World No.47 Pakistan went into the final undefeated, after beating Kazakhstan, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea. 

Qatar has won the Asia Volleyball Confederation (AVC) cup, beating Pakistan to win the championship by 25-22, 25-20, and 25-19. 

Clinching the title for the very first time in Bahrain’s Isa Town on Sunday, Qatar competed in front of approximately 2,500 spectators as Youssef Oughlaf, Mohamed Ibrahim Ibrahim, and Belal Nabel Abunabot led their squad to a commanding win. 

“Mighty Qatar stamped their domination over the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup after demolishing Pakistan in an electrifying final showdown which wrapped up an exciting week of topflight competition at the Isa Town Sport City Hall C here on Sunday,” the AVC said in a post on its website.

Oughlaf was a force to be reckoned with, contributing 16 points from 13 kills, two blocks, and one ace for Qatar. Ibrahim and Abunabot also made significant contributions, adding 11 and 10 points respectively. 

But Qatar’s road to victory started off on the wrong foot. They lost to South Korea in their first game, before bouncing back to win three successive matches against Indonesia, China, and Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Unbeaten throughout the tournament, World No.47 Pakistan entered the final after defeating Kazakhstan, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea.  

The top three teams were given their respective trophies and medals in the awards presentation and closing ceremony.

Among the individual awards in the ceremony, Qatar’s outside hitter Renan Ribeiro landed the Most Valuable Player Award.

After coming in second place at the 2023 FIVB Challenger Cup on home soil in Doha, Qatar will now compete in the 2024 edition with hosts China for the second year running in July.