Bangkok: Qatar national beach volleyball team duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan made a strong start at the AVC Beach Tour Samila Open, defeating Oman in a hard-fought three-set match in Thailand.
The Qatari pair won 21-16, 18-21, 15-8 in their Group B opener, showing resilience after dropping the second set before dominating the decider.
Ranked sixth in the world, Younousse and Tijan are among the tournament favorites and will next face Hong Kong 1 in their second group-stage match.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s second team of Mohamed Ihab and Mousa Al Khair are set to begin their campaign in Group A against Hong Kong 2, before taking on Thailand 1 later the same day.
The Samila Open features 27 teams from 15 nations, with competitors divided into eight pools, as Qatar aim to build early momentum on the international beach volleyball circuit.
