KITAKYUSHU, Japan, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China opened their Asian Men's Volleyball Championship campaign with a straight-sets victory over India here on Saturday, winning 25-21, 28-26, 27-25 in Pool B.
The three-time continental champions took the opening set but faced stronger resistance in the next two.
India pushed the second set beyond regulation time before China edged it 28-26. The third followed a similar pattern, with China holding their nerve in another tight finish to seal the match.
China head coach Vital Heynen said they had achieved the team's pre-match objective, but added that his players had failed to sustain their strong performance through the end of the second and third sets and still had room for improvement.
The victory gave China three points and left them second in Pool B, behind Iran on points ratio after each team had played once. Iran swept New Zealand 3-0 in the group's opening match on Friday.
The 12 participating teams are divided into three pools, with the top two from each group and the two best third-placed sides advancing to the quarterfinals.
The tournament runs until September 13. The champions will secure Asia's first men's volleyball berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while the three medalists will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup.
China will face New Zealand on Monday in their second pool match. ■
