The triumph is the Kingdom’s first ever in the competition, having finished second in 2011 Saudi Arabia has won the sixth Gulf Youth Volleyball Championship after overcoming Bahrain 3-2 in the final played at Isa Bin Rashid Hall in Manama. Bahrain won the first set 25-17, but Saudi Arabia came storming back to win the next two 25-23 and 25-20. Bahrain tied the match by winning the fourth set 33-31, but Saudi claimed the decider 19-17 to be crowned champions. The young Saudi team reached the final after beating Kuwait 3-0 in the semifinals, while the host nation defeated the UAE, also in straight sets. In the group stages, Saudi beat Kuwait and the UAE but lost to Bahrain. The triumph is Saudi’s first in the competition, having previously finished second in 2011.