BEACH VOLLEYBALL – Bahrain’s Jaafar Aljishi and Hasan Nasser were crowned champions of the first West Asia Volleyball Association (Wava) Beach Volleyball Tour 2026, which came to a close late Thursday night in Doha, Qatar.
Aljishi and Nasser led a double podium for the kingdom’s delegation in the event as the pairing of Khaled Abdulla and Ali Husain came away with the bronze medals.
The nine-team tournament was played at Al Gharafa Beach Complex and it featured duos from five Wava member nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, and hosts Qatar.
Aljishi and Nasser secured their crown with a tough 2-0 (24-22, 21-19) win against Qatar’s Musa Alkeer Mou and Mohamed Ihab Zaki in the gold medal contest.
They qualified for the title-decider after beating Abdulla and Husain in an all-Bahraini semi-final 2-0 (21-12, 23-21).
Earlier in the competition, Aljishi and Nasser finished second in Pool B of the preliminary round after winning two of their three fixtures.
They opened their campaign on a losing note after bowing to Lebanon’s Hadi El Chabib and Jad Abi Karam 0-2 (19-21, 14-21).
But they did well to bounce back with successive victories – first against Qatar’s Saifeddine Binaziz Elmajid and Assam Ahmed Mahmoud 2-0 (21-14, 21-19) and then against Saudi’s Wafi Aljasir and Ali Alawami 2-0 (21-12, 21-9) to punch their ticket to the final four.
El Chabib and Abi Karam also marched through as Pool B winners after taking all three of their matches.
In Pool A, which featured just three teams, Bahrain’s Abdulla and Husain finished in first place with two wins from as many outings.
They first overcame a heated challenge from Qatar’s Mou and Zaki 2-1 (21-13, 19-21, 15-13) before outplaying Kuwait’s Barrak Khasrouh and Ibrahim Al Ahmad 2-0 (21-12, 21-10).
Mou and Zaki also advanced to the semis after splitting their two assignments.
They then secured their place in the tournament final and their meeting with Aljishi and Nasser after battling past El Chabib and Abi Karam 2-0 (21-13, 24-22).
Meanwhile, a women’s tournament was also held where Bahrain’s Muneera Sulaiman and Fatima Albuzaid narrowly missed out on a podium place.
They missed out on the bronze medals after losing to Qatar’s Haya Abuissa and Leyla Mohammad Bahmanzadeh 1-2 (21-13, 19-21, 12-15) in a tough three-setter in the game for third.
The Bahraini pair had also narrowly lost in the semi-finals to Lebanon’s Hamzeh Mirvat and Nour Hamze 0-2 (12-21, 16-21).
Earlier in the preliminary stage, Sulaiman and Albuzaid won two of their three Pool B games.
They opened their bid beating Qataris Malak Mohammed Hashim and Sheqaf Ismail 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 18-16) and then winning 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) against another Qatar tandem of Aisha Sultan Al Alawi and Nelly Amr Shalaby.
They lost their last fixture to Mirna Cheikho and Lara Al Nahi 0-2 (7-21, 10-21) but still marched through to the last four.
Cheikho and Al Nahi went on to win gold after beating compatriots Mirvat and Hamze 2-1 (17-21, 21-12, 15-7) in the women’s final.
The Bahrainis competing in the inaugural Wava Beach Volleyball Tour 2026 were coached by veteran Bahraini tactician Mohammed Alshaikh.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))