Coaches and Players Reflect on Shahdab vs. Indonesia Match

The head coach of Shahdab Yazd volleyball team commented on their recent match, stating that the Indonesian team played well enough to win the third set, but Shahdab Yazd managed to bounce back in the fourth set. He acknowledged the difficulty of defending against Olympic stars.

According to the Volleyball Federation’s Communications Department, the 26th Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship began today (Sunday, September 8) at the 6,000-seat Shahidieh Indoor stadium in Yazd.

In the third match of the opening day, Shahdab Yazd faced Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, one of the tournament’s contenders, at 17:20 and emerged victorious with a 3-1 win.

Here are the comments from the coaches and players after the match:

Rahman Mohammadi Rad, Head Coach of Shahdab Yazd (Iran):

“We had a tough match and I want to thank the players and fans of Shahdab. We lost our focus in the third set, allowing the Indonesian team to take the lead and win that set. However, we came back in the fourth set. I understand that defending against Olympic stars is not easy for my players. Our key to victory was our side-outs and first attacks. Shahdab had a good day alongside other teams. I believe the presence of Ngapeth in this match is significant, and many young players, especially in Shahdab, can learn a lot from playing alongside such stars. I’m happy that the teams had high-quality games on the first day, which will help us send a better team to the knockout stage.”

Radel Alfonso Gonzalez, Head Coach of Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi (Indonesia):

“First, I congratulate the Iranian team. It was our first match, and our players were not yet coordinated. Earvin Ngapeth and Jean Patry have recently joined us, and we haven’t reached the desired team composition yet. We hope to improve in the upcoming matches. We will do our best to match our stars with the other players for better performance. I believe we will be the champions of this tournament.”

Amir Ghafour, Opposite spiker for Shahdab Yazd (Iran):

“Playing against the Indonesian team with its two stars was not easy. We played flawlessly in the first two sets but felt we could win the third set after winning the first two. The third set did not go as expected, and the experienced players of the opposing team managed to win it. However, we came back in the fourth set. The first match of any tournament is always tough, but we managed to win with the help of our fans. Great players are hard to score against, and it’s our skill to score points against them. The difference between great players and ordinary ones is that they make fewer mistakes.”

Earvin Ngapeth, Outside Hitter for Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi (Indonesia):

“I have good memories of Iran and Tehran, and I’m happy to be back in Iran with the Indonesian team. The atmosphere in the stadium was incredible, and it’s natural to have a tough match after a tiring journey. I hope we can have good games in this tournament. I always give my best in every match, and we will undoubtedly improve in the upcoming games. Our goal is definitely a medal. Before going to the Olympics, I had offers, but it’s natural that with two Olympic medals, everyone needs a player like me. However, they must pay for my presence in their team. I haven’t received an offer that meets my expectations yet, and I haven’t made a final decision.”

Jean Patry, Opposite spiker for Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi (Indonesia):

“Although we lost this match, there were positive aspects for us. I’m hopeful for the future games, and our team will undoubtedly perform better in the upcoming matches. It motivated me to perform better in the next games. Earvin Ngapeth and I just finished the Olympics and hadn’t trained since then, so it’s tough to get back into the games. The fans created a great atmosphere in the stadium, and it’s very pleasant for a player to play in such an environment. I enjoyed it a lot. I would love to play in such an atmosphere and in Iranian teams. This atmosphere is undoubtedly present in other stadiums in Iran as well, but I’m currently in Turkey, and no one knows what the future holds.”