Doha: The Qatari men’s beach volleyball team, led by Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, made a new achievement by advancing to fifth place in the world rankings issued by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), up from seventh place previously.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Qatari team finished fifth with 5,720 points, after participating in 10 tournaments this season, most notably its recent gold medal win at the Gstaad World Championship (Elite 16), which concluded last Sunday in Switzerland, adding 1,200 points to their tally.

The Qatari duo continue to perform strongly this season as part of their commitment to being among the world’s elite teams and preparing for upcoming competitions, most notably the World Championship and the Olympic Games.

Norwegian duo Anders Berntsen Mol and Christian Sorum maintained their lead in the world rankings, taking first place with 8,560 points. Argentinian duo Nicolas Capogrosso and Tomas Capogrosso took second place for the first time with 6,520 points. Dutch duo Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot finished third with 5,920 points, ahead of Swedish duo David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, who dropped to fourth place with 5,780 points.

This ranking of the Qatari national team reflects the development of beach volleyball in Qatar and its ability to compete in the strongest international arenas.