Doha, August 19 (QNA) – The Qatar U-17 volleyball team began its campaign in the Doha 2026 World Championship with a 3-0 defeat to Venezuela, losing 25-16, 25-16 and 25-23 in their Group A opener at Aspire on Wednesday.
Qatar will face France on Friday before concluding the group stage against Tunisia on Sunday, with both matches to be played at Aspire’s Women’s Hall.
Qatar team manager Ismail Al Shaib said the tournament provides an important opportunity for the young players to gain experience against the world’s top teams. 
He described the Venezuela match as a difficult opener, noting that the team improved from one set to another and delivered a more competitive performance in the third set.
Al Shaib added that the team would approach every match as a final and seek to give its best, while emphasizing that the tournament’s objectives extend beyond results to identifying promising players who could support the senior national team in the future.
On the opening day, Poland, Iran, Italy and Turkiye also recorded 3-0 victories over Argentina, Algeria, Romania and Spain, respectively. (QNA)