The seventh edition of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Aspire Beach Volleyball Qatar Master 2018 will take place from November 27 to 30 at Aspire Park. The event is jointly organised by the Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA), the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF).
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Mohamed Mubarak al-Kuwari, Chairman of the organising committee, said: “Organising AVC Aspire Beach Volleyball Qatar Master sheds light on the fact that Doha has become one of the main regional and global sports hubs and that with AZF at its heart embracing all types of sports events.”
Al-Kuwari said the initiative to host the championship comes as part of their vision to be a reference point in sports excellence worldwide by 2020. Additionally, the championship will welcome a wide range of fans and sports enthusiasts due to its location at Aspire Park in line with our objective to encourage individuals to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. A Fan Zone will be set up on the side-lines of the event to entertain families, which is scheduled to be present throughout the event.
Al-Kuwari also announced the initial list of teams that have confirmed their participation. Three teams will represent defending champions Qatar, while Australia, Iran, Japan, Oman, Kazakhstan, and Thailand will each send two teams; and New Zealand will send one team. A total of 16 teams have committed to taking part to date, and the number is expected to increase in the coming days.
Al-Kuwari also stressed that the decision by the AVC and QVA to host the prestigious championship at AZF for the second time is testament to AZF’s ability to organise events to the highest international standards. He then concluded his speech by thanking the event sponsors – Sports Corner (Main sponsor), Ooredoo (Telecommunication sponsor), De Boer (Technical sponsors), and Kidzania (Event partner) – for their support.
Speaking on the occasion, the general coordinator of the championship at QVA, Mohamed Salem al-Kuwari, extended his utmost appreciation and gratitude to AZF for their ongoing efforts and cooperation in organising a global event that reflects AZF’s readiness to work with other sports federations in Qatar.
“The Aspire Beach Volleyball championship is set up as a preparation phase to train Qatari teams for future tournaments, including the upcoming World Championship in Hamburg, Germany, and to obtain the extra rankings points. The Qatari Beach Volleyball team has advanced in the Asian ranking, attaining the first place and is ranked 10th in the world,” QVA’s al-Kuwari said.
“We will continue to host tournaments like these to rise in the world rankings of this year while achieving medals in international and continental championships which stems from Qatar Olympic Committee’s vision under the leadership of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani to train athletes to reach their highest performance level and to bring home the gold.” Mohamed Salem al-Kuwari said.
Qatar national beach volleyball team captain Nasser Ahmed al-Meer added: “The presence of such tournaments in Qatar gives players the encouragement and aspiration to take part in tournaments on the international stage. This tournament will be a big challenge for us and we aspire to achieve the best.”
Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will represent the Qatar No 1 team, while Assam Mahmoud and Tamer Abdelrasoul will be part of the second team. Nasser Ahmed al-Meer and Hamad al-Kuwari will represent the third Qatari team in the championship.
In September 2018, Qatar’s Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse won the Asian champions in Satun, Thailand. This built on the team’s gold medal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, secured in August 2018, and represents another step towards the duo’s aim of earning direct qualification for the finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
With this edition of the AVC Aspire Beach Volleyball Qatar Master 2018, more than 12,000 fans are expected to attend. AZF will reveal in the upcoming days more details regarding the event’s accompanying activities.

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