Sharjah Women’s Sports Club go top; Al Fuheis close in on third basketball title

Host club Sharjah Women’s Sports Club delivered another statement performance on Friday, edging past Al Wasl in a high-intensity all-Emirati showdown to headline the volleyball action at the eighth edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2026).

The straight-sets victory capped a full day of competition that also saw Akkad Ankawa Club secure their first win of the tournament and Kuwait’s Al Fatat maintain an unbeaten start, as the round-robin stage began to take clearer shape.

The results have intensified the early battle for top spot in the standings, with Sharjah Women’s Sports Club and Kuwait’s Al Fatat both collecting six points from their opening two matches.

Sharjah Women’s Sports Club set the tone with a controlled 3–0 win over Al Wasl, taking the sets 25–21, 25–16 and 25–19 to strengthen their position at the top of the standings. The hosts imposed their rhythm from the outset, combining steady pressure with organised defence to blunt Al Wasl’s attack. The result followed Sharjah’s dominant opening-day victory over Taldara Club. It reinforced their status as early pace-setters, while Al Wasl were unable to reproduce the resilience shown in their earlier comeback win against Akkad Ankawa Club.

Earlier in the day, Akkad Ankawa responded to their opening-round setback with a composed 3–1 victory over Lebanese Club Jeunesse Bauchrieh.

The Iraqi side recovered from losing the opening set 18–25 to take control of the game, closing out the match 25–19, 25–21 and 25–13 to register their first win of the tournament. The result left the Lebanese team still searching for a breakthrough after suffering a second consecutive defeat.

Kuwait’s Al Fatat continued their strong early form with a second straight-sets win, defeating Syria’s Taldara Club 25–12, 25–15 and 25–18 in Friday’s second match. The result followed Al Fatat’s opening-day victory over Lebanese Club Jeunesse Bauchrieh and confirmed their consistent start to the competition, while Taldara remained winless after also losing in straight sets to Sharjah Women’s Sports Club in their opening fixture.

The volleyball competition resumes on Sunday with three round-robin matches scheduled at Sharjah Sports Club. Al Wasl will face Kuwait’s Al Fatat in a key early contest, before Lebanese Club Jeunesse Bauchrieh take on Syria’s Taldara Club The day concludes with a high-profile evening fixture as host club Sharjah Women’s Sports Club meet Iraq’s Akkad Ankawa Club in a clash that could prove decisive in shaping the standings.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s Al Fuheis Club moved a step closer to retaining the AWST basketball title for a third successive edition after recording a commanding victory over Iraq’s Gaz Al Shamal Club in the standout match of Friday’s fourth round.

The defending champions were in complete control throughout, underlining their dominance in the AWST 2026.

The round also saw Kuwait’s Al Fatat Sports Club continue their resurgence with a second consecutive win, this time against Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club, while Tunisia’s Al Amal Sports Club returned to winning form following a closely fought contest against hosts Sharjah Women’s Sports Club.

The results of the round produced a three-way tie at the top of the standings, with Jordan’s Al Fuheis Club, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, and Kuwait’s Al Fatat Sports Club all level on six points, with Al Fuheis having played one match fewer. Iraq’s Gaz Al Shamal Club remained on five points, tied with Tunisia’s Al Amal Sports Club and the UAE’s Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club, while Bahrain’s Al Hala Club stayed on three points.

Al Fuheis delivered a dominant performance to overpower Gaz Al Shamal 93–60. The defending champions imposed themselves from the outset, surging to a 29–17 first-quarter lead and extending their advantage to 51–32 by halftime. Al Fuheis tightened their grip, limiting Gaz Al Shamal to just six points in the third quarter while adding 26 of their own. Gaz Al Shamal showed more intent in the closing period, but Al Fuheis remained firmly in control.

Earlier in the day, Kuwait’s Al Fatat set the tempo early, leading 48–30 at halftime after winning the first two quarters 23–13 and 25–17. The third quarter ended level at 17–17, before the Kuwaiti side edged the final period 20–19 to seal an 85–66 victory.

Tunisia’s Al Amal Sports Club edged hosts Sharjah Women’s Sports Club 68–65.