Empowerment-supported teams demonstrated their exceptional abilities at the Asian Beach Volleyball Tour held in Songkhla, Thailand, emerging victorious by securing all six medals across the event. Teams from Qatar, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan were particularly dominant in this segment of the 2026 AVC Asian Tour. The competition underscored the advantages brought by the focused support from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative.

In the men's category, the team from Qatar, comprised of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, claimed the gold medal after a hard-fought victory against their rivals from Australia in the final. The path to victory included a challenging three-set semifinal match against another strong Australian team. For the women's competition, New Zealand athletes Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald secured the top spot on the podium following a close final against Japan's representatives, Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami.

This success story highlights the substantial impact of the FIVB's Volleyball Empowerment initiative, which provides critical support in the form of coach guidance and equipment funding. This investment has evidently enhanced the performance levels of national beach volleyball teams. Qatar's team benefits from the expertise of Argentinean coach Pablo Bernardi, whereas New Zealand's program thrives under the guidance of coach Jason Lochhead.

The Asian Beach Volleyball Tour will next move to Pingtung, Chinese Taipei, scheduled for June. Teams will continue to vie for continental accolades, further energizing the competitive landscape of beach volleyball. The event serves as a testament to the increasing competitiveness and the positive results of development and international collaboration within the beach volleyball community.

For further details, you can read more about this event on the official FIVB website.