India start with straight-set defeat to China in AVC Men's Volleyball Continental Championship 2026 opener
(Courtesy : Volleyball World)
India will next face Iran on Sunday
The Indian men’s volleyball team started their campaign at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026 with a straight-set defeat to China on Saturday.
In action for the first time since their historic podium finish at the AVC Men’s Cup in June, India were poor to start off, and although they pulled up their socks and pushed a higher-ranked China, the result didn’t yield much. Dragan Mihailovic’s side eventually went down 21-25, 26-28, 25-27.
They will face Iran in their second Pool B match tomorrow.
Related: India vs China Highlights, AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026
India start campaign with defeat to China!! 🇮🇳💔
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 5, 2026
After a tepid first set, India fought hard and pushed China🇨🇳 to the brink in both the second and third sets, but it wasn't enough as they went down 21-25, 26-28, 25-27 in their opening match.
Chirag Yadav top-scored for India… pic.twitter.com/Pqspry1Lok
After losing the first set because of the unforced errors in the latter half of the set, India made a stellar turn around in the second and third set.
China began sets two and three with their usual dominance, but India’s determination saw them level towards the end.
In both sets, India were trailing by five points during the mid-phase of the set. However, they dialled up their game at clutch moments and continued to exert pressure, which eventually led to two extremely closed sets.
Wang B for China and Chirag Yadav for India were the top scorers for their respective sides with 16 points each to their name.
Also Read: AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026: Full schedule, fixtures & results
In the post-match interview, even the Chinese coach mentioned that he felt India deserved to win the third set as his team crumbled for moments under pressure and let India recover from a six-point deficit.
On the other hand, India coach Mihailovic claimed that they did well, but they made some errors which an international team should not make at this level. However, he was positive about the team environment and was looking forward to coming back with an improved performance in the next contest.
This was definitely not the way India would have wanted to start their campaign at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Cup 2026. However, they must take the positives forward to the next pool matches against Iran and New Zealand on September 6 and 8, respectively.
What was the score of the India vs China Pool B match in AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India went down to China in straight sets in their first Pool B match in the tournament. The final score was – 21-25, 26-28, 25-27 [0-3].
Who will India face next in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India will face World No. 19 Iran in their second Pool B match on Sunday.
What is India’s current position in Pool B of AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India re currently third in the Pool and ninth in the overall combined rankings.
What is India’s best-ever finish at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India’s highest finish in the tournament is the fourth-place finish they achieved in is the only time India reach the semi-finals.
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