Doha –
Qatar's senior men's national volleyball team open their campaign at the 2026 Asian Men's Continental Championship in Japan on Saturday 5 September 2026, facing Thailand at 11:00 Doha time in Pool C. The championship is hosted by the city of Kitakyushu, in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture, from 4 to 13 September.
Al-Adaam play the first round in Pool C alongside the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand. Pool A brings together Japan, Australia, Bahrain and Oman, while Pool B comprises Iran, China, India and New Zealand.
After the Thailand match, the team meet Chinese Taipei at 07:30 Doha time on Sunday 6 September, before closing the group stage against the Republic of Korea at 07:30 Doha time on Tuesday 8 September.
The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarter-finals, together with the two best third-placed teams. The quarter-finals are played on Thursday and Friday, 10 and 11 September, the semi-finals on Saturday 12 September, and the championship concludes on Sunday 13 September with the bronze-medal match and the final.
Much is at stake. The champions earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, while the three medallists qualify for the 2027 FIVB Men's World Cup.
Qatar's squad for the championship numbers 14 players: Mahdi Sammoud, Abdulla Samir, Abdelrahman Bakry, Mubarak Moussa, Abdulla Nassim, Pape Maguette, Mohamed Abdelwahab, Ibrahim Saeed, Youssef Al-Yafei, Mohamed Al-Waleed, Mohamed Al-Sharshani and Naji Mahmoud.
The team are coached by Argentina's Camilo Soto, with Ali Abdulla Al-Haddad heading the delegation.
Al-Adaam recently completed a preparatory camp in Slovenia, held from 15 to 26 August, during which they played three friendlies against Egypt as well as several matches against Slovenian league clubs, aimed at raising technical and physical readiness and building cohesion within the squad.
At the previous edition in 2023, the team won the bronze medal for the first time in their history after beating China in straight sets, and they have added two silver medals this year: at the 4th GCC Games, Doha 2026, and at the West Asian Men's Championship in Oman.
Al-Adaam are looking for a strong start against Thailand and a place in the quarter-finals, at an important continental stop on the road to the commitments ahead.