MUSCAT: Oman’s national men’s beach volleyball team was crowned champions of the West Asia Men’s Tour, hosted in the Qatari capital, Doha, with the participation of top teams from across the continent. The title came after a deserved 2-0 victory over the host nation, Qatar.
The national team, led by the outstanding duo of Mazen al Hashmi and Hood al Jalboubi, delivered an exceptional performance throughout the tournament, proving their worth as front-runners. They entered the final match with great confidence and clear on-court chemistry.
The final began with Oman asserting dominance early. Mazen al Hashmi opened the scoring with a powerful spike, followed by a successful serve from Hood al Jalboubi to make it 2-0. The duo continued their brilliance as Hood added two more points through powerful serves, and Mazen extended the lead to 5-0.
Qatar attempted a comeback through player Mahmoud Essam, who scored his team’s first point. However, Hood al Jalboubi responded with another strong serve that deflected off a Qatari player and out of bounds, adding to Oman’s tally.
Saif al Majeed scored Qatar’s second point, but Oman’s cohesive performance and their ability to capitalise on their opponent’s mistakes saw them widen the gap to 7-2.
Oman maintained control, exploiting Qatar’s shaky defense, extending their lead to 15-9. Near the end of the set, Mazen al Hashmi showcased his skill with a clever shot for point 16, followed by a Qatari error from Saif al Majeed that gifted Oman another point. Oman closed the first set comfortably with a 21-13 win.
In the second set, Mazen al Hashmi once again led the way with a successful block to open the scoring. Qatar momentarily leveled the score, but Oman quickly regained control as Qatar continued to falter. Oman gradually extended their lead to 14-10.
Despite Qatar’s attempts to rally, Oman maintained focus, and the duo of Al Hashmi and Al Jalboubi sealed the second set 21-14, securing the match and clinching the West Asia Tour title deservedly.
National team coach Badr al Subhi expressed his delight with the achievement, saying, We congratulate Oman and all beach volleyball enthusiasts on this well-deserved title, which marks our second consecutive win after claiming the previous edition. The players rose to the occasion today, delivering a focused and disciplined performance from start to finish, which enabled us to secure a comfortable victory over a strong team like Qatar.
Al Subhi described the win as a key milestone in the team’s preparation journey, adding, Our focus now shifts to the upcoming tournament in Jordan. We will give the players a short break of no more than three days before resuming serious preparations through an intensive training camp aimed at boosting our physical and technical readiness to continue our success. He concluded by thanking the Oman Volleyball Association for its support of the national team.
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