Thailand Chase First-Ever Win Over Qatar as LA28 Race Begins

 

Thailand have lost all five previous meetings with Qatar. Victory at 15.00 today would transform a punishing Pool C — and keep LA28 hopes alive. 

 

Thailand's men's volleyball team open their Pool C campaign against Qatar at 15.00 Thai time today, 5 September 2026, in a match that carries considerably more weight than a routine group fixture at the Asian Senior Men's Volleyball Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.

 

The tournament, staged from 4 to 13 September and branded the AVC Men's Volleyball Continental Fukuoka 2026, is the continent's Grade A+ event on the Asian Volleyball Confederation calendar.

 

Krungthep Turakij reporter Panyalak Sriburin, following the championship from Fukuoka, notes that its rewards are unusually stark: the champions earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, while the top three finishers book their places at the 2027 FIVB Men's World Championship.

 

That structure leaves no margin for a slow start. With only one Olympic ticket on offer and world ranking points attached to every set, the pool stage functions less as a warm-up than as a knockout phase in disguise.

 

 

 

A record that speaks for itself

The pre-match arithmetic is unforgiving. Qatar have won all five of the sides' most recent meetings, four of them without dropping a set. Thailand's most competitive showing came at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where they took the second set before fading.

 

Date	Competition	Result
21 June 2026	AVC Nations Cup	Qatar won 3–0 (25–23, 25–23, 25–17)
19 Sept 2023	Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games	Qatar won 3–1 (25–16, 22–25, 25–19, 25–19)
23 Aug 2023	Asian Championship	Qatar won 3–0 (25–23, 25–19, 25–22)
28 July 2023	FIVB Challenger Cup	Qatar won 3–0 (26–24, 25–23, 26–24)
9 Aug 2018	AVC Cup	Qatar won 3–0 (25–23, 25–23, 25–16)

 

 

The scorelines, however, tell a more nuanced story than the sweep column suggests. Three of those five defeats were decided by margins of two or three points in at least two sets — evidence that Thailand's problem against Qatar has been closing out tight endings rather than a gulf in quality.

 

 

The tactical question

South Korean head coach Park Ki-won has drilled an intensive tactical system specifically for this tournament and today offers the first meaningful audit of it.

 

Qatar's advantage has traditionally come from height and physicality at the net, which places the onus on Thailand's serving to disrupt the Qatari reception and force predictable, high-ball attacks that middle blockers Anuchit Pakdeekaew and Thupadit Phrapabut can read.

 

Setters Narongrit Janphirom and Boonyarit Wongtorn will be central to that plan: a fast, spread offence is Thailand's most plausible route to neutralising a blocking mismatch they cannot win through sheer size.

 

 

Thailand's 14-player squad

Position	Players
Setters	Cpl Narongrit Janphirom, Cpl Boonyarit Wongtorn
Outside hitters	Sgt Chaiwat Thungkham, Anurak Phanram, Thanath Bumroungphakdee, Jakkrit Thanomnoi
Opposite hitters	Suwit Mahasiriyothin, Sgt Napadet Bhinijdee
Middle blockers	Sgt Anuchit Pakdeekaew, Sgt Thupadit Phrapabut, Cpl Prasert Pinkaew, Kiattiphum Ramsin
Liberos	Nakarin Inthanu, Phakphong Kwangnok

 

The coaching staff comprises head coach Park Ki-won, assistant coaches Sgt Thitirat Kas-udom and Sgt Saran Charawat, physiotherapist Supitcha Pornkrajang, team doctor Dr Watanyoo Tangsiri-amnuay and team manager Thirawan Saeng-ob.

 

 

 

A pool with no easy nights

Twelve nations have been split into three pools of four. Thailand's Pool C draw is arguably the toughest of the three.

 

• Pool A: Japan (hosts), Australia, Bahrain, Oman

• Pool B: Iran, China, India, New Zealand

• Pool C: Qatar, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand

 

South Korea already have points on the board after beating Chinese Taipei 3–1 (29–27, 19–25, 25–15, 25–15) on the opening day. That result sharpens the stakes today: defeat would leave Thailand needing results against both South Korea and Chinese Taipei simply to stay in contention.

 

Elsewhere on matchday one, Iran overpowered New Zealand 3–0 (25–15, 25–12, 25–22), and hosts Japan recovered to beat Oman 3–1 (25–18, 25–13, 20–25, 25–9).

 

 

Fixtures (Thai time)

Date	Time	Fixture
5 Sept	08.00	Australia v Bahrain
5 Sept	11.30	China v India
5 Sept	15.00	Thailand v Qatar
6 Sept	08.00	Iran v India
6 Sept	11.30	Qatar v Chinese Taipei
6 Sept	17.30	Japan v Bahrain
7 Sept	08.00	Oman v Australia
7 Sept	11.30	New Zealand v China
7 Sept	15.00	Thailand v South Korea
8 Sept	08.00	India v New Zealand
8 Sept	11.30	Qatar v South Korea
8 Sept	17.30	Japan v Australia
9 Sept	08.00	Bahrain v Oman
9 Sept	11.30	Thailand v Chinese Taipei
9 Sept	15.00	Iran v China

 

How to watch

The match is available live in HD from Fukuoka through the official rights holders, MONOMAX Sports on Channel 29 and via the MONOMAX app and website, free of charge on television and online.