The historic tournament features U20 participants from eight WAVA countries
- The historic WAVA U20 Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship started in Doha on Monday
- Two pairs each from Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen are taking part in the tournament
- The event is supported by Olympic solidarity as part of the IOC Youth Athlete Development Programme
- Quarterfinal match-ups set on first competition day
The first ever women’s age-group beach volleyball competition in the Middle East got underway in Doha on Monday. 16 teams from eight countries are taking part in the WAVA U20 Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship, an event co-organized by the FIVB and supported by Olympic Solidarity as part of the IOC Youth Athlete Development Programme with the outlook that it will carve a long-term impact on these players, coming from Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen.
The first competition day at the Al Gharafa Beach Complex started with modified pool play. Jordan’s Celina Haddad & Katrina Haddad, Lebanon’s Lara Al Nahi & Louna Khorbotly, Syria’s Hend Daaboul & Maguy Alshaikh and Lebanon’s Angelina Farah & Angy Lakkis topped their pools after winning two matches each in the first phase of the competition and advanced straight to Tuesday’s quarterfinals. The four teams established their supremacy on the courts in Doha by not dropping a single set so far in the tournament.
The teams placed second or third in the pools progressed to the evening’s eighthfinals, while those who finished fourth will have the opportunity to fight for the distribution of the places from 13th to 16th on Tuesday.
In the longest match of the day and the most interesting one of the eighthfinals, home favourites Malak Mohd Hashim & Ludan Eisa came back from a set down to celebrate a 2-1 (14-21, 21-15, 15-11) victory over Kuwait’s Malak Mohammad & Zehra Alhusain. In the quarterfinals, the Qatari team will take on Farah & Angy.
The other three eighthfinals were resolved in straight sets and the winners – Jordan’s Batoul Husein Ahmad Abdallah & Ghyad Alashoush, Syria’s Janaa Hamad Azzam & Mary Sawaf and Oman’s Al Hanoof Thani Saleh Al Araimi & Al Shyma Moatasim Ali Jan Moham Al Zadjali – will face Celina & Katrina, Hend & Maguy and Lara & Louna, respectively, for the spots in the semifinals.
All results and full match schedule
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