Indonesia Opens AVC Men’s Volleyball Cup With Loss to South Korea
- 22 Jun 2026 10:22 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Indonesia suffered a straight-sets defeat to South Korea in its opening Group B match at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Cup 2026 in India, increasing pressure in the race for a knockout-round berth.
- Despite competitive performances in the first two sets, Indonesia fell 22-25, 22-25, 21-25 and now faces crucial matches against Qatar, Thailand, and Oman.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian men's volleyball team began its AVC Men’s Volleyball Cup 2026 campaign with a straight-sets loss to South Korea on Sunday, June 21, 2026, putting added importance on its remaining Group B matches as it seeks a place in the next round.
South Korea secured a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) in the opening group-stage match held in Ahmedabad, India, Antara reported.
Indonesia kept pace with its opponent throughout much of the first set, with the score tied at 20-20 before South Korea capitalized on key points to claim the set 25-22.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Indonesia stayed within striking distance for most of the contest. However, South Korea maintained its advantage in the closing stages and sealed the set by the same 25-22 margin.
South Korea gained greater control in the third set after opening a 12-8 lead and extending the gap to five points at 20-15. Indonesia attempted a late comeback, but the Koreans remained in command and closed out the match with a 25-21 win.
The result leaves Indonesia with work to do in Group B, which also includes Qatar, Thailand, and Oman, as the team looks to keep its qualification hopes alive.
Before the tournament, Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI) Chairman Imam Sudjarwo set a target of reaching the semifinals, aiming to improve on the team's sixth-place finish in the previous edition of the tournament.
Imam had identified South Korea and Qatar as Indonesia's toughest opponents in the group stage.
Despite the opening defeat, he expressed hope that the Garuda squad would demonstrate strong determination and improve on its performance at the 2025 AVC Nations Cup in Bahrain, where Indonesia finished sixth after losing to Australia in the fifth-place playoff.
Indonesia arrived in India with a 14-player squad led by Cuban coach Reidel Toiran. Toiran is serving as interim head coach after Sergio Veloso was unable to travel to India due to administrative issues related to entry requirements. ***
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