Asian Beach Games 2026: Maldives Beach Handball Team Secures Victory Over Mongolia

At the ongoing 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, the Maldives men’s beach handball team delivered an impressive performance to defeat Mongolia.

Competing in Group B alongside Oman, Pakistan, Jordan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Qatar, and Mongolia, Maldives had a challenging start to the tournament. In their opening match, they narrowly lost to Bangladesh in a penalty shootout (2–1). They followed this with a strong showing against Jordan, putting up a competitive performance despite the result.

In today’s match against Mongolia, Maldives showcased determination and resilience. Although they lost the first set, the team bounced back to win the second set, taking the match into a penalty shootout where they secured victory 2–1. The shootout itself was closely contested, highlighting the intensity of the match.

Maldives started the first set strongly, taking an early 4–0 lead and maintaining control for most of the set. However, Mongolia staged a late comeback to win the set 13–11.

In the second set, Maldives returned with renewed energy, maintaining the lead throughout and winning 13–9.

The match was ultimately decided in penalties. After the initial five attempts from each side ended level, Maldives edged ahead in the additional rounds to win the shootout 8–6. Goalkeeper Ahuameem Ali delivered a standout performance throughout the match, including during the penalties.

Individually, Shiran Abdullah led the scoring with 10 goals, while experienced player Fathullah Adam added 8 goals. Captain Shamnooz Mohamed Naeem and Ahmed Ali also contributed significantly, scoring 6 goals each.