India to face Japan in quarter-finals of AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026
(Courtesy : Volleyball World)
The Men in Blue are through to the last eight
The Indian men’s volleyball team will face Japan in the quarter-finals of AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026. India qualified for the last eight as one of the two best third-placed teams in the group stage.
This is also the first time India have made the quarter-finals since their eighth-place finish in the 2019 edition, when the Men in Blue went down to Pakistan in the 7/8th place playoff match.
Dragan Mihailovic’s side will aim to achieve a higher finish this time or match their best-ever campaign in 2005, when India finished fourth. That was the only edition when India reached the semi-finals.
Related: AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026 Updated Points Table
After back-to-back 0-3 losses to China and Iran, India secured their first win of the tournament with a final-day 3-0 win over New Zealand. That result kept India in contention for quarter-final qualification as they finished third in Pool B.
Despite Bahrain shutting out Oman in their Pool A clash, the Men in Blue still finished as one of the two best third-placed sides due to their superior points ratio.
This marks the first time that India have qualified for the quarter-finals since 2019. The other third-placed team to qualify is Chinese Taipei.
India to face tough Japan test
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India’s volleyball stars will be severely tested by Japan, who have been one of the standout teams in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026.
The Ryujin Nippon topped Pool A by winning all three matches against Australia, Bahrain and Oman, dropping just one set.
Japan will look to extend their three-match winning streak against the Men in Blue, who have won just twice in their last five meetings. In fact, Japan have emerged victorious in the last five meetings between these two sides.
The Men in Blue will need to rely on their star players, including Chirag Yadav and Jerome Vinith Charles, if they want to pull off an upset against Japan.
When and where will India vs Japan quarter-final match take place at AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
The match will be played at the Kitakyushu City Gymnasium in Japan on September 11. It is scheduled to start at 4:00 PM IST.
When did India last reach the quarter-finals of AVC Men’s Volleyball Championship?
India had last qualified for the quarter-finals in the 2019 edition, before achieving it again in 2026.
How did India qualify for the quarter-finals of AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship 2026?
India entered the quarters after finishing inside the top eight in the 12-team competition at the end of the group stages. The Indian men’s volleyball team finished third in Pool B, with one win and two defeats from three matches.
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