RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s campaign at the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Raja Ampat 2026 has narrowed to a single pair, with Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Efendi advancing to the quarterfinals after a commanding performance in the round of 16.

Competing at Waisai Beach in West Papua on Tuesday, the SEA Games 2025 gold medalists defeated Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Yakovlev and Abdulmajid Mokhammad in straight sets, 21-13, 21-13.

The victory followed their earlier triumph over Hong Kong’s Lee Lit Fung and Lee Cheuk Hei, also won in straight sets on Monday, April 6, 2026, Antara reported.

Their next challenge will be against China’s Li Wei and Du Hongjun, who secured their place in the quarterfinals by beating Japan’s Yoshiumi Hasegawa and Hiroki Dylan Kurokawa 2-0.

Elsewhere, Indonesia’s other men’s teams fell short in the round of 16. Imam Ahmad Faisal and Fairuz Bayhaqli lost to the same Chinese duo, Li Wei and Du Hongjun, while Hafiyan Nuruddin and Akbar Purnomosidi were eliminated by the Philippines’ Alnakran Abdilla and Ronniel Rosales.

The women’s teams also struggled to progress. Mido Maya Saputri and Ameliana were defeated by Filipina pair Sunnie Kalani Villapando and Genesa Jane Eslapor, while Belinda Kaize and Alifa Zahwa Arifin lost to Thailand’s Patcharaporn Seehawong and Salinda Mungkhon. Josephine Selvina Anasthasya Kaize and Nur Sari were also knocked out, falling to Japan’s Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto.

With those results, Bintang and Sofyan remain Indonesia’s sole representatives in the tournament, which features 39 men’s and women’s teams from across Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and the Philippines.

As hosts, Indonesia entered six teams , three men’s and three women’s , but now relies on the experienced duo to carry national hopes forward. The AVC Beach Tour, staged across multiple Asian countries throughout the season, offers athletes valuable ranking points and international exposure.

For Indonesia, the spotlight now rests firmly on Bintang and Sofyan as they aim to extend their winning run and keep the host nation’s presence alive in Raja Ampat’s quarterfinals. ***