Hosts Qatar are fielding three teams in the GCC Beach Volleyball Championship in a bid to maintain their grip on the crown.
The championship will begin at the Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy in Al Gharafa Sports Club on Wednesday at 3 pm, with 10 teams contesting for the top honours.
At the draw ceremony, conducted by GCC Beach Volleyball Committee Technical Chairman Abdelaziz al Karnas, 10 teams were divided into two Group A and B. Qatar A and D are in the Group A, along with Oman A, Bahrain B and Saudi Arabia A. Qatar C are placed in the Group B with OmanB, Bahrain A, Saudi Arabia B and Kuwait.
Apart from delegates from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, Qatar Volleyball Association Secretary General Mohammed Ali al Mohannadi and QVA Executive Director Ahmed al Shebaani also attended the draw.
The event was earlier one of the six disciplines in the GCC Beach Games, which were in Qatar this year. Though the games were postponed to early next year, the GCC beach volleyball championship was not shifted or moved.
Qatar were initially planning to enter four teams in the three-day championship. However, their plan got a big setback with Santos failing to recover from injury. As a result, the world-ranked 44th pair was split and now Pereira will team up with Mahmoud Essam in Qatar A.
Qatar B, which look quite strong, features Tamer Abdelrasoul and Abdelaziz Khallouf, who finished runners-up Lima Carmago and Leonardo de Silva in the national championship last week .
Qatar D will be represented by Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan.
Last year in Salalah in Oman, Qatar and the home teams haddominated the semi-finals of the GCC championship.
The former emerged the champions with their B team, consisting of Santos and Pereira, beating Oman A. Abdelrasoul and Khallouf of Qatar A bagged the bronze medal, beating Oman B.
Extending Qatar’s dominance, Santos and Pereira went on to become the Arab championship winners. In the final, they beat Oman’s Badr al Sobhi and Hassan al Balooshi. Qatar’s second pair of Khallouf and Abdelrasoul rounded off the podium as they beat Oman’s other team in the third-place playoff.
After the single round-robin matches, two top pairs from each group will advance and play cross semi-finals on December 26 morning.
The winners will proceed to take part in the final, scheduled at 4 pm.
Pools –
Group A:
Oman A, Bahrain B, Saudi Arabia A, Qatar A & Qatar D
Group B:
Bahrain A, Oman B, Saudi Arabia B, Qatar B & Kuwait
جدول الترتيب (December 24)
3:00 pm: Qatar D vs Bahrain B, Kuwait vs Oman B
3:40 pm: Qatar A vs Saudi Arabia A, Qatar B vs Saudi Arabia B
4:20 pm: Oman A vs Qatar D, Bahrain A vs Kuwait
5:00 pm: Saudi Arabia A vs Bahrain B, Saudi Arabia B vs Oman B
5:40 pm: Qatar A vs Oman A, Qatar B vs Bahrain A
December 25
3:00 pm: Saudi Arabia A vs Qatar D, Saudi Arabia B vs Kuwait
3:40 pm: Oman A vs Saudi Arabia A, Bahrain A vs Saudi Arabia B
4:20 pm: Qatar A vs Bahrain B, Qatar B vs Oman B
5:00 pm: Bahrain B vs Oman A, Oman B vs Bahrain A
5:40 pm: Qatar D vs Qatar A, Qatar B vs Kuwait
December 26
9:30 am – Semi-finals
4:00 pm – Final