The 2023 Asian Men’s Club Championship came to a thrilling end in Bahrain as Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds clinched their first-ever title. They triumphed over Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi of Indonesia in a thrilling 3-1 victory (28-26, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17), making history as the first Japanese team to win this esteemed continental honor.
The bronze medal was taken home by Qatar’s Police SC, who overcame Shahdab Yazd of Iran with a score of 3-1 (24-26, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19).
The Sunbirds’ Dmitriy Muserskiy was distinguished as the Most Valuable Player, and his teammate Makasi Oya earned the title of Best Setter. Fahreza Rakha Abhinaya from Bhayangkara was recognized as the Best Libero.
Other notable performers included the Best Middle Blockers – Belal Abunabot from Police SC and Hendra Kurniawan from Bhayangkara, Best Opposite Spiker – Amir Ghafour from Shahdab, and Best Outside Hitters – Alain Junior de Armas from the Sunbirds and Mohammad Javad Manavinezhad from Bhayangkara.
Muserskiy made a significant contribution in the final, achieving a match-high 31 points, while De Armas added a commendable 26. For the Indonesian side, Manavinezhad and Ugandan Daudi Okello topped the scoreboard with 22 and 21 points respectively.
The victory serves as a significant milestone for the Sunbirds, securing them a spot at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship in India. They will be the sole team representing Asia at this global event. The Sunbirds, who had twice been runners-up in this tournament, including in the previous year and back in 2001, have now made history as the first Japanese club to win the championship.
