Qatar’s beach volleyball pair Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan were crowned Asian Games champions after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Indonesia in the final at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, successfully defending their title for a third consecutive edition and continuing Qatar’s outstanding record in Asian beach volleyball.
Following the match, Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, presented the Qatar team with their gold medals. Indonesia received silver, while Japan claimed bronze.
The triumph underlined Qatar’s continued success in Asian beach volleyball, with Cherif and Tijan winning their third successive Asian Games gold following their victories at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.
The final began at a high tempo, with Indonesia taking an early 2-0 lead in the opening set before Team Qatar levelled at 2-2 and moved ahead 4-2. The contest remained close, with Indonesia drawing level at 17-17 before edging ahead 20-19 and taking the opening set 21-19.
Team Qatar responded strongly in the second set, establishing an early 4-1 advantage before extending their lead to 7-3. Cherif and Tijan remained in control, moving 15-12 and then 18-14 ahead before reaching 20-16. They closed out the set 21-16 to level the match and force a deciding third set.
In the decider, Team Qatar imposed themselves from the outset and raced into a 6-2 lead. Cherif and Tijan maintained their advantage to win the set 15-8 and seal a 2-1 victory and the gold medal.
With the triumph, Cherif and Tijan further strengthened their standing among Asia’s leading beach volleyball pairs, successfully defending their Asian Games crown for the third consecutive edition and adding another gold medal to Qatar’s Asian Games record.
Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari: Asian Games Gold a Historic Achievement
Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, expressed his delight with Qatar’s historic achievement in winning a third consecutive Asian Games beach volleyball gold medal.
“We congratulate our leadership and the Qatar Olympic Committee on this great achievement and dedicate this precious gold medal to our leadership, which has spared no effort in supporting sport and athletes,” he said.
“I would also like to thank H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his continued support of Qatari sport and athletes, which provides us with great motivation to continue working and achieving further success.
“I would like to commend Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who produced outstanding performances throughout the Games, showed tremendous fighting spirit and rose to the occasion. They fully deserved the gold medal after an excellent campaign. Despite some difficulties we faced before the tournament following Cherif’s injury, and our concerns over whether he would be able to participate, he was determined to play and, thankfully, we succeeded in retaining the gold medal.
“Winning the title for the third consecutive edition confirms that this achievement is the result of sustained work, planning and significant support for the sport. We look forward to continuing this successful journey and raising Qatar’s flag high at future events.”
Mohammed Salem Al Kuwari: Asian Games Gold the Result of Strong Support
Mohammed Salem Al Kuwari, supervisor of the Qatar beach volleyball team, expressed his delight with the gold medal and said retaining the title for a third consecutive edition represented a major achievement for Qatari sport and beach volleyball.
“Thank God for this great achievement. We congratulate our leadership, the Qatar Olympic Committee and everyone involved in Qatari sport on this precious gold medal. Retaining the title for a third consecutive edition confirms that Qatari beach volleyball is moving in the right direction and that our work has produced another achievement for Qatari sport,” he said.
“I thank Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan for the outstanding level they showed throughout the tournament. This achievement is the result of the tremendous support provided by the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Qatar Volleyball Association. We particularly thank H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani for his continued support of sport and athletes.”
Cherif Younousse: We Kept Our Promise and Won Gold
Cherif Younousse expressed his delight after Team Qatar retained the Asian Games beach volleyball gold medal with victory over Indonesia in the final, saying the contest had been difficult, as had every match throughout the tournament.
“Thank God for this achievement and for winning the gold medal. The final against Indonesia was difficult and highly competitive. We knew our opponents would not be easy to beat, so we went into the match fully focused and stayed committed to our goal until the end,” Cherif said.
“The entire tournament was difficult, and every match required a great deal of concentration and effort, particularly because we were defending our title and aiming to retain the gold medal. Thankfully, we managed to overcome every opponent, reach the final and then secure the victory.
“We had promised to give everything we had to retain the title and make the Qatari fans happy, and thankfully we fulfilled that promise by winning the gold medal for the third consecutive edition.”
Ahmed Tijan: Gold the Reward for Tremendous Effort
Ahmed Tijan expressed his delight at winning the gold medal, stressing that reaching the top of the podium had not been easy and that the final against Indonesia remained difficult and competitive until the closing stages.
“Thank God for this precious achievement. I am extremely happy to win the gold medal after a very tough tournament. The final against Indonesia was difficult, and we knew our opponents would fight for victory, so we tried to maintain our concentration and take it point by point until the end,” Tijan said.
“The tournament as a whole was difficult, and every match presented different circumstances.
“I thank my teammate Cherif for the tremendous effort he made throughout the tournament, as well as the coaching staff and everyone who stood by us and supported us. We dedicate this gold medal to Qatar, its people and our leadership, and we hope to continue achieving success and raising Qatar’s name at future competitions.”
