MUSCAT: Oman’s national beach volleyball team will step into one of their most important international challenges of the season when Hood al Jalbubi and Mazin al Hashmi will vie at the 2026 AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Championships in Shangluo, China, from September 2 to 6, with the tournament forming an important qualification pathway towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Omani pair will face some of Asia and Oceania’s leading beach volleyball teams at the continental championships, which will bring together a strong field of international competitors and provide valuable ranking and high-level competitive experience on the road to LA28. The tournament, organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) in partnership with Volleyball World, will be staged in Shangluo, in China’s Shaanxi province. It is one of the AVC’s major competitions in beach volleyball and represents an important stage in the continent’s international competition calendar.
For Oman, the event is particularly significant as the national team continues its preparations for a demanding period that will also include the 2026 Asian Games (beach volleyball event) in Japan from September 18 to October 4. In addition to Al Jalbubi and Al Hashmi, Oman will be represented at the Asian Games by Ahmed al Hosni and Yousef al Abri.
IMPORTANT STEP
Oman head coach Badr al Subhi affirmed that the continental championships are an important part of the national team’s long-term preparation. “The Asian championship is a significant tournament as it serves as a qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. It is also an important part of our national team preparation programme and provides the players with a valuable opportunity to gain experience against some of the strongest teams in Asia,” Al Subhi told the Observer.
He added that the competition would help the Omani players improve both technically and physically. “Playing against strong Asian teams will help enhance our technical and physical readiness. These are exactly the kinds of matches that our players need as they continue to develop and prepare for major international competitions,” he said.
The Omani pair will face a highly competitive field that includes experienced teams from Qatar, Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, Iran, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Malaysia and Uzbekistan. Among the leading names in the entry list are Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, Australia’s Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher, as well as other established pairs from across Asia and Oceania. The quality of the field is expected to provide Al Jalbubi and Al Hashmi with a demanding test and an opportunity to measure their progress against some of the continent’s strongest combinations.
ASIAN GAMES NEXT
Following the continental championships, Oman’s beach volleyball programme will turn its attention to the Asian Games in Japan, where the national team will seek to make the most of its growing international experience. “The Asian Games are one of our key objectives,” Al Subhi said. “We aim to prepare thoroughly and compete strongly, especially given the high level of competition across the continent.”
“Our ambition is always to deliver a performance that we can be proud of and achieve the best possible result for Omani beach volleyball,” he added.
The back-to-back continental assignments will therefore form an essential stage in Oman’s preparations, giving the players the opportunity to compete regularly at a high level while building the experience required for future international challenges.
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