Staff Reporter
Sanya: Qatar’s campaign at the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 continues to gather momentum, with standout performances across beach handball, beach volleyball, and aquathlon reflecting the nation’s growing strength in beach sports.
The Qatari beach handball team extended its impressive winning streak with two commanding victories on Thursday, defeating Bangladesh and Mongolia 2-0 in both encounters. The reigning champions displayed a complete and disciplined performance, overpowering Bangladesh with set scores of 16-6 and 24-12 before delivering an even more dominant showing against Mongolia, winning 26-13 and 24-9.
Across both matches, Qatar combined attacking efficiency with defensive solidity, capitalising on the experience and cohesion of its squad. The team’s ability to control the tempo and execute with precision ensured comfortable wins, underlining their intent to defend their continental title.
With four consecutive victories, Qatar now tops its group with a maximum eight points, reinforcing its status as a leading contender. Earlier wins against Pakistan and Oman had already set the tone for a strong campaign in what is widely regarded as one of the tournament’s most competitive groups, featuring teams such as Jordan, Thailand, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Mongolia.
The team continues its group stage fixtures against Jordan before taking on Thailand and concluding the preliminary round against the Maldives. Maintaining this unbeaten run will be key as Qatar aims to secure a place in the semi-finals and remain on course for another title.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s beach volleyball teams also made an encouraging start to their campaign. The men’s first team, featuring the accomplished duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, delivered a dominant 2-0 victory over the Maldives, winning convincingly with scores of 21-6 and 21-10. Their superior technical ability and international experience were evident throughout the match.
The second men’s team, comprising Mohamed Ehab and Moussa Al-Khair, maintained the winning momentum by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 (21-17, 21-15), showcasing composure and tactical discipline in a competitive encounter.
On the women’s side, the second team of Malak Hashem and Nelly Shalaby faced a challenging opener, losing 0-2 to a strong Japanese side. Despite the defeat, the match provided valuable exposure against one of Asia’s top teams in the discipline.
Qatar is competing with four teams in beach volleyball, evenly split between men’s and women’s categories, highlighting the country’s expanding footprint in the sport. The men’s teams have been drawn into competitive groups, with the first team set to face Uzbekistan and Iran, while the second team will take on Macau and China in their remaining matches.
The women’s first team, featuring Haya Abu Issa and Laila Mohammed, begins its campaign against Sri Lanka before facing China, while Hashem and Shalaby prepare for their next challenge against South Korea.
Notably, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan remain among the world’s elite, having secured a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and consistently delivering strong performances on the international circuit. Qatar’s pedigree in beach volleyball is further reflected in its achievements at previous Asian Beach Games, including a bronze medal in Phuket 2014 and a gold and silver haul in Da Nang 2016.
In aquathlon, young Qatari athlete Shaheen Al-Kaabi concluded his participation with a 24th-place finish among 33 competitors. As the youngest participant in the field, his involvement forms part of a long-term development strategy aimed at building experience at elite-level competitions.
Despite the result, Al-Kaabi demonstrated resilience and determination, managing to keep pace with more seasoned athletes and overtake several competitors the race. His performance was viewed positively by officials, who emphasised the importance of exposure and gradual progression.
Al-Kaabi expressed satisfaction with his participation, noting that competing on such a stage aligns with his developmental goals. He also highlighted the pride of representing Qatar and carrying the national flag during the opening ceremony as a defining moment in his young career.
Collectively, Qatar’s performances in Sanya underline a clear trajectory of growth, depth, and ambition across multiple beach disciplines, positioning the nation as a formidable force in continental competition.
