Asian Beach Games 2026: Arisha and Anaal Secure Win Over Syria

At the ongoing 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, Maldives’ women’s beach volleyball pair Aiminath Arisha and Fathimath Anaal recorded an important victory in the group stage, defeating a Syrian pair.

This marks a significant achievement for the duo, as it is their first appearance at an international multi-sport event. They secured the win in straight sets against Syria’s Maya Al Sheikh and Louisa Mousa.

Arisha and Anaal showed confidence from the start, maintaining strong momentum throughout the match. They comfortably took the first set 21–10. Although the Syrian pair gained an early lead in the second set, the Maldivian duo fought back to turn the match around and sealed the set 21–15.

In other matches, Maldives’ teams continued to deliver competitive performances across the board.

Ahmed Mohamed and Ibrahim Raakin Hassan faced Laos’ Bomnize Phommachan and Chansabap Chanthongden. The Laotian pair won in straight sets, but the match remained closely contested, with scores of 21–17 and 21–16.

Ismail Sajid and Adam Naseem competed against a strong Uzbekistan pair, Azamat Davlatbaev and Dilshodbek Tolibaev. While Uzbekistan secured the win in two sets, Maldives put up a strong fight, with set scores of 21–18 and 21–16.

Meanwhile, the young Maldivian pair Mariyam Rishfa and Aishath Ishfau Issa also competed against Bangladesh’s Sabina Khatun and Takfia Akter. Although they were defeated in straight sets, the match was competitive, with scores of 21–15 and 21–19.

Overall, Maldives’ teams continue to show promising performances and determination as they gain valuable experience at the Games.