Magic Monday follows Super Sunday for Jordan at Asian Beach Games

AMMAN — Team Jordan’s Super Sunday turned into Magic Monday with six medals won on a glorious day two of the Asian Beach Games in Da Nang, Vietnam, to go fourth in the medal table, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

And it was the jiu jitsu team that once again lead the way, following up their gold, silver and bronze on Sunday with further medals today.

On Monday, Team Jordan won two golds, two silvers and a bronze in jiu jitsu with one silver medal also secured in muay thai.

Popular sisters Rana and Luma Qubbaj showed why they are considered as among the world’s best jiu jitsu fighters with superb performances to take a pair of golds.

Rana Qubbaj, 32, clinched her gold in the -70kg category against Battsetseg Tsog-Ochir of Mongolia, before sister Luma, 28, won gold against Thao Dao Thi of China in the +70kg.

Sandwiched between those two finals was another gallant Jordanian performance from Hamzeh Al Rasheed, 21, who settled for silver after losing to Ali Munfaradi of Bahrain in the -77kg category. Munfaradi earlier beat Hamzeh’s brother Abdul Kareem Rasheed, 24, in the semifinal, but the Jordanian dusted himself down to win bronze by beating the UAE’s Salim Khalifan.

Also winning silver was Ruba Al Sayegh, 32, who recorded three victories over opponents from Vietnam, India and The Philippines but she eventually missed out on gold to the impressive Battogot Buyandelger of Mongolia in the 62kg category.

Meanwhile in muay thai, Mohammad Salameh, 24, lost in the final of the 81kg to China’s Can Luo, but secured a silver for his efforts to complete a sensational day for Jordan.

Unfortunately, the beach handball team lost their second game 2-0 to hosts Vietnam, leaving them 0-2 with one group match left to play.

On Sunday, Haidar Al Rasheed clinched the country’s first-ever gold at the event in the -85kg jiu jitsu competition, beating the UAE’s Khalfan Balhol in the final. It completed a brilliant event for the 23-year-old who overcame fighters from the UAE, Iraq and Tajikistan on the way to the final.

In the same weight, Al Rasheed’s teammate Mohammed Bilbaisi, 27, missed out on making it an all-Jordan final with defeat in the semi, but bounced back to win the bronze medal match against Thailand’s Sooknatee Suntra.

Also in jiu jitsu on Sunday night, Basel Fanous secured silver in the -94kg category after losing his final against the UAE’s Feisal Al Ketbi.

The achievements moved Jordan up to fourth in the medal table behind Thailand, Vietnam and China.