AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Championships:
Iran pairs off to winning starts in men’s competition
The two Iranian pairs enjoyed flying starts at the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Championships in Shangluo, China, winning their group openers in the men’s competition on Wednesday.
Bronze medalists at the previous edition in 2024, Alireza Aqajani and Abbas Pourasgari, who won the fans’ choice prize at the inaugural AVC Gala Awards last month, teamed up to beat New Zealand’s Juraj Krajci and Noah Smith 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) in Pool A, which also features teams from the host country and Uzbekistan.
Pourasgari stole the show with a remarkable 22 points, including six blocks and one service point, while Smith finished on 11.
Elsewhere, Abolhassan Khakizadeh and Amirali Ghalenovi, who claimed an impressive silver medal at April’s Asian Beach Games, also celebrated a straight-set victory in their opening fixture, beating Kazakhstan’s Sergey Bogatu and Kirill Gurin 21-13 and 21-15 in Pool D, with Ghalenovi contributing 21 points, as the Iranian duo made up for their semifinal defeat to the Kazakh pair at the CAVA Championships in July.
The event serves as the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with the champions in each gender category securing a berth at the sporting extravaganza.