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10 Sep’ 2026
Hosts Qatar Drawn in Group A of Gulf U17 Cup
Doha: Hosts Qatar have been drawn alongside the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and China in Group A of the second edition of the Gulf U17 Cup, following the draw held via videoconference at the Gulf Football Federation headquarters on Thursday.
Group B features defending champions Saudi Arabia, alongside Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen and Egypt.
The tournament will be held in Qatar from October 16 to November 4, with 10 national teams taking part, the largest number of participants in the competition’s history. The Local Organizing Committee will oversee preparations and delivery of the tournament in coordination with the Gulf Football Federation.
For the draw, the participating teams were divided into five pots based on their results in the most recent Gulf Football Federation competition for the same age category.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the remainder of the tournament played on a knockout basis.
This year’s expanded edition brings together all eight member associations of the Gulf Football Federation – Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen – along with invited teams Egypt and China.
The expanded field will give the participating teams valuable competitive experience against opponents with different playing styles as they prepare for upcoming international competitions, including the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
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في آيتشي– ناغويا 2026 نموذج غير تقليدي لإقامة الرياضيين
ناغويا/ اعتمدت اللجنة المنظمة لدورة الألعاب الآسيوية العشرين -آيتشي–ناغويا 2026، نموذجًا غير تقليدي لإقامة الرياضيين والمسؤولين المشاركين في الدورة، يقوم على توزيع أماكن الإقامة على عدة مواقع بدلًا من إنشاء قرية رياضية مركزية، في إطار توجه يهدف إلى الاستفادة من البنية التحتية القائمة والحد من تكاليف إنشاء مرافق جديدة.وتشمل ترتيبات الإقامة قرية مؤقتة في حديقة ميناء ناغويا تستوعب نحو ألفي رياضي، إلى جانب السفينة السياحية "كوستا سيرينا" الراسية في رصيف كينجو بميناء ناغويا، فضلًا عن مجموعة من الفنادق المعتمدة في مقاطعة آيتشي والمدن المجاورة.وتضم القرية المؤقتة وحدات سكنية خشبية صممت خصيصًا للدورة، على أن يعاد استخدام هذه الوحدات بعد انتهاء المنافسات لأغراض أخرى، من بينها الاستخدام في حالات الطوارئ والكوارث، بما يتماشى مع توجهات اللجنة المنظمة نحو الاستدامة والاستفادة من المنشآت المؤقتة بعد الدورة.وتشكل سفينة "كوستا سيرينا" أحد أبرز عناصر نموذج الإقامة في هذه النسخة من دورة الألعاب الآسيوية، حيث تستضيف نحو أربعة آلاف رياضي ومسؤول يشاركون في 18 رياضة مختلفة، في أول استخدام لسفينة سياحية في اليابان لإقامة المشاركين في حدث رياضي دولي كبير بهذا الحجم.وجاء اعتماد نظام الإقامة الموزع بعد العدول عن الخطة الأصلية لإنشاء قرية رياضية متكاملة في الموقع السابق لمضمار ناغويا لسباقات الخيل، في ظل ارتفاع تكاليف مواد البناء، لتتجه اللجنة المنظمة إلى الاستفادة من المنشآت القائمة والحلول المؤقتة.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Meet in Crucial Encounter
Qatar’s U23 national football team will face Saudi Arabia in a challenging second-round Group D encounter at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The match will kick off at 1:30 pm Doha time at Mizuho Park in Nagoya, with Team Qatar looking to bounce back from their opening-round defeat to South Korea.Qatar enter the match determined to regain their momentum following a difficult start against South Korea, which ended in a 4-1 defeat. During the latest training sessions, the technical staff, led by head coach José Ángel, worked on addressing the mistakes that emerged in the opening match.Team Qatar are aware that the encounter against Saudi Arabia will not be easy, given the strength of their opponents and their own determination to secure a positive result that strengthens their position in the group.The match carries significant importance for Qatar, who will be looking to turn the page after their opening defeat and keep their hopes in the competition alive by securing a positive result against Saudi Arabia before the final round of the group stage.
Team Qatar 3x3 Basketball Raise Their Ambitions at the Asian Games
Nagoya/Sabah Saadoun Al Kuwari, Head of the Qatar Basketball Federation delegation, confirmed that Qatar’s 3x3 basketball team are ready to compete at the Asian Games, noting that the team enter the competition with high ambitions, foremost among them challenging for a medal.Al Kuwari said Qatar will seek to build on the level they demonstrated in previous appearances, particularly after winning the silver medal at the Asian Games in China, an achievement that provides the players with additional motivation to perform at their best in the competition.He added that the objective is to maintain a consistent and stable level throughout the tournament and approach the competition one game at a time, stressing that the technical and administrative staff worked to provide the team with the best possible preparation before arriving in Japan.He explained that the men’s team held a domestic training camp in Doha during the past period, featuring intensive training sessions and a number of warm-up matches, including games against Serbia.Al Kuwari noted that the friendly matches against Serbia provided an important opportunity for the coaching staff to assess the players’ readiness.Team Qatar hope the match against Indonesia will provide a strong start to their medal challenge, with the players looking to impose their style from the outset through strong defence, accurate shooting and efficient use of their opportunities, before facing Chinese Taipei in another important test of their ambitions.
Head of the Media Delegation Abdullah Al Marri: Comprehensive Media Preparations in Place for Asian Games in Japan
Abdullah Al Marri, Head of Team Qatar’s Media Delegation at the Asian Games, confirmed that media and organisational preparations are largely complete as delegation members, national teams and Qatari squads arrive in Nagoya ahead of their participation in the major Asian sporting event.Al Marri said the Asian Games represent one of the continent’s largest sporting events, requiring comprehensive planning from an early stage to address all aspects of Qatar’s participation, whether from a media, organisational or logistical perspective.He noted that the Media Committee has worked over the past period to complete all necessary arrangements to cover Team Qatar’s participation and highlight the presence of Qatari sport at this major gathering, a continental sporting celebration held every four years that brings together Asia’s leading athletes across a wide variety of sports and competitions.He added that the media operation is not limited to covering competitions and results, but extends to all aspects of Qatar’s participation, highlighting the efforts of athletes and national teams and providing audiences and followers with a complete picture of the delegation’s activities.Comprehensive Media ReadinessAl Marri explained that the Media Committee began preparing for the Games well in advance, developing a comprehensive media coverage plan that includes following the news of Qatari national teams and squads, reporting competition results and continuously providing content covering Team Qatar’s participation.He noted that the nature of the Asian Games, with extensive participation from countries across the continent, requires a significant media effort, particularly given the large number of sports and competitions spread across multiple venues and locations.He added that this prompted the Media Committee to adopt an organised working mechanism that ensures the rapid delivery of news and information, as well as continuous coordination with all parties across the delegation, to provide comprehensive and ongoing coverage of Qatar’s participation.Al Marri said: “From the outset, we were determined to ensure that our preparations reflected the importance of this major Asian sporting event and to provide the delegation with all the media support it requires. Our aim is to present an accurate picture of Qatar’s participation and bring the efforts of our athletes and national teams closer to audiences and followers.”Speaking about preparations for the Games, Al Marri explained that the work has not been limited to media operations, but has also covered the various details required to help delegation members perform their duties efficiently, including coordination and communication, as well as providing information on competitions, transportation and daily programmes.He confirmed that the Media Committee will be present across the various competition venues to follow Qatari athletes, cover their participation and provide them with media support, reflecting the extensive efforts being made to ensure the success of Qatar’s participation in this continental event.Al Marri expressed his hope that the Games will bring results that match Qatar’s ambitions and that Team Qatar athletes will produce performances that reflect their preparations and aspirations, while adding new chapters to Qatar’s sporting achievements on the Asian stage.The Head of the Media Delegation concluded by stressing that the Media Committee will continue its work throughout the Games, covering Team Qatar’s participation across the various sports and competitions. He expressed his hope that Qatar’s participation in the Asian Games in Japan will produce many memorable moments and achievements that bring joy to the fans and raise the Qatari flag high on the Asian stage.