By Zaynab Kawtharani
OCA Young Reporter
Sanya, China, April 24, 2026: Lebanon’s Jad Abi Karam and Hadi El Chabib continued their men’s beach volleyball campaign at the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026 with a straight-sets victory over the Republic of Korea’s Oh Jeong-taek and Bae Sang-bin in Pool E on Thursday.
The Lebanese pair recorded a 2–0 win (21–8, 21–15) at the Tianya Haijiao venue cluster, producing a controlled and disciplined performance to dictate the tempo of the match from the outset.
The result builds on their opening-day victory against Indonesia’s Fairuz Bayhaqly and Imam Ahmad Faisal, where they also prevailed in straight sets (21–16, 20–16), maintaining a consistent level across both fixtures.
Speaking after the match, the players highlighted the preparation behind their performances in Sanya.
“We prepared for two months in Lebanon and completed an additional week of training here before the competition,” they said.
Despite the two wins, the pair emphasized a long-term approach centered on development rather than results alone.
“We are happy with the progress we are making. Winning or losing is just a result, but moving forward and learning from the experience is always what matters,” they noted.
With more than a decade of experience in the sport, Abi Karam and El Chabib continue to rely on their established partnership to maintain consistency at the international level.
“We have been playing volleyball for more than 10 years, and that experience helps us grow with every tournament,” they added.
Lebanon will look to carry this momentum forward as the competition progresses in Pool E.