Tehran: Iran's beach volleyball team has claimed its first win at the Asian Games in Nagoya, defeating Maldives 2-0 in straight sets at Mizuho Park Stadium. Iran opened its campaign on Sunday with a solid performance, taking the encounter 21-12 and 21-14 to secure a confident start in the group stage. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the team entered the tournament with high expectations and seeks to advance to the knockout round, viewing its upcoming clash against host Japan as the key test of the preliminary phase. The 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 are taking place from 19 to 27 September across venues in Aichi Prefecture in central Japan. Iran is participating in this edition with 305 athletes in 38 sports, and the country's delegation is named Minab Angels, commemorating the schoolchildren who were martyred in a US missile attack on February 28, 2026.