Türkiye’s men’s national team made their dream to play in the Volleyball Nations League come true as they triumphed in Volleyball Challenger Cup 2023 for the first time, after two unsuccessful attempts to win the competition in 2019 and 2022. In a five-set final battle in Doha on Sunday, they overcame the resistance of hosts Qatar to snatch the trophy and the ticket to VNL 2024.
Türkiye persevered through the tough final to claim a 3-2 (25-13, 21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-9) victory over Qatar and celebrate their first gold in the competition and second medal, after the silver last year. Their superiority in the match was the result mostly of their better serving, with eight aces against none, and better blocking, with 14 stuffs against nine. Opposite Adis Lagumdzija led the match scorers with 21 points, followed by outside hitters Efe Bayram with 18 (three aces, three blocks) and Burutay Subasi with 15 (four blocks, one ace). Mubarak Dahi W W Hammad was Qatar’s most prolific player with 12 points.
“It’s amazing! The gym is full, half with Qatari and the other half with Turkish people, and it’s amazing to play in front of such a crowd,” Lagumdzija commented. “It was a difficult game, with many ups and downs, but we managed to win, so we are in the VNL next year and we are really happy!”