Dubai: Oman proved their supremacy for the second year on the trot by occupying the top two spots at the Gulf Beach Volleyball Championships that concluded at the open beach in Ajman late on Saturday.
The Omani pairing of Badr Al Subhi and Hassan Al Beloushi put their names on the trophy for the third successive time when they got the better of teammates Haitham Al Sharqi and Ahmad Al Hosani in the final played at the open beach as part of the two-week Ajman Beach Volleyball Festival held under the patronage of Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman.
Watched by Shaikh Ammar, the Omani pair of Al Subhi and Al Beloushi were ahead 2-1 in the second set after winning the opening set 21-14, when Al Hosani picked up an ankle injury, forcing the second Omani team to forfeit their final as the player could not continue play.
Shaikh Ammar presented the winners with the trophy in the presence of Amer Ali, president of the UAE Volleyball Association and Saeed Saif Al Matroushi, general secretary of the Ajman Executive Council. "It is disappointing to see this huge crowd leave without watching an exciting final. This is a tough way to lose, but it is something that is part of sport," Al Sharqi told Gulf News. The winning pair of Al Beloushi and Al Subhi were deserving winners. "Winning this title for the third time is an achievement for us personally. But we need to look beyond the Gulf," Al Baloushi said.
The pairing, currently ranked No 5 in Asia, are looking at a higher placing in the continent. "We are ready to make a move towards the top of the rankings and we have the support for this from our association. We have a solid programme that will see us travel more often on the Asian and FiVB Beach Volleyball Tour," Al Beloushi added.
The two teams from Bahrain lived up to pre-tournament expectations to take the third and fourth positions, while hosts UAE ended in fifth and seventh places with Saudi Arabia occupying the sixth and eighth spots.
"The gap between Oman and the other Gulf countries is a bit too much since the past few years. Maybe we ought to look at a higher level like the Asian Tour or the international tour in the future," Oman coach Khalifa Al Jabri said.
Positions at the end of the Gulf Beach Volleyball Championships that concluded in Ajman on Saturday: 1. Oman A; 2. Oman B; 3. Bahrain A; 4. Bahrain B; 5. UAE A; 6. Saudi Arabia A; 7. UAE B; 8. Saudi Arabia B.
