Qatar’s beach handball team booked its semi-final spot at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games with a 2-0 victory over Thailand on April 26, securing set wins of 26-20 and 22-20 to top Group B with 12 points after earlier triumphs over Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Jordan, the Qatar News Agency reported. As defending champions, the team will wrap up the preliminary round against the Maldives on Monday ahead of semifinals on Tuesday and the final on Thursday.
The Qatar News Agency reported that the victory extended the team’s perfect run through the group phase. Qatar had launched its campaign with back-to-back wins before maintaining control against the remaining opponents in Group B. The Asian Handball Federation lists Qatar as the three-time defending champion entering this sixth edition of the Games.
According to the federation’s records, the Sanya tournament represents a major continental showcase for beach sports, with Qatar aiming to defend its regional supremacy in handball. The event runs across multiple disciplines at venues in the Chinese coastal city. Qatar’s consistent results have positioned it as a frontrunner for a podium finish once again.
In beach volleyball, the Qatar News Agency said that the top Qatari pair of Sherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating their compatriots Mohammed Ehab and Mousa Al Khair in straight sets of 21-10 and 21-16. Younousse and Tijan had earlier topped their group with victories over Maldives, Uzbekistan and Iran. The second Qatari team had reached the knockout stage after wins over Saudi Arabia and Macau.
Qatar’s second beach volleyball side finished second in its pool following a loss to China in the concluding group fixture, the agency added. Younousse and Tijan are scheduled to meet China in the quarter-finals on Monday. These results reflect the depth of Qatar’s preparation in the sport at the multi-event gathering.
The Qatar News Agency reported that Qatar’s men’s 3×3 basketball team has secured two wins over Bahrain and Kazakhstan and will face India on Monday to clinch top spot in its group. On the women’s side, the team opened with a loss to China and will seek a rebound against Kazakhstan in its second match. The basketball squads form part of a broader delegation competing across several disciplines.
In wrestling, Qatar’s men’s team including Saad Al Hammadi at 80kg and Hamad Al Nuaimi at 70kg is preparing for its competitions that begin on Tuesday, according to the agency. The participation provides a platform to demonstrate progress in the sport and to measure skills against Asia’s leading wrestlers. A Qatar Olympic Committee review of national involvement in the Asian Beach Games, which started in 2008, noted that such events help build experience for Qatari athletes in beach and combat formats.
