Defending champions Thailand ended the opening day of the men’s sitting volleyball competition at the ASEAN Para Games Thailand 2025 with a strong response, securing a win on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima after an earlier straight-sets defeat.
The hosts were handed an early setback as Myanmar opened the competition with a 3–0 victory (25–21, 25–20, 25–19). Myanmar controlled each set with steady margins, preventing Thailand from extending the match despite the close scorelines.
In the day’s second match, Indonesia claimed a convincing 3–0 win over the Philippines (25–7, 25–16, 25–19). After a dominant opening set, Indonesia maintained their momentum to record their first victory of the tournament.
Thailand returned to the court later in the day and produced a determined performance against Indonesia. After dropping the opening set 20–25, the hosts edged a tight second set 27–25 before taking control of the match. Thailand went on to claim the third and fourth sets 25–21 and 25–15, sealing a 3–1 comeback win.
After the first round of matches in the double round-robin format, Indonesia lead the standings with a 1–1 record, holding the advantage on set ratio. Thailand also sit at 1–1 in second place, while Myanmar are third at 1–0. The Philippines are fourth at 0–1.
Play continues on Thursday in Nakhon Ratchasima as the remaining first-round matches of the men’s sitting volleyball competition are completed.
Following Cambodia’s withdrawal from the event, the number of teams competing in the sitting volleyball competition has been reduced to four. As a result, the women’s sitting volleyball competition will not take place due to an insufficient number of participating teams.
The sitting volleyball competition is being held from 21–25 January as part of the ASEAN Para Games Thailand 2025, which now features 10 participating nations and a total of 19 sports. Sitting volleyball has been a regular part of the ASEAN Para Games programme since 2009 and is contested on a biennial basis.
The sport has previously been included at the ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur (2009, 2017), Surakarta (2011, 2022), Naypyidaw (2014), and Phnom Penh (2023).
All matches available to watch live via the APSF TV Channel.
Photo credit: SEA Sports News