Ahmedabad: The Indian men’s volleyball team scripted history on Sunday by winning their first-ever bronze medal at the AVC Men’s Cup 2026, defeating defending champions Bahrain in the third-place playoff.
India produced a strong all-round performance to beat Bahrain 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17), sealing a memorable finish to their campaign on home soil.
The hosts showed composure in key moments, recovering quickly after dropping the second set to take control of the match and close out the contest with confidence in the fourth set.
India had earlier suffered a heartbreaking semi-final loss against Indonesia on Saturday in a five-set thriller (25-15, 24-26, 20-25, 25-19, 13-15), but bounced back strongly within 24 hours to secure the bronze medal.
Indonesia went on to claim their maiden AVC Men’s Cup title, defeating two-time bronze medallists South Korea in straight sets (34-32, 25-16, 25-23). South Korea, meanwhile, settled for silver after a competitive campaign.
India’s overall performance in the tournament was impressive, as the team topped Pool A unbeaten. They registered dominant wins against New Zealand, Australia, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, and Bahrain during the group stage.
One of their standout victories came against Bahrain in the group stage as well, while they also impressed with straight-set wins over New Zealand and Australia, finishing top of their group.
The tournament also saw Pakistan withdraw after failing to travel to Ahmedabad due to clearance issues, resulting in structural changes in match schedules across pools.
Despite the semi-final setback, India’s strong comeback in the bronze medal match marked a significant milestone for the national team, highlighting their growing competitiveness on the Asian volleyball stage and delivering a proud moment for the hosts.
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