Asian Junior Volleyball tourney kicks off in Bahrain

The 17th Asian Junior Men's Volleyball Championship kicked off at Isa Town Sport City on Friday with participation of more than 18 Asian teams.
The championship will continue until October 25th.
The Secretary of Bahrain Volleyball Association Feras Al-Halwachi delivered a speech marking the opening ceremony, welcoming the teams and wishing them triumph.
The Bahraini flag was raised afterward and a number of traditional and festival shows, including an operetta, celebrating Bahrain's longstanding cultural heritage and millennia-old civilization.
Bahrain will take on the Maldives in the opening match as part of the Group A, which includes also Saudi Arabia and Thailand, while Australia withdrew from the championship.
Nineteen teams are competing in the championship, including host country Bahrain, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, The Maldives (Group A), Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Japan and Taiwan (Group B), South Korea, China, New Zealand and Sri Lanka (Group C), Hong Kong, Iran, Turkmenistan, Qatar and India (Group D).
Source: KUNA