Manama, Bahrain, June 20, 2025 – Thailand claimed their first victory at the inaugural AVC Men’s Nations Cup after a dominant 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-18) win over the Philippines in an all-Southeast Asian clash in the 9th–11th classification round at Isa bin Rashid Hall here on Friday.
The win proved a sweet revenge for Thailand following their narrow 2-3 defeat to the Philippines at the 2025 Alas Pilipinas Invitationals at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on June 12, a friendly tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation as part of their preparation for hosting the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in September.
AVC President Mr Ramon Suzara, who also serves as PNVF President, Control Committee President Mr Mohamed Latheef, himself AVC Executive Vice President and President of Volleyball Association of Maldives, and Bahrain Volleyball Association President Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa were also present to watch this thrilling match.
Both Thailand and the Philippines had finished winless in their respective pools, Thailand in Pool A and the Philippines in Pool C, resulting in their relegation to the 9th–11th classification round. New Zealand, after losing both matches in Pool D, also found themselves in this group.
Thailand fielded a formidable lineup powered by left-hander Amornthep Khonhan, Anurak Phanram, Kissada Nilsawai and Chaiwat Thungkham. The Philippines countered with outside hitters Michaelo Buddin and Louie Ramirez, opposite hitter Steven Charles Rotter, and middle blocker Rwenzmei Taguibolos.
Anurak and Amornthep spearheaded Thailand’s offense in the opening set, consistently breaching the Philippine defense with powerful attacks. While the Philippines showed glimpses of form, particularly in blocking, unforced service errors proved costly in their first set loss.
Thailand maintained their momentum in the second set, combining resilience with well-coordinated plays to stay in control. Riding high on confidence after taking a two-set lead, the Thais delivered a polished performance in the third set. With Amornthep and Anurak firing on all cylinders, Thailand earned six match points, and Amornthep fittingly sealed the contest with a powerful jump serve ace.
Amornthep finished with a match-high 14 points, including 12 attacks and 2 aces, while Anurak and Chaiwat chipped in with 12 points each. Thailand’s solid defense restricted the Philippines’ scoring, with no player reaching double digits. Buddin led the Philippines with 8 points, while Taguibolos and Ramirez added 6 apiece.
The victory earned Thailand an additional 7.53 ranking points, lifting them three places to world No.64 with 45.22 points, while the Philippines dropped to world No.68 with 30.77 points.
Thailand will next take on New Zealand in their last match on Sunday, June 22, at 6:00 pm local time, while the Philippines will face New Zealand on Tuesday, June 24, at 4:00 pm.
Meanwhile, the quarterfinals of the eight-day tournament will get underway on Saturday, featuring Australia vs Korea at 3:30 pm, Indonesia vs Pakistan at 6:00 pm, Qatar vs Vietnam at 8:30 pm, and hosts Bahrain against Chinese Taipei at 11:00 pm.
Watch live matches through Volleyball World YouTube
Click the link below for match schedule, results and photos
https://asianvolleyball.net/new/2025-avc-mens-volleyball-nations-cup/
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