Qatar beat Bahrain to reach the final.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar beach handball team booked their place in the final of the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 after a hard-fought 2-0 (13-8, 20-18) win over Bahrain in the semi-final yesterday.
Qatar took control early, winning the first half 13-8, before surviving a tense second half that was level at 18-18 in the closing stages. Abdulrazzaq Murad struck the decisive goal in the final 30 seconds to seal victory.
Captain Mutasim Abdul Wahid said: “It was a very competitive match from the start, with both teams exchanging attacks. We stayed focused and made the most of our chances at the crucial moments.”
The team will face Iran in the final today at 4:00 PM Doha time, after Iran beat Thailand in the other semi-final. Qatar remain unbeaten in the tournament, having topped their group with wins over Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Jordan, Thailand and the Maldives.
Meanwhile, Qatar men’s national 3x3 basketball team advanced to the semi-finals after a 20-16 victory over Iran in their quarter-final clash.
Qatar used a fast-paced, high-pressure style to control the game, gradually building their lead and closing out a strong win to book their place in the last four.
The semi-finals and final will be played today, with Qatar set to face China. The other semi-final will see the Philippines take on Thailand.
Qatar's Ahmed Tijan (right) shoots to score during the semi-final.
Younousse, Tijan enter final
Qatar national beach volleyball team duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan stormed into the final after a dominant 2-0 (21-12, 21-14) win over Thailand in their semi-final.
Qatar will face Iran in the final at 11:00 AM (Doha time) today, with Iran advancing after beating Oman in a tightly contested semi-final.
The Qatari pair have been in superb form throughout the tournament, topping Group B with wins over the Maldives, Uzbekistan and Iran, before defeating another Qatari team in the Round of 16 and overcoming China in the quarter-finals.
Tijan said: “We started the match with full focus and imposed our game from the beginning. Our understanding on court and discipline made the difference.”
He added: “We kept our rhythm, reduced errors at key moments, and executed the coach’s plan well. Now our attention is fully on the final, where we will give everything to win gold for Qatar.”
Qatar sailing team concluded its campaign, with Tamim Shams finishing 16th in the Optimist class and Thani Shams placing 17th in the ELCA 4 class. The overall rankings were based on cumulative race results, reflecting consistent performance across the competition.
The Qatar wrestling team also ended its participation, with Saad Al-Hammadi and Hamad Al-Nuaimi competing in the 80kg and 70kg categories respectively. Both wrestlers delivered competitive performances against strong continental opponents before bowing out of the tournament.
