SANYA, China — The Philippines' beach volleyball pairs face tough group-stage assignments as competition in the 6th Asian Beach Games gets underway on Thursday, April 22, 2026, at Sanya Bay.
Sunny Villapando and Grydelle Joanice Matibag, seeded ninth in the 28-team women's field, were drawn in Pool H alongside teams from Mongolia, Macau, and Kazakhstan.
Compatriots Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara, ranked 10th, will compete in Pool G against Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Macau.
Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Ramon "Tats" Suzara welcomed the return of the Asian Beach Games after an extended hiatus, saying it provides a key platform for the continent's emerging stars.
"Since I have been elected as AVC President in 2024, elevating beach volleyball has been my absolute top priority, fulfilling the exact promise I made during my campaign. We have focused heavily on backing more host cities, providing vital platforms for our athletes, and pushing the sport toward true professionalism across Asia," Suzara said.
"The 6th Asian Beach Games opening today here in Sanya perfectly reflects this vision. The high caliber of play we are seeing is a direct result of our strengthened development pathways and the relentless hard work of our national federations."
Suzara added that the Games play a vital role in strengthening Asia's presence on the global stage, with the continental championship in Shangluo in September serving as a key step toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Around 1,790 athletes from 45 member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia are competing in the Games, which officially opened on Wednesday at the Sanya International Sports Park.
The beach volleyball tournament features eight pools each in the men's and women's divisions, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.
Host China fields strong contenders, including Beach Pro Tour Haikou champions Dong Jie and Jiang Kaiyue in Pool A, while Japan's Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto headline Pool B. China's Zhou Mingli and Halaiti Kadeliye, the Haikou runners-up, are drawn in Pool C.
Also competing in the women's field are teams from Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Maldives, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.
The Philippines has no entry in the 35-team men's tournament.
Technical director Kritsada Panaseri of Thailand said organizers are ready for the competition.
"Everything is good. China has prepared things above the standards," Panaseri said.
"China, the CVA (Chinese Volleyball Association) was quick to iron out the small issues we had, and now we're all set for the start of the tournament."
The Asian Beach Games also feature competitions in 3x3 basketball, aquathlon, open-water swimming, beach water polo, kabaddi, handball, football, wrestling, dragon boat, jiu-jitsu, sailing, sport climbing, and teqball. PR
