Ayo Victor
Bangkok: Qatar’s beach volleyball duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (Team Qatar 1) advanced to the Round of 16 at the Asian Open Tour – Samila Tour, currently underway in Thailand and running until Wednesday, with the participation of 27 teams from 15 countries.
The Qatari pair secured qualification after a dominant straight-sets victory over Hong Kong (1) (21-7, 21-8) in their Group 2 clash on Monday. The win saw them top the group standings with a perfect six points, following an earlier victory over Oman, who finished second with five points, while Hong Kong (1) exited the competition in third place.
Cherif and Tijan will now face China in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Meanwhile, Team Qatar 2, comprising Mohamed Ehab and Moussa Al Khair, were eliminated after suffering two defeats in Group A. They lost to Hong Kong (2) in three sets (19-21, 7-15) before going down in straight sets to Thailand (1) (12-21, 16-21).
Qatar’s participation in the tournament forms part of a broader preparation programme ahead of upcoming major events.
Following the Samila Tour, the team will remain in Thailand for a training camp from April 16 to 19 in preparation for the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, scheduled from April 22 to 30.
