DOHA: Qatar will begin their 2019 AFC Beach Soccer Championship campaign against Bahrain in Group C, details showed yesterday.

According to the official draw which took place in Pattaya, Thailand, yesterday, Group C also includes Japan, ranked third in the competition in 2017, as well as Kuwait.

Fifteen teams, three more than the inaugural edition in 2017, will battle to be crowned champions when the tournament kicks off in Pattaya, Thailand on March 7 next year.

Qatar’s first match will be played on March 8. Al Annabi will take on the strong Japanese team on March 10 in their second match, before facing Kuwait, a day later.

Defending champions Islamic Republic of Iran, will take on begin their title defence against Oman and Iraq in Group D.

Host nation Thailand will face Afghanistan, Malaysia and Palestine in Group A while the United Arab Emirates, who finished second in the 2017 edition in Terengganu, Malaysia, were drawn alongside Lebanon, China PR and Kyrgyz Republic in Group B.

The winners and runners-up in each group will qualify for the quarter-final stage which begins on March 14.

The semi-finals will take place on the next day while the final of the 15-team tournament will be held on March 17.

The second edition of the premier beach soccer championship in Asia will be an important competition as the top three teams will represent the Continent in the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay.