MUSCAT, May 8
Saudi Arabia commenced their campaign at the underway 10th AHF Men and Women Asian Beach Handball Championship strongly as they beat Hong Kong by 2-0 on Wednesday night. The Saudi team took the first set 20–14, followed by a dominant second set win at 17–6, earning their first two points in the group.
The match began with balanced intensity from both sides. Saudi player Ayman al Bandari opened the scoring with two quick points, only for Hong Kong’s Lin Hon to equalise at 2–2. The match remained tightly contested until the final three minutes of the first half, when Saudi players Ahmed al Obaidi and Hassan al Mubarak stepped up with decisive plays, while goalkeeper Siraj al Ibrahim made critical saves to secure the set 20–14.
The second half saw a shift in momentum as Saudi Arabia quickly took control. With six points scored in the opening three minutes, led by the outstanding performance of Hassan al Mubarak, the Green Falcons surged ahead. Though Hong Kong’s Von En Sung briefly narrowed the gap to 6–2, Saudi Arabia continued to dominate. Hassan al Qassab extended the lead to 12–6, and Hong Kong's Fung Hee missed key chances to close the gap. The Saudis capitalised on every opportunity, sealing the second set 17–6.
Saudi player Hussain al Qassab was named Best Player of the Match for his instrumental role in the team’s victory. Speaking after the match, Al Qassab said: ”We are very pleased with the first victory in the tournament. Our target is to register positive results in this Asian meet. I would like to thank our head coach Mohammed al Qattan for his directions and technical instructions. This win against Hong Kong will motivate us to show our best in the remaining matches in the tournament,” he added.
SECOND LOSS FOR PHILIPPINES
In another match, Philippines beach handball team suffered their second straight loss at the Asian Beach Handball event as they lost against Jordan by 2-1 on Wednesday in the second day's matches. In the first match, Philippines received a 2-1 loss against Pakistan in the second match of Group B.
In the last match on Wednesday, Iran won against Pakistan 2-0. Iran meet Jordan in a tight clash late on Friday and they will take on Philippines on Sunday.
On Friday, five matches will take place at the sands court of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex including two matches in the women's section. India will take on Philippines and the match will start at 6 pm while Hong Kong will face Vietnam at 7 pm.
In the men’s competition, Jordan will seek another victory as they will take on Iran in a tight tie while Pakistan and India will meet in another fixture of Group B. Saudi Arabia will eye another win as they take on Maldives at 7 pm.
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