Songkhla: The 25th Samila Open of the AVC Beach Tour concluded in spectacular fashion on April 15, as Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan dominated the men’s draw while New Zealand’s Zoe Polley and Shaunna MacDonald triumphed in a nail-biting women’s final.
In the men’s championship match, the Qatari powerhouse duo overcame Australia’s Ben Hood/Thomas Hodges in a hard-fought final to claim gold. The Australian pair took silver, while fellow Australians D’Artagnan Potts & Jack Pearse secured bronze after a tight third-place showdown against Thailand’s K. Dunwinit and N. Banlue—ensuring an all-Australian presence on the podium alongside the medalists.
On the women’s side, New Zealand’s Polley/MacDonald displayed remarkable consistency and composure to defeat Japan’s Asami Shiba and Reika Murakam in a tightly contested final. Australia’s Jasmine Rayner/Stefanie Fejes earned bronze by besting the Thai duo of S. Patcharaporn and M. Salinda in the third-place match.
Held from April 12–15, the four-day event brought together elite beach volleyball talent from across Asia and Oceania. From qualification through the finals, fans witnessed high-caliber play, dramatic momentum shifts, and multiple three-set thrillers, particularly in the semifinals and medal matches.
The Samila Open once again underscored the rapid growth and competitive depth of beach volleyball in the region, offering a vital stage for both seasoned contenders and emerging stars to showcase their skills on the continental circuit.
With this leg successfully wrapped, teams now shift focus to the next stops on the AVC Beach Tour, where the chase for ranking points, podium finishes, and continental supremacy continues.
