By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Nepal men’s volleyball team is drawn to compete against the Asian Powerhouse Iran in the upcoming 19th Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China later this September.
The draw held on Thursday pitted Nepal in Group B alongside Iran and Bahrain. Iran, holds an impressive 10th position in the world ranking and stands second in the Asian ranking. In contrast, Bahrain is currently ranked 77th in the world.
The division of groups is as follows:
| Group A | China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan |
| Group B | Iran, Nepal, Bahrain |
| Group C | South Korea, India, Cambodia |
| Group D | Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Mongolia |
| Group E | Qatar, Thailand, Hong Kong China |
| Group F | Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Afghanistan |
As the competition draws near, the Nepalese team is currently under the guidance of Jan de Brandt, the head coach of the women’s team, as the designated men’s team head coach, Han Abbing, has not yet arrived in Nepal. While the Nepal Volleyball Association has announced the appointment of Dutch coach Abbing, his arrival and subsequent takeover of the team are still pending.
Final Squad
Man Bahadur Shrestha (captain), Rabin Chand, Bishal BK, Tekraj Awasthi, Dhiraj Kaji Basnet, Hemanta Malla, Lokendra Giri, Samrat Bhandari, Binod Chand, Durga Bahadur Khadka, Safal BK, Manish Manandhar
