Qatar retains beach volleyball title at Asian Beach Games

Cherif Samba (L)/Ahmed Janko of Qatar celebrate after the beach volleyball men's final match between Abolhassan Khakizadeh/Amir Ali Ghalehnovi of Iran and Cherif Samba/Ahmed Janko of Qatar at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua)

SANYA, April 29, (Xinhua): Defending champions Cherif Samba and Ahmed Janko of Qatar retained the men's beach volleyball title at the Asian Beach Games, while Thailand won the women's competition in Wednesday's action.

The Qatari duo, both former Olympic bronze medalists from Tokyo 2020, entered the final undefeated and showed their class by beating Iran's Abolhassan Khakizadeh and Amir Ali Ghalehnovi 21-15, 21-12.

"I want to share the victory with my family," said Samba, adding that staying focused was the key to their dominant performance.

It is Iran's second silver medal in men's beach volleyball at the Games, after the team finished runners-up in 2014.

Thailand made history in the bronze-medal match, beating Oman 21-18, 21-15 to secure their first-ever men's beach volleyball podium at the event.

Earlier in the day, Thai pair Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee and Taravadee Naraphornrapat proved too strong for Japan's sisters Non and Ren Matsumoto, winning the women's final 21-17, 21-15.

China's Jiang Kaiyue and Dong Jie took the bronze after a 21-14, 18-21, 15-13 victory over another Thai duo, Salinda Mungkhon and Patcharaporn Seehawong.

"I just couldn't hold back my tears," said Dong. "We are a new partnership, and we kept encouraging each other under huge pressure. This medal means everything to us," she added.

The Asian Beach Games, held in the southern Chinese resort city of Sanya, run from April 22 to 30.