India finished sixth in the men’s volleyball competition at the Asian Games 2026 after Thailand edged them 3-2 in a dramatic fifth-place classification match on Saturday. Thailand prevailed 25-19, 17-25, 25-21, 17-25, 17-15 in a match that lasted one hour and 56 minutes. I
India twice fought back from behind to force a deciding set, but Thailand held its nerve in the closing points to claim fifth place. The final set went down to the wire. India had match points but could not convert them, with Thailand eventually taking the decider 17-15. Joel Benjamin Jebaraj, who had produced a strong performance for India, saw a late spike go wide as Thailand closed out the match.
Thailand made the better start, taking the opening set 25-19. India responded immediately, producing a strong second set to level the contest at 1-1 after winning it 25-17.
Thailand again moved ahead by taking the third set 25-21, but India refused to let the match slip away. Another 25-17 set from the Indian side forced the deciding fifth set.
The final set became a tense battle from the start. Neither side managed to establish a decisive advantage, and the contest eventually moved beyond the usual 15-point mark.
Thailand finally completed the victory at 17-15, securing fifth place and leaving India sixth.
India’s Road To Sixth Place
India kicked off the Asian Games campaign strongly in Pool C, winning both of their opening matches in straight sets.
They defeated Vietnam 3-0, winning 25-23, 25-21, 25-20, before beating Hong Kong 3-0. India then produced one of the more dramatic results of their campaign by overcoming Qatar 3-2 after falling two sets behind.
The win over Qatar sent India into the next stage, where they faced Pakistan in the quarter-finals. Pakistan defeated India 3-0, bringing an end to their medal hopes.
India bounced back in the classification phase with a 3-1 victory over South Korea before facing Thailand for fifth place.
The campaign therefore ended with India winning their opening three matches, followed by defeats to Pakistan and Thailand, with the South Korea victory coming in between.
Asian Games 2026 Volleyball India vs Thailand: Match Statistics
| Statistic | Thailand | India |
|---|---|---|
| Total points | 101 | 105 |
| Opponent errors | 24 | 28 |
| Set points | 126 | 121 |
| Reception | 96 | 87 |
| Serve points | 4 | 4 |
| Spikes | 65/127 (52%) | 62/117 (53%) |
| Blocks | 8/54 (15%) | 11/66 (17%) |
| Digs | 24/52 (47%) | 27/55 (50%) |
| Match duration | 1h 56min | 1h 56min |
Despite losing the match, India finished with more total points, more blocks and more digs. Thailand, however, did enough in the decisive moments of the fifth set to secure the win.
India Players Statistics
| Player | Position | Points | Spikes | Blocks | Service | Digs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Jerome Vinith | Opposite | 19 | 17/37 | 1/7 | 1 | 5/6 |
| Joel Benjamin Jebaraj | Outside Hitter | 15 | 13/22 | 1/6 | 1 | 5/6 |
| Ashwal Rai | Middle Blocker | 14 | 8/12 | 4/12 | 2 | 2/5 |
| Chirag Yadav | Outside Hitter | 12 | 11/21 | 1/14 | 0 | 2/4 |
| Amit Balwan Singh | Outside Hitter | 4 | 3/9 | 1/2 | 0 | 0/0 |
| Shikhar Singh | Middle Blocker | 4 | 2/2 | 2/6 | 0 | 0/1 |
| Muhammad Chatham | Opposite | 2 | 2/4 | 0/1 | 0 | 0/0 |
| Om Vasant Lad | Setter | 1 | 0/0 | 1/6 | 0 | 3/8 |
| John Joseph EanThungal | Middle Blocker | 1 | 1/2 | 0/6 | 0 | 1/3 |
| Hemanth Pulparambil | Outside Hitter | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 0/0 |
| Muthusamy Appavu | Setter | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 1/2 |
| Anand Kottarathil | Libero | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 5/17 |
Thailand Player Statistics
| No. | Player | Position | Points | Spikes | Blocks | Service | Service Faults | Digs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Anuchit Pakdeekaew | Middle Blocker | 11 | 5/12 | 4/16 | 2 | 1/4 | 0/0 |
| 26 | Chaiwat Thungkham | Outside Hitter | 2 | 2/7 | 0/2 | 1 | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| 20 | Kiadtiphum Ramsin | Middle Blocker | 1 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| 9 | Napadet Bhinijdee | Opposite | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| 13 | Nakharin Inthanu | Libero | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 4/9 | 0/3 |
| 22 | Anurak Phanram | Outside Hitter | 4 | 4/9 | 0/3 | 0 | 2/3 | 0/5 |
| 17 | Boonyarid Wongtorn | Setter | 0 | 0/0 | 0/7 | 0 | 3/8 | 49/106 |
| 16 | Narongrit Janpirom | Setter | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/2 |
| 7 | Toopadit Phraput | Middle Blocker | 9 | 6/9 | 3/6 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| 21 | Thanat Bamrungphakdi | Outside Hitter | 18 | 18/33 | 0/6 | 0 | 5/10 | 0/1 |
| 15 | Suwit Mahasiriyothin | Outside Hitter | 24 | 22/42 | 0/8 | 2 | 5/12 | 0/0 |
| 10 | Jakkrit Thanomnoi | Outside Hitter | 2 | 1/3 | 1/1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/1 |
