Doha: The Qatar national beach volleyball team captured the Newport Beach Elite16 title in California, USA, after defeating Brazil in the final of the Beach Pro Tour’s prestigious Elite16 series. Qatar’s duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan prevailed over the Brazilian pair Evandro Oliveira and Arthur Lanci in straight sets (21-16, 30-28) following a thrilling contest that showcased performances from both sides.

According to Qatar News Agency, the victory marks another milestone for the Qatari team, coming just two weeks after their gold-medal triumph at the Rio de Janeiro Elite16 in Brazil, where they overcame Cuba 2-1 in the final, underscoring their consistency and dominance on the international stage this season.

Throughout the Newport Beach tournament, Younousse and Tijan delivered composed and commanding performances, topping their group with three consecutive wins against teams from the United States and Norway to advance directly to the quarterfinals. In the last eight, the Qatari duo edged past Lat
via’s Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots (2-1), before cruising to the final with a straight-sets victory (2-0) over American brothers Trevor Crabb and Taylor Crabb in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Chilean brothers Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt defeated the Crabb duo (2-0) to claim bronze, while Brazil’s Evandro and Lanci earned silver. This latest achievement reaffirms Qatar’s position among the elite in global beach volleyball and highlights the professionalism, resilience, and determination of Younousse and Tijan, the bronze medalists at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.