RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia’s men’s national volleyball team faces a tough challenge at the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games, where defending champion Iran awaits in the group stage.

The draw placed Indonesia in Pool B alongside Iran, Thailand, and Kyrgyzstan. A total of 16 countries will compete, divided into four pools of four teams each.

Indonesia enters the Asian Games on a positive note. The Red and White squad recently won the 2026 AVC Men’s Cup in Ahmedabad, India, in June -- the team’s first-ever title in the competition.

On their way to the championship, Indonesia also defeated Thailand 3–2 (19–25, 25–19, 25–22, 23–25, 15–12) in the group stage. That match provides a useful reference as Thailand is once again a rival at the Asian Games.

Iran presents the biggest challenge in Pool B. The West Asian powerhouse is the defending champion and has won three consecutive Asian Games gold medals -- Incheon 2014, Jakarta–Palembang 2018, and Hangzhou 2022.

In the Hangzhou 2022 final, held in 2023, Iran retained its title by defeating host China 3–1 (19–25, 25–14, 25–22, 26–24). Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan was the only team in Pool B that failed to reach the top 12 in the previous edition.

Indonesia finished eighth at the Hangzhou Asian Games. After falling short of the top six, Indonesia defeated Kazakhstan 3–2 in the 7th–10th place classification round before losing 2–3 to South Korea in the battle for seventh place.

To prepare for the 2026 Asian Games, the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PP PBVSI) has called up 18 players, including Farhan Halim, Fahri Septian Putratama, Boy Arnez Arabi, Dio Zulfikri, Hendra Kurniawan, and Muhammad Malizi.

The men’s volleyball competition at the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games is scheduled from September 27 to October 3. Matches will be held at the Okazaki Central Park General Gymnasium and Park Arena Komaki.

In addition to Pool B, Pool A consists of Japan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Pool C includes Qatar, India, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, while Pool D features South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. ***