OLYMPIAN CHERIF EYES SUCCESS AHEAD OF TOKYO 2020

Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2018 – Rio 2016 Olympian Cherif Younousse of Qatar is aiming for the top spot in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World 3-star event in Tokyo, where the Olympic Games will be held in 2020.

“For the Tokyo 3-star, our goal is to play our best and win it,” Cherif said. “It’s going to be tough for sure, but we will give our best, we will keep pushing to succeed. We’ve been training and competing a lot because we want to qualify to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and earn a medal.

“We are not a new team anymore. We have been improving our game each year and we are capable to win medals in the World Tour and the Asian Tour. We feel that we are more stable now as a team and it’s time we move forward.”

Cherif and partner Ahmed Tijian’s first mission in the Tokyo 3-star is to get through pool play. The Qatar duo had a a quick and overwhelming straight-set (21-7, 21-6) win against the host nation’s Yu Koshikawa and Hiroki Dylan Kurokowa.

“We had to finish the match quickly,” Cherif said. “When we play against Japanese pairs who have such great variety of skills, we have to push hard and play on a higher level.