A Qatar player shoots to score during match against Mongolia.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s beach handball team continued its dominant performance at the Asian Beach Games - Sanya 2026, securing two convincing victories yesterday against Bangladesh and Mongolia, both with identical 2-0 scorelines in the group stage.
The team delivered dominant performances in both matches, defeating Bangladesh 16-6 (24-12) before overcoming Mongolia 26-13 (24-9).
With these results, Qatar now have eight points from four consecutive victories, maintaining a perfect record that reflects their consistency and ability to impose their rhythm on opponents in the opening round.
Having already beaten Pakistan and Oman on Tuesday, Qatar will face Jordan today before taking on Thailand on Sunday.
Al Annabi will conclude their group stage campaign next Monday against the Maldives, aiming to retain top spot and secure qualification to the semi-finals.
Promising start for beach volleyball teams
Qatar’s beach volleyball teams also made an impressive start, with both men’s pairs securing victories in their opening group stage matches.
The first team of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan registered a comfortable 2-0 (21-6, 21-10) win over the Maldives, while the second pair of Mohamed Ehab and Moussa Al-Khair defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).
Meanwhile, the women’s second team of Malak Hashem and Nelly Shalaby opened their campaign with a 0-2 defeat to Japan in a challenging match against one of Asia’s strongest sides.
Younousse and Tijan will continue their campaign against Uzbekistan today before facing Iran tomorrow. The second men’s team will meet Macau before concluding their group stage matches against China.
Younousse and Tijan are among the world’s leading beach volleyball players, highlighted by their bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, along with consistent performances on the international circuit.
On the women’s side, the first team of Haya Abu Issa and Laila Mohammed will begin their campaign today against Sri Lanka, followed by a match against China in Group A. Hashem and Shalaby will next face South Korea in Group B.
Qatar have also enjoyed notable success at the Asian Beach Games, winning bronze at the 2014 Phuket Games before securing both gold and silver medals at the 2016 Da Nang edition, underlining the steady development of the sport in the country.
Al-Kaabi finished 24th in aquathlon
Shaheen Al-Kaabi concluded his participation in the aquathlon competition with a 24th-place finish among 33 athletes from across Asia.
Al-Kaabi was the youngest participant in the event, gaining valuable experience at an early stage of his career that is expected to support his future development.
Elsewhere, Qatari sailors will compete today, with Tamim Shams taking part in the second race of the Optimist class, while Thani Shams will contest the second race of the ILCA 4 class.
Meanwhile, the draw for the 3x3 basketball competition placed Qatar’s men’s team in Group C alongside Bahrain, India and Kazakhstan, while the women’s team were drawn in Group A with China and Kazakhstan.
The men’s team will open their campaign against Bahrain on Saturday morning before facing Kazakhstan later the same day. They will conclude the group stage on Monday against India.
