Doha, September 10 (QNA) - Qatari volleyball will have a strong presence at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan from Sep. 19 to Oct. 4, with the men's and women's national teams competing in indoor volleyball, alongside four teams in beach volleyball, comprising two men's teams and two women's teams.
This participation reflects the breadth of Qatar's involvement in volleyball competitions at the Asian sporting event and the continued attention the sport receives, as the national teams look to deliver strong performances and achieve results that strengthen their standing among Asia's leading teams.
The women's volleyball competition will be held from Sep. 16 to 22, while the men's competition will begin on Sep. 27 and continue through Oct. 3.
In the men's competition, the draw placed Qatar in Group C alongside India, Vietnam and Hong Kong. Group A comprises Japan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Group B includes the Islamic Republic of Iran, Indonesia, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan, and Group D features the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines.
The Qatari national team enters the Games with high ambitions, benefiting from an intensive preparation program ahead of its continental commitments and looking to produce a strong showing and compete for the leading positions.
The team held a training camp in Slovenia from Aug. 15 to 26 under Argentine coach Camilo Soto, with several new players joining experienced members of the squad.
The camp included friendly matches against the Egyptian national team and several Slovenian league clubs, aimed at improving physical and technical readiness and strengthening cohesion among the players ahead of the Asian championship in the Japanese city of Fukuoka from Sep. 4 to 13, where Qatar faced Thailand, Chinese Taipei and South Korea.
In the women's competition, Qatar was drawn in Group D alongside Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong. Group A comprises Japan, Indonesia and Nepal, Group B features China, Kazakhstan and the Philippines, while Group C includes Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. (QNA)
The Qatari women's national team faces challenging encounters in the first round against teams with extensive experience on the continental stage and will be looking to deliver performances that reflect the development of women's volleyball in Qatar over the recent period.
Qatar's participation in the Games also extends to beach volleyball, with four teams competing, comprising two men's teams and two women's teams.
Qatar 1 in the men's competition will be represented by the duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, while Qatar 2 comprises Mousa Al Khair and Mohamed Ehab.
In the women's competition, Qatar 1 comprises Malak Mohamed and Laila Mohamed, while Qatar 2 consists of Haya Abu Issa and Shaghaf Amin.
The participation of four teams strengthens Qatar's presence in the beach volleyball competition, particularly given the extensive experience of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in continental and international tournaments and their continued standing among the sport's leading players in Asia.
Qatari indoor volleyball boasts a strong record of achievements. The Qatari men's national team won the Asian Cup held in Chinese Taipei in 2018 after defeating Iran by three sets to two in the final, in addition to winning the Gulf Cup and the Asian Challenge Cup. Qatar also claimed the bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Championship in Iran and qualified for the 2022 World Championship held in Poland and Slovenia and the 2025 edition hosted by the Philippines.
In beach volleyball, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan have established themselves on the Asian and international stages with an impressive record of achievements, most notably winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. They also claimed gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, after defeating Indonesia in the final, before successfully defending their title at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with a straight-sets victory over China to secure their second consecutive gold medal.
The duo also won the gold medal at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, last April after defeating Iran in straight sets in the final.
At the Asian Beach Volleyball Championship, the duo has won the title three times. They claimed their first continental gold medal and title in Satun, Thailand, in 2018, followed by their second gold and title in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, in 2019. They then won bronze in Phuket, Thailand, in 2021 before regaining the continental title with their third gold medal in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2022.
At the West Asian Beach Volleyball Championship, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan won the gold medal in Doha in 2022, while the promising Qatari duo of Mohamed Ehab and Mousa Al Khair added a silver medal at the 2026 edition held in Batroun, Lebanon, last August.
In terms of individual honors, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan received the Asian Volleyball Confederation's 2026 award for the best beach volleyball players in Asia in Bangkok, Thailand. (QNA)