13-year-old, 2.10m Qatar opposite Mubarak scores 12 points on day two at Asian Men's Volleyball Championship

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - Day two of the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship produced a story bigger than any score line. Qatar lost 0-3 to Thailand, but the tournament's most fascinating performance came from 13-year-old opposite Mubarak Musa Thiik Madut. The 2.10m teenager scored a team-high 12 points against Thailand, including 5 kill blocks, 2 aces and 5 successful attacks. Thailand won 25-22, 25-19, 25-14 behind Napadet Bhinijdee's 14 points, Chaiwat Thungkham's 13 and Thanat Bamrungphakdi's 10. Australia beat Bahrain 3-0 as Lorenzo Pope recorded 19 points with 4 aces, while Nehemiah Mote hit 75 per cent in attack and added 5 blocks. China beat India 3-0, but only after two overtime sets, 28-26 and 27-25. Wang Bin and Chirag Yadav both finished with 16 points, and Zhang Jingyin added 12. The event in Fukuoka doubles as a qualifier for the LA 2028 Olympics and the 2027 World Cup, raising the stakes of every set. Qatar's decision to start a 13-year-old shows a long-term vision, but protecting Mubarak from injury and mental fatigue will be just as important as developing his attacking talent.