Iranian pair Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajani finished as runners-up at the AVC Beach Tour 23rd Samila Open, held from April 13 to 16 in Songkhla, Thailand. The duo reached the final but were defeated in straight sets by Australian fifth seeds Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse, who secured the title with scores of 21-17 and 21-18. Burnett and Pearse previously captured their first Beach Pro Tour Futures event victory together last November in Geelong, Australia.

This result marks Iran’s continued presence on the podium in international volleyball competitions over recent weeks. In late March, the Iranian national team earned a silver medal at the 2024 China International Snow Volleyball Invitational Tournament. Furthermore, earlier in April, another Iranian pairing clinched the gold medal at the AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open in Santa Rosa, Philippines.

These achievements highlight Iran’s growing competitiveness in various volleyball disciplines across the Asian circuit. The Samila Open was part of a series of tournaments within the AVC Beach Tour, attracting top teams from the region and beyond. The performances of Pourasgari and Aghajani, alongside their recent counterparts, underscore Iran’s development in beach volleyball and related variants on the sport’s international stage.