The Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) has announced that the Maldives will compete in four sports at the upcoming Asian Beach Games in Sanya, Hainan Island, China.

The sixth edition of the Games, originally scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now take place from the 22nd to the 30th of next month.

Maldivian athletes will compete in handball, athletics, open water swimming and volleyball. The men’s team will participate in handball, while the individual sports will feature both male and female athletes.

The MOC said the national contingent has been finalized and that arrangements for travel tickets and accreditation are currently underway. Training for the teams and athletes is also ongoing.

The Asian Beach Games were first held in Bali, Indonesia in 2008. Previous editions were hosted in Muscat, Oman(2010), Haiyang, China (2012), Phuket, Thailand (2014), and Da Nang, Vietnam (2016). The Games are held every four years.