Jordan volleyball youngsters hope to impress at home

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday announced the team that will compete in the 14th Arab Junior Volleyball Championships to be hosted by the Kingdom from July 27–August 5, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. 

Under the supervision of coach, Fawwaz Zahran, the team is being put through a tough final schedule to be ready to host some of the best young players in West Asia.

“We have been training solid for a month already,” Zahran said. “The focus has been on bringing together the team in harmony and building the fitness levels as well as preparing tactics.” The youngsters will play friendly matches building up to the start of the tournament which will see seven nations joining Jordan for the two-group format.

Jordan will compete in Group A alongside Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Palestine, while Group B includes Oman, the UAE, Bahrain and Iraq.

“It is a fairly balanced group with each team capable of beating the other so it will be very open and hard to qualify for the semifinals,” added Zahran. “But as the host nation we will be doing everything we can to get through and compete for the title.”

Zahran believes that this event lays the foundations for the sport to flourish in Jordan by developing this group of players for years to come. Jordan open the tournament against Palestine on July 27 and will face Saudi Arabia two days later and Qatar on July 31.