RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s men’s indoor volleyball team faces a daunting challenge after being grouped with several of Asia’s top-ranked teams at the 2026 AVC Men’s Cup in India, scheduled for June 20-28.

“It is indeed a tough group, a ‘group of death’, Deputy Head of Development and Achievement at the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI), Loudry Maspaitella, said in an official statement on Sunday, April 12, 2026, as quoted by Antara, describing the group as extremely challenging.

"The list of players has been prepared and will be announced after the Proliga,” he added.

The tournament will take place in Ahmedabad, featuring 12 of Asia’s top teams divided into two pools. Indonesia is placed in Pool B alongside Qatar, South Korea, Pakistan, Australia, and Bahrain.

Based on world rankings, Qatar is the highest-ranked team in the group at 21st, followed by South Korea (26), Australia (33), Bahrain (40), and Pakistan (44). Indonesia is currently ranked 51st in the world, making the competition in Pool B particularly demanding.

Loudry also confirmed that the national team will begin a centralized training camp on May 20, 2026, as part of preparations for the tournament.

“The men’s team will start on May 20, 2026, after the AVC Champions League in Pontianak. The training camp will last one month, as the AVC Men’s event begins on June 20, 2026,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pool A includes Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and host nation India, along with other strong teams. Despite the difficult draw, Indonesia is expected to use the tournament to test its squad against higher-ranked opponents and gain valuable international experience. ***