Five teams contested this new event on the IKF competition calendar - with a World Cup for Europe next up in the French city of Bonson from July 6 to 7.

The two-day Asia tournament, hosted by the Hong Kong Korfball Association, involved three nations other than the two finalists.

The hosts, Japan and Thailand finished third, fourth and fifth respectively in the open group stage.

While the open group competitors competed for the IKF Beach World Cup title, the university group pool took part in an official IKF-recognised competition.

The university group matches contested earlier comprised of four teams, with Chinese Taipei and China again featuring in first and second position respectively in front of Thailand and Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong China Korfball Association has a lot of previous experience when it comes to organising beach korfball tournaments.

Since the year 2000, it has staged an annual beach korfball event for both seniors and juniors.

"The first edition of the IKF Beach Korfball World Cup Asia is therefore organised by an experienced host, and will be of a more international character than the previous tournaments," an IKF statement read.

The IKF described the awarding of the Asia event to Hong Kong as a "great step forward in the international development of beach korfball".

"With this event added to the IKF competition calendar, two Beach Korfball World Cups will be organised in 2019," it added in its statement.

The IKF introduced its Beach World Cups in 2017, with each continent given the opportunity to organise a tournament.