The Indian men’s volleyball team continued its winning streak as it triumphed in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Qatar to register its third victory and qualify for the quarterfinals of the Asian Games here on Tuesday.
The Indian team bounced back from two sets down to defeat Qatar 3-2 (26-28, 25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 24-22) in a 2-hour, 47-minute Pool C thriller. The three-set comeback was capped by a dramatic 24-22 fifth-set finish-a scoreline rarely seen in 15-point tie-break sets.
Jerome Vinith scored 27 points for India, all coming through spikes, while Amit Singh Balwan scored 24 points — 22 from spikes and two from blocks. Joel Benjamin Jebaraj also made double-digit scores with 17 points — 14 from spikes, two from blocks, and one service point.
Ranked 45th in the FIVB World Rankings, India’s victory over 21st-ranked Qatar marked one of the country’s biggest continental upsets in recent years.
Analysts and commentators have linked India’s improved ability to handle pressure to the rise of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL). The tournament has given domestic players such as Jerome Vinith and Joel Benjamin Jebaraj regular exposure to foreign coaches, leading international players and the pressures of televised competition.
All four quarterfinals will be played on Thursday.
India had earlier defeated Vietnam 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-20) and Hong Kong China 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) in their opening two matches, respectively, finishing at the top of Pool C undefeated.