Younousse and Tijan to play for bronze at 2026 AVC Beach Volleyball Asian C’ships

Beijing: Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will play for the bronze medal at the 2026 AVC Beach Volleyball Asian Championships after suffering a defeat to Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher in a thrilling semi-final clash on Saturday.The second-seeded Qatari pair, Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalists comfortably won the first set against the third-seeded Nicolaidis and Carracher, but the Aussie pair produced a determined comeback to win 2-1 (14-21, 24-22, 15-11) after 56 minutes.The defeat ended Younousse and Tijan’s hopes of claiming the continental title, but they remain in contention for a podium finish.They will now face China’s top seeds Wu Jiaxin and Zhou Chaowei in today’s third-place match in Shangluo. Nicolaidis and Carracher will meet fellow Australians Thomas Hodges and Ben Hood in today’s gold-medal showdown, with the winners guaranteed a berth in the Los Angeles Olympics.Earlier, Younousse and Tijan defeated China’s Yanwei Wang and Hongjun Du in straight sets (21-12, 21-16) to advance to the semis, following a 21-12, 21-13 win over Kazakhstan’s Sergey Bogatu and Kirill Gurin in the round of 16 the day before. 

Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan Advance to Asian Championship Quarterfinals

Beijing: Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Championship in Shangluo, China, after defeating Kazakhstan’s Bogatu and Gurin in straight sets in the Round of 16.The Qatari pair secured a convincing 2–0 victory (21–12, 21–13) to book their place in the last eight.Cherif and Tijan had progressed to the Round of 16 after topping Pool B with a perfect record, recording three consecutive victories over Malaysia’s Teh and Yong Jian, New Zealand’s Sam and Ben O’Dea, and Thailand’s Nitithorn and Poravid.They will face China’s Wang and Du in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 5:00 AM Doha time.The Qatari duo will be looking to continue their challenge for the title and strengthen their prospects on the road to qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.Cherif and Tijan boast an impressive record that includes bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and fourth place at Paris 2024, as well as three Asian titles and two Asian Games gold medals. They also claimed gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games in April. 

Team Qatar Open Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship Campaign Against Thailand

Tokyo: Qatar’s senior men’s volleyball team will begin their campaign at the 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship on Saturday when they face Thailand in their opening Pool C match.The championship is being held in Fukuoka, Japan, from September 4 to 13, with Qatar drawn in Pool C alongside Thailand, Korea and Chinese Taipei.Team Qatar completed an intensive preparation programme ahead of the continental championship, which will also serve as part of their preparations for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, taking place in Japan from September 19 to October 4.The team held a training camp in Slovenia from August 15 to 26 under Argentine head coach Camilo Soto, with the technical staff focusing on improving physical and technical readiness, testing different options and strengthening cohesion among the players.During the camp, Qatar played three friendly matches against Egypt, in addition to facing several Slovenian professional league clubs. The matches provided the coaching staff with an opportunity to assess the players’ readiness and performance, particularly following the introduction of several new players as part of the team’s development plans.Nine new players took part in the preparations alongside the more experienced members of the squad, as Qatar continue to build a competitive team for upcoming events while benefiting from the experience of their established internationals.The 14-player squad comprises Mahdi Samoud, Andrea Cross, Abdulrahman Bakri, Mubarak Mousa, Abdullah Naseem, Pape Maguette, Mohammed Abdulwahab, Ibrahim Saeed, Rahimi Didi, Renan Ribeiro, Youssef Al Yafei, Mohammed Al Waleed, Mohammed Al Sharshani and Naji Mahmoud.Qatar will face Chinese Taipei on Sunday before concluding the preliminary round against Korea on September 8.The top two teams from each pool, along with the best third-placed team, will advance to the quarterfinals.Team Qatar will be aiming to progress beyond the preliminary round and secure a place in the knockout stage as they look to mount a strong challenge at the continental championship. 

Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan Reach Asian Championship Round of 16 with Perfect Record

Shangluo, China: Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Championship in Shangluo, China, after topping Pool B with a perfect record of three consecutive victories.Cherif and Tijan secured their third win by defeating Thailand’s Nitithorn and Poravid 2–0 (21–18, 21–11), completing the pool stage unbeaten.The Qatari pair had opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Malaysia’s Teh and Yong Jian, before overcoming New Zealand’s Sam and Ben O’Dea in their second match.With three wins from three matches, Cherif and Tijan finished top of Pool B and secured their place in the Round of 16 as they continue their challenge for the continental title.Meanwhile, Qatar’s Mousa Al Khair and Mohammed Ehab Zaki concluded their pool-stage campaign with a 2–0 (21–12, 21–12) victory over the Hong Kong pair, recording their first win of the championship. They had earlier lost 2–0 to China’s Wang and Du Hongjun and 2–0 (21–19, 21–18) to Thailand’s Pitak and Watchirawit.The championship features 24 teams divided into six pools of four, with each pool played in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third-placed teams, advance directly to the Round of 16, while the remaining four third-placed teams contest playoffs for the final two places.The knockout stage begins on Friday with the playoffs and Round of 16. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on Saturday, before the championship concludes on Sunday with the bronze-medal match and final at the central court of the Shangluo Sports Complex.Cherif and Tijan enter the knockout rounds with an impressive record that includes bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, fourth place at Paris 2024, three Asian titles and two Asian Games gold medals. The pair also claimed gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games in April. 

Qatar Ready to Host 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship

Doha: Qatar is preparing to host another major international sporting event as the 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship – Doha 2026 takes place from September 8 to 12.Organized by the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation under the umbrella of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the championship will bring together athletes and university delegations from around the world.The Doha edition carries particular significance as it marks the return of the championship for the first time since 2018, following a lengthy interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the international sporting calendar.A total of 116 male and female weightlifters representing 21 countries from across the world will compete in eight weight categories for both men and women. The championship is expected to feature a high level of competition, with several participating student-athletes also competing internationally and representing their national teams at continental and world championships.Competitions will be held at the Student Center in Education City, Doha, with organizers putting in place comprehensive arrangements designed to meet international standards and provide an ideal environment for athletes and participating delegations.The championship will be the second global event organized by the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation since its official establishment in 2023, following its hosting of a university 3x3 basketball championship. The event forms part of the Federation’s strategy to strengthen Qatar’s presence on the international university sports calendar and further consolidate the country’s position as a global sporting destination.As part of the final preparations, the Organizing Committee will hold a press conference on Sunday to announce the latest technical and organizational details. Officials from the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation and FISU, along with sustainability and sponsorship partners, are expected to attend.The championship’s official opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday evening, marking the start of five days of competition to determine the 2026 world university champions.The event is expected to attract significant media and spectator interest, with the detailed competition schedule and accompanying activities to be announced in due course.

Qatar Basketball Team Step Up Preparations for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

Doha : Qatar’s men’s basketball team are continuing their preparations for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where they will be aiming to deliver strong performances and compete for a leading position in one of Asia’s biggest multi-sport events.The Asian Games will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, although the men’s 5x5 basketball competition in Nagoya will begin ahead of the official Opening Ceremony. Qatar will open their campaign against Iran on Thursday, September 10, in their first Group B match.The draw placed Qatar alongside Iran, Jordan and Chinese Taipei in Group B.Qatar will face Jordan in their second match on Saturday, September 12, before concluding the preliminary round against Chinese Taipei on Sunday, September 13.Group A features Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, while Group C comprises China, the Philippines, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.The knockout stage will begin following the preliminary round, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Wednesday, September 16. Should Qatar qualify, their quarterfinal will take place at 4:00 AM Doha time.The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, September 18, while the men’s basketball competition will conclude on Sunday, September 20, with the bronze-medal match and final, followed by the medal ceremony.Qatar head into Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with a distinguished history in 5x5 basketball at both continental and international level. One of the national team’s most significant achievements came in 2006, when Qatar qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time, with the tournament also held in Japan.That qualification marked a milestone in the history of Qatari basketball, as the national team reached the sport’s biggest global stage for the first time and demonstrated their ability to compete beyond regional and continental competitions.At the continental level, Qatar have also enjoyed notable success at the FIBA Asia Cup, winning the bronze medal in two consecutive editions in 2003 and 2005, among the team’s most significant achievements in the competition.Qatar also claimed the Asian Challenge Cup title in 2004, adding another major continental honour to their record.The national team have also established a strong record at regional level through their appearances in the Gulf and West Asian championships, where they have won several titles over the years.