The tournament, being held from September 7-15, promises to deliver high-octane action, with teams battling for the prestigious title and two slots for the FIVB Men’s Club World Championship later this year in India.
In the most highly-anticipated match of the day, host Shahdab Yazd of Iran thrilled a packed home crowd of nearly 5,000 fans by defeating Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi of Indonesia 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 25-20).
The Indonesian side, boasting Olympic superstar Earvin Ngapeth, put up a strong fight, but Shahdab Yazd’s two-month of preparation paid off, as they utilized their home-court advantage to claim the victory.
In a dominant performance, Foolad Sirjan Iranian cruised past Kam Air of Afghanistan with a straight-set win, 3-0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-20).
Foolad Sirjan’s head coach, Behrouz Ataei, remained cautious, remarking, “This first step was not challenging for us, but volleyball is full of surprises. Today, we saw Iraq beat a very experienced Al-Rayyan, so we must remain vigilant.”