeated New Zealand 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-11, 25-22) in the match for 10th place. Opposite Steven Charles Rotter was the top performer for the Philippines, scoring 20 points.
Tournament Awards and Dream Team
Bahrain’s 30-year-old outside hitter, Mohamed Abdulla Yaqoob, received the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the tournament. He was also included in the competition’s Dream Team.
The Dream Team featured:
- Setter: Mahmood Alafyah (Bahrain)
- Opposite: Ali Khamis Ebrahim (Bahrain)
- Outside Hitter: Mohamed Abdulla Yaqoob (Bahrain)
- Outside Hitter: Murad Jehan (Pakistan)
- Middle Blocker: Musawer Khan (Pakistan)
- Middle Blocker: Belal Nabel Abunabot (Qatar)
- Libero: Ayman Haroon (Bahrain)
The overall top scorer of the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup was Chang Yu-Sheng, the opposite from Chinese Taipei, who accumulated a total of 104 points (92 spikes, 4 kill blocks, and 8 aces).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick