The group stage of the Men's Asian Championship in Fukuoka has concluded, with eight teams remaining in the battle for the continental title and a direct quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Hosts and defending champions Japan, Iran, and Thailand advanced through the group stage without a single loss. These three teams won their respective groups, and the knockout stage bracket has now been set.
Japan completed their Group A schedule with three wins from three matches. The hosts started with a 3:1 (25:18, 25:13, 20:25, 25:9) victory over Oman, after which they did not lose another set – 3:0 (25:15, 25:15, 25:23) against Bahrain and 3:0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:21) against Australia. Thus, the Japanese finished with 3 wins, 9 points, and a set ratio of 9:1.
In the last match against Australia, Yuji Nishida was the top scorer with 16 points, and Ran Takahashi added 13. Takahashi recorded five aces, while Nishida finished with an 82% attack efficiency.
Japan is defending its title from the previous Asian Championship in 2023. Back then, the Japanese defeated Iran in the final 3:0 (25:20, 25:18, 25:18) and won their tenth continental title. Iran took the silver medals.
Iran also had a flawless group stage in Fukuoka. The Iranians started against New Zealand with a 3:0 (25:15, 25:12, 25:22) win, then defeated India 3:0 (25:20, 28:26, 25:18).
On the last day, Iran and China faced each other in a direct battle for first place in Group B. Iran won 3:1 (25:23, 23:25, 25:22, 25:23) and concluded the first phase with three wins from three matches.
The third undefeated team is Thailand, which has become one of the most interesting stories of the championship.
The Thais started with a decisive 3:0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:14) against Qatar. Then came a much tougher test against the Republic of Korea. Thailand took a 2:0 lead, allowed an equalizer, but won the decisive fifth set 3:2 (25:18, 25:16, 20:25, 22:25, 15:12).
Today, Thailand went through another five-set battle. Chinese Taipei took a 2:1 lead, but the Thais turned the match around and won 3:2 (25:23, 22:25, 23:25, 25:22, 15:10). With this, Thailand finished Group C with 3 wins and 7 points, securing first place.
The men's performance comes during an exceptionally strong period for volleyball in Thailand. Just days earlier, the country's women's national team became Asian champions and secured a historic first Olympic quota. The Thai women will play at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Now the men are also showing significant progress – three wins from three matches and first place in a group that also included the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Qatar.
The last ticket to the quarterfinals went to India. The Indians lost their first two matches, but in the third, they defeated New Zealand 3:0 (25:22, 25:18, 25:21). This gave them a chance to remain in contention for one of the two spots for the best third-placed teams.
The outcome came on the last day of the group stage. Bahrain defeated Oman 3:0 (25:16, 25:19, 25:23), after which a comparison of statistics left India among the top eight.
Thus, Japan, Iran, Thailand, Republic of Korea, China, Australia, Chinese Taipei, and India reached the knockout stage.
The quarter-final schedule is:
September 10
Thailand – Australia
Iran – Chinese Taipei
September 11
Republic of Korea – China
Japan – India
The championship format stipulates that the top two teams from each of the three groups and the two best third-placed teams will advance. The eight qualified teams are ranked according to their performance in the group stage, after which direct eliminations begin.
The draw placed Japan and Iran in separate halves. If Japan defeats India, they will face the winner of Republic of Korea – China in the semi-final. Thus, one of the possible semi-finals is Japan – China.
In the other half, Thailand meets Australia, and Iran meets Chinese Taipei. The winners of these two quarter-finals will compete for a spot in the final.
This means that Japan and Iran can only meet in the final – a repeat of the 2023 title match.
The stakes in Fukuoka are much higher than the continental title. The Asian champion will receive a direct quota for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. In addition, the three medalists from the championship will qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
After the group stage, Japan remains on track to defend its Asian title and secure an Olympic quota in front of its home crowd. Iran also advanced undefeated, and Thailand became the third undefeated team and one of the most interesting stories of the tournament.
From now on, there is no room for error. Four quarter-finals will leave only four teams in the fight, and on September 13 in Fukuoka, the Asian champion and the first men's national team to qualify for Los Angeles 2028 through the qualification process, after host USA, will be determined. The outcome in Fukuoka directly concerns Bulgaria as well – if world No. 6 Japan wins the Asian title and the direct Olympic quota, it will be removed from consideration for the last spots for Los Angeles 2028 based on the world ranking, where Bulgaria currently holds the ninth position.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov