WORLD CHAMPION HEADS DELEGATION FOR ASIAN BEACH GAMES

The Jordan Olympic Committee has announced a 25-strong delegation for the Asian Beach Games which will take place in Vietnam from September 24-October 3.

Forty-five countries are taking part in 22 sports with Jordan sending athletes to play in beach handball (women), jiu jitsu, wrestling and muay thai.

Leading the delegation is recently confirmed World Masters Champion Rana Qubbaj who secured her third consecutive jiu jitsu world title last week in Las Vegas.

Her sister and former world champion Lama is also named along with jiu jitsu teammates Ruba Al Sayegh, Zaid Sami, Abdel Kareem Al Rasheed, Mohammad Al Belbaisi, Basel Fanous, Haidarah Al Rasheed and Hamzeh Al Rasheed. They will be coached by Zaid Abu Soud.

The handball squad includes Nahed Al Rawashdeh, Roa Naser, Falak Obiadat, Sara Al Halabeyeh, Laila Khader, Hanadi Al Ush, Lima Obaidah, Ayah Obeidat, Lubna Slalameh, Reem Abu Al Nil. Mowafaq Fathallah will coach the side.

In muay thai, Saif Al Din Khaled Al Zaqzouq, Mohammad Salameh and Anas Khalaf will be going for gold under the watchful eye of coach Khaled Al Zaqzouq.

Former national team star Yahia Abu Tabeekh will be coaching the wrestlers with Zakarya Al Sheshani, Ameer Ashkat and Husam Al Dein Abu Syyaf all heading to Vietnam in good form.

"We are looking to build a strong youth team, so this participation will give them the chance to play with other athletes at an international level and gain valuable experience," said Abu Tabeekh who takes his team on a training camp to Egypt until September 10, before they compete in the Arab Championships in Lebanon on September 16 and then onto Vietnam.

Muay thai coach Al Zaqzouq believes medals are well within reach for his players who have also travelled for an overseas camp in Thailand: "We are well prepared to represent Jordan in three weights and we hope to achieve medals."

The women’s beach handball team’s coach Fathallah said that a recent camp in Tunis has prepared the team well but expectations are modest against strong opposition.

"The camp went very well,” he said. “It has helped us to focus as a team on the challenge ahead and we will be taking it one match at a time in Vietnam and try our best to reach the later rounds.”

Jiu jitsu will participate in the Asian Beach Games for the first time, and hopes are high given the Jordanian achievements on the global stage in recent years.

"We have players competing at the highest level of the sport so we are confident of making an impression,” said Abu Soud.

At the last Asian Beach Games in Phuket, Salameh won a bronze medal in muay thai for Jordan.

The muay thai team will leave for Vietnam first on September 18 followed by the rest of the delegation.

The team management includes Dr. Nabil Shamroukh, chef de Mission; Rana Al Saeed, official; Amal Nofal and Rasheed Jaber, physiotherapists.