Omar Al -Balushi
Our national volleyball team called his letters of gold in the records of the achievements of Bahraini sport after crowned the Asian Nations Cup for the first time in its history, and as the first team game to achieve this achievement by crowning a continental title for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Our national team led Captain Nasser Annan, who is the first captain of the men’s team to crown a continental title, and contributed greatly alongside his teammates to achieving this title.
Nasser Annan also contributed to the return of Muharraq to the podiums, and the achievement of the Cup of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and the Issa bin Rashid League after many years of the last dualism of the dream plane.
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Sports Al -Watan: Initially, we told us about the historical achievement of the Bahraini volleyball by achieving the title of Asian Nations Cup for the first time in its history?
Annan: This first Asian achievement of the Bahraini volleyball was achieved thanks to God Almighty, and then the great support and attention provided by the Bahrain Volleyball Federation led by Sheikh Ali bin Muhammad Al Khalifa, and all members of the Federation’s Board of Directors and its affiliates, the administrative and technical bodies and the players.
The Federation’s support was a great motive for us to achieve this first Asian title for Bahrain on the land of the Kingdom, as the team faced difficulties in the group that played its competitions alongside both the teams of Thailand and Indonesia, as it was one of the strongest championship groups, and according to the team to achieve two victories and lead its competitions.
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Sports Al -Watan: What are the difficulties the team faced in the preliminary round?
Annan: It was the difficulty that we faced two teams in the preliminary league, Thailand and Indonesia, who had removed our team from the competition in previous Asian participation, as we made a great challenge to win and overcome them on our land and among our fans, and thanks to God we were able to achieve this and export the group.
Our team managed to win all the matches in the championship, as China Taipei crossed us after we relied on entering strongly in the match, along with the difficult victory over South Korea in the semi -finals, and then crowning the title at the expense of Pakistan in the final match.
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Al -Watan Al -Sports: Let’s talk about the semi -final match against South Korea, what happened in the match and the table turned on our team after it was ahead of two runs without charge?
Annan: During the South Korean match, the third and fourth half -half witnessed a decline in our team’s performance after he presented two big halves during which he won, as exhaustion was a factor in this, in addition to that the Korean team is not an easy competitor.
The Koreans entered the third half in order to avoid the loss with three clean, especially since they are one of the strongest championship teams and one of the candidates to crown the Asian title.
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Sports Al -Watan: After crowning the Asian Nations Cup title, our team qualified to participate in the Confederations Cup, which is the first participation of the men’s team at the level of a world championship, how do you describe your feelings and your fellow players to qualify for the first global challenge for you at the level of men in the history of Bahraini volleyball?
Annan: I cannot describe my feelings and the players of the players by qualifying for the Confederations Cup for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Everyone is happy with this historical achievement of the Bahraini volleyball. Our dream was to participate in a world championship, and this was achieved for us after winning the Asian title.
The tournament will witness the participation of an elite group of the most powerful international teams, which gives us the opportunity to contact these teams for the first time, and benefit from confronting international players, which would contribute to raising the level of experience and development in the future.
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Sports Al -Watan: Let’s talk about your first season with Muharraq. How do you describe your first experience outside the walls of your mother club?
Annan: This is my first professional experience in Bahrain outside the walls of Al -Ahly. I signed a contract to join with Al -Muharraq Club in order to achieve championships and the rise of coronation platforms that the club is accustomed to for many years.
Al -Muharraq Club has contracted with Nasser Annan in order to contribute to achieving the championships and the club’s return to the coronation platforms, and we had this by achieving the dualism this season and crowning the titles of the Cup of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and the Issa bin Rashid League, as Muharraq did not achieve the double of the cup and the league for many years, I am proud to be among the generation that contributed to the return of the dualism of the Muharraq Club.
He achieved the completion of the dualism thanks to God and then the board of directors of Al -Muharraq Club headed by the Red Ship, Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa, the administrative and technical bodies and the players, as well as the Muharraqiya fans who stood behind the team throughout the season.
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Sports Al -Watan: Can Muharraq maintain its level in the competition? Can he preserve the dualism?
Annan: Al -Muharraq works for competition and crowning titles, and this is what everyone has seen this season, and the club is making its efforts to raise the level of competition and return to the external coronation platforms, so Muharraq Club is the only one who has 10 titles in the Gulf Clubs Championship.
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Sports Al -Watan: Was there a harmony between you and the Link professional? How was the relationship of the players with him on and outside the stadium?
Annan: The imprint of the professional Link was clear to the team this season, and everyone watched his strong level and his active contribution to achieving the bilateral Muharraq, as the harmony was clear between him and his teammates throughout the season.
The player has a good and strong relationship from all the players on and outside the field, and this is what Link himself praised, as he told us that he loves Bahrain and be present in it, and he is proud to compete in strong league competitions such as the Bahraini League, especially with a great competition from several clubs for titles.
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Sports Al -Watan: Can we see Nasser and Mohamed Annan’s dualism again? I mean this with Al -Muharraq Club. Do you want your brother Mohamed with you in one team again?
Annan: Certainly, I would like my brother Muhammad to join me in Al -Muharraq Club and that the people of Annan will return after the absence of one season by joining the ranks of the dream plane.
My brother and I formed a strong duo in the ranks of Al -Ahly, and we have contributed alongside our fellow players to achieving the achievements of the Eagles plane in the past years, and I want to continue to contribute with Muharraq to achieve these achievements in the future.
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Al -Watan Al -Sports: We noticed in the final match of the Issa bin Rashid Volleyball League that an altercation took place between you and the fans of Al -Ahly, what was the cause of it?
Annan: I am respect and appreciation to all the Al -Ahly and Bahraini fans, and what happened in the final match was an altercation with one of the fans, there are those who say that Nasser should not play with this strong performance in front of his former team, how is that today and I am a professional in Al -Muharraq Club, and the club put his confidence in me, and I must do the best and strongest I can in order to crown the Muharraq with the title.
Yesterday, Nasser Annan is a player in the ranks of Al -Ahly, and today Nasser Annan is a player in the ranks of Al -Muharraq team, and this is the case of sports and volleyball.
