When asked if he believed that sports can make the world a better place, he responded with an immediate yes. "In a sporting gala like this, you meet people, you get connected, and you find new friends," he said. "You see (that in) the world, war's often happening. But here? Not one makes a difference."

Mundhir Al-Barwani, team doctor of Oman's beach soccer team, shares the same sentiment. A beach soccer lover since the age of 6, he said he enjoyed watching the games and soaking up the atmosphere. He was often seen smiling broadly while dancing to the music on the sidelines.

"I also live in the athletes' village, where athletes from different countries interact very frequently, and I talked a lot with medical team members from countries including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia," he said.

"Sport is loved by everyone, and that really brings everyone together, regardless of where you are in the world. So I think that's something you can see through every aspect of sports," said Saphna Ravichandran, a legal counsel at the Asian Football Confederation.

Reflecting on the Games, Husain Al-Musallam, director-general of the Olympic Council of Asia, highlighted that the presence alone of these conflict-ridden countries demonstrates that this is a game of peace — and that, he said, is the core value of the Games.

"You saw the athletes living in one place under one roof, in one restaurant, in one competition venue, in one training venue. And they are happy with each other. They are hugging each other," said Al-Musallam. "The future Games will follow in the footsteps of the Sanya Asian Beach Games."

Contact the writers at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn