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23 Dec’ 2019

Fares Hassouna qualifies to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

DOHA, December 23, 2019-Qatar's Fares Ibrahim Hassouna bagged two gold medals at the Qatar International Cup Weightlifting Championships on way to securing his spot at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

Fares, who is a junior world champion and a world silver medallist at the senior level, won the 96kg class at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha yesterday much to the joy of Qatari fans at the venue.

Fares beat Iranian competitors for his gold medals, lifting 228kg in the clean and jerk and 404kg in total.

“I am very happy and with my effort today," said Fares, who finished seventh at the Rio Olympics as an 18-year-old.

“I was very young when I took part in the first Olympics but now I am experienced and much more confident. Hopefully I can win a medal in Tokyo next year," added the 21-year-old. Iran's Kianoush Rostami finished second while his compatriot Ali Miri was third. Rostami won the snatch title with 178kg. Miri's best in the snatch was just 162kg.

Fares beat Rostami in all the three attempts in the clean and jerk to ensure his first gold medal. While the Qatari recorded 213, 223 and 228kg, the Iranian hoisted 210, 220 and 225kg, which allowed Fares to win the second gold with a difference of just one kilo.

Azerbaijan's Minkova Kastova Boyanka made a clean sweep of all the three gold medals in the women's 59kg class, Latvia's Rebeka Koha and Romania's Irina Lacramiora Lepsa was third.

North Korean Choe Hyo Sim emerged the champion in the women's 64kg category, totaling 229kg, eight kilos more than second-placed Italian Giorgia Bordignon's attempt. The North Korean was second to Bordignon in the snatch but won the remaining two sections to stamp her class. The bronze medal went to Indian Rakhi Halder, who was fifth in the snatch but did well in the clean and jerk to finish second with 123kg, which helped her secure the third spot in the total.

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shooting
shooting logo

Pimenov Breaks World Record to Claim 50m Rifle Gold at Doha 2026

DOHA - Neutral athlete Dmitry Pimenov broke the world record to win gold in the men's 50m rifle three positions at the Doha 2026 World Shooting Championships on Wednesday, securing an Olympic quota place for Los Angeles 2028.Pimenov scored 362.8 points, ahead of Slovakia's Patrik Jany (357.2) and India's Neeraj Kumar (346.5). Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg finished fourth with 335.9 points and also secured a quota place, as Jany had already qualified for the Olympics.The Czech Republic won the men's team gold with 1,754 points, followed by Norway (1,752) and India (1,751).In trap qualifying, China, Britain and Türkiye shared the men's lead with 98 targets each, while Italy's shooters led the women's standings, followed by Puerto Rico, with all three scoring 95. Arrow
football
Football

More Teams Arrive in Doha Ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026

DOHA - With less than 10 days to go until the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026, participating teams have begun arriving in Doha, Qatar. A total of 48 teams will compete for the coveted trophy across 104 matches held from 19 November to 13 December.Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, China PR, New Caledonia, Honduras, New Zealand, Vietnam, Republic of Korea, and Costa Rica, are amongst teams that have already arrived, with more making their way in the coming days.This is the second of five consecutive editions Qatar will host through 2029, featuring the expanded 48-team format introduced last year. Seven teams will make their historic debut in the competition: Greece, Montenegro, Mozambique, Romania, Serbia, Tanzania, and Vietnam. China PR will also return to the FIFA U-17 World Cup after a 21-year absence.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place at the Competition Complex in Aspire Zone, transforming the venue into a vibrant football hub with up to eight matches a day during the group stage and Round of 32. The tournament’s unique centralised format proved to be a success in 2025, particularly for international scouts, who were able to observe emerging talents from a single venue.Hosts Qatar will play their first match of the tournament, against Panama on Thursday, 19 November, 6:30pm in Aspire Zone. The Final will take place at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on 13 December, 7pm.All tickets are digital and are available as a Day Pass, which will enable fans to attend multiple matches a day, as well as cultural and entertainment activities at the Fan Zone, in what will be an electrifying football festival-like atmosphere. Fans can also purchase a Prime Pass, which will enable them to reserve seats for high demand matches.Disabled fans can purchase tickets by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]. For official tournament updates and ticket details, visit www.roadtoqatar.qa and follow @u17worldcupqa on social media. A total of 48 teams from across globe are set to compete for the prestigious trophy. Arrow
golf
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Morocco Dominate as Arab Golf Championships Conclude in Doha

DOHA  – The 45th Arab Men’s and 17th Arab Women’s Golf Championships wrapped up today at Doha Golf Club after four days of competition, bringing together 72 golfers from 14 countries in a highly competitive contest across the individual and team events.Morocco emerged as the leading nation on the final day, with Rida Al Helli completing a dominant performance to capture individual gold. Having topped the standings since the opening day, Al Helli finished with 278 strokes, 10 under par. Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi took silver with 284 strokes, four under par, while the UAE’s Sam Moloney secured bronze with 285 strokes, three under par.The UAE’s Jonathan Selfrage placed fourth at one under par, followed by Morocco’s Hugo Trometer in fifth with an even-par score of 288 strokes.Qatar’s Daniel Sokolov secured sixth place at four over par, while Bahrain’s Khalifa Al Marisi and Morocco’s Mohammed Bouhamou shared seventh place with 11 over par. The UAE’s Mohammed Skik and Tunisia’s Bahaa Boualkmine completed the top ten in ninth and tenth place respectively.Morocco also claimed top honours in the team competition, taking gold with a combined score of 863 strokes, one under par. The UAE finished second with 869 strokes, five over par, to earn silver, while Qatar secured the bronze medal with 885 strokes, 21 over par. Bahrain and Tunisia finished fourth and fifth respectively.The medal presentation was attended by Hamad Abdullah Al Mana, President of the Qatar Golf Association and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee; Mustafa Al Zain, First Vice President of the Arab Golf Federation; Adel Al Fayyad, Second Vice President of the Arab Golf Federation; and Ali Redha, Secretary-General of the Arab Golf Federation.Fahad Nasser Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Qatar Golf Association, welcomed the successful conclusion of the championships, highlighting the achievements of the Qatari golfers. He particularly praised the team’s bronze-medal performance and Saleh Al Kaabi’s silver-medal finish in the individual event. Arrow
qoc

Qatar Olympic Committee Creates New Opportunities for Young Athletes at 2026 Youth Games

DOHA – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has announced that the 2026 Youth Games will be held from 18 to 22 November under the slogan “Towards a Sporting Generation and a Promising Future”. The event will welcome a broad range of young male and female sporting talents, highlighting the QOC’s ongoing commitment to developing young athletes and investing in the next generation.The announcement was made at a press conference held by the Organizing Committee at Al Wajba Hall, at the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters. The event was attended by Abdullah Al Athba, Head of the Support Services Committee; Abdullah Al-Abdullah, Head of the Technical Committee; Abdulrahman Al Mulla, Padel Competition Manager; and Masoud Al Athba, Shooting and Archery Competition Manager. Representatives of the event's sponsors and partners were also present, including United Development Company (UDC), Strategic Partner; Beanz, Official Refreshment Partner; The Dome, Padel Venue Sponsor; AlKalive, Official Water Supplier; Naseem Medical Centre, Official Health Care Supplier; and CRAVE, Sponsor of the Games, alongside representatives of media outlets.Mr. Abdullah Al Athba, Head of the Support Services Committee, welcomed and thanked the attendees before presenting the sports program for the Games. The program includes three sports: shooting, archery and padel, targeting boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17. He also highlighted the readiness of the competition venues, including their facilities, equipment and logistical arrangements, as well as the availability of organizational staff and volunteers to assist participants, their families and spectators at The Dome in Qatar Foundation and the Lusail Indoor Shooting Range.Mr. Abdullah Al-Abdullah, Head of the Technical Committee, outlined the technical and officiating framework for the competitions, noting that its implementation will involve close coordination with the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and the Qatar Padel Federation.Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Mulla said the padel competitions aim to build on the sport’s growing popularity and turn young people’s enthusiasm into opportunities to identify promising players and develop future champions. He added that technical support and qualified officiating would help create the right competitive environment for young talent to flourish.Mr Masoud Al-Athba, meanwhile, noted that shooting and archery offer more than sporting competition, helping young people develop discipline, responsibility, concentration and precision. He said the competitions also aim to identify promising Qatari athletes who can build on the country’s record of sporting achievements.According to the latest figures from the Organizing Committee, 338 young people have registered for the Games, comprising 276 boys and 62 girls. A total of 95 participants are registered for the 10-metre recurve archery event, while 177 will compete in the 10-metre air rifle and air pistol events. Padel will feature 33 teams. Arrow

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