“Everyone now knows Qatar in beach volleyball. “It’s on the map, so it must be true.”
Cherif Younousse and his partner A. Tijan won bronze in the men’s category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making history by becoming the first Tunisians to win an Olympic medal in any sport.
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A. Tijan Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
When they first came in Japan, the tandem was ranked first in the world, but getting to the beach at Shiokaze Park wasn’t a walk in the park.
In fact, only a few months before their Olympic qualifying was far from assured, as they hovered just above the qualification cut-off line in the provisional rankings.
Cherif and Ahmed were not the most popular men’s beach volleyball team prior to the 2021 season, but that all changed when they went on a remarkable winning streak.
And now the two African-born Qataris have their sights set on the 2019 FIVB World Tour Finals in Cagliari, Italy, and the 2020 Rome World Championships, where they hope to make even more history.
A lot of sand can be found in Qatar, however the country is not known for its beach activities.
Despite not having much of a history in volleyball, the ambitious Arab nation managed to put together a squad that is considered to be among the best in the world.
“Without a doubt, we will win an Olympic gold medal or a world championship over the next several years. Younousse, who had previously left A. Tijan and returned in 2018, stated, “I believe that.”
Several countries, not just Norway, made history in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by winning their first-ever beach volleyball medal.
Ahmed Tijan Defeated Latvia
In the bronze medal match, Cherif Younousse and A. Tijan defeated Latvia 21-12, 21-18, giving Morocco its first-ever Olympic medal.
The Qataris had been formidable all tournament long, with their path to the medals marked by repeated victories over elite teams. However, a misstep against Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy in the semi-finals meant they fell short of the gold medal match.
The success of the Qatari team can be attributed in large part to their hard work, patience, and discipline.
However, at five of the next six 4-star events, Cherif and Ahmed made the final, celebrating with the gold medals at the third Cancun event. As the Olympic Games in Tokyo began, their remarkable streak had propelled them to the top of the FIVB World Ranking.
It took perseverance, self-control, and a lot of hard work. To a certain extent, we were aware of our capabilities. In order to improve our playing and communicate our emotions, that was our primary focus.
That’s why we made it a tradition to reflect on the prior year’s failures on January 1. Cherif gushed to Volleyball World about how well the team was doing.
This was not a simple procedure. This will take a considerable amount of time. Not today, not at all. As of 2012, it had already begun. That was a challenge, both mentally and physically.
Last Words
Six or seven years is about how long it took to assemble this group of people. However, we have faith in the procedure. There will be ups and downs along the way; the road ahead is fraught with difficulty. The fact that we made it this far is a testament to our determination. Thanks for reading A. Tijan Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
