Qatar announces squad for Arab Cup

Doha: Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui announced on Sunday a 23-player squad for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, which kicks off on December 1.Striker Almoez Ali, who underwent leg surgery in London earlier this month, misses out, leaving Akram Afif to lead the attack as Qatar look to build on their third-place finish in the 2021 edition.Qatar will open their campaign on December 1 at Al Bayt Stadium, facing the winner of the Palestine–Libya qualifier, which will be decided tomorrow. Group A also includes Tunisia, last edition’s runners-up, while the winner of the Syria–South Sudan qualifier will complete the group.The squad announcement followed the conclusion of Round 10 of the Qatar Stars League last night. Lopetegui has opted for a balanced list featuring a mix of established names and emerging talent, with an eye toward preparations for next year’s FIFA World Cup in United States, Mexico and Canada.Veterans Boualem Khoukhi, Karim Boudiaf and Pedro Miguel are among those omitted, while seasoned players Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Assim Madibo, Edmilson Junior, Lucas Mendes and Mohammed Waad return to the fold.In goal, Mahmoud Abunada, who has recently emerged as Lopetegui’s first choice, is joined by Meshaal Barsham and Shehab Al Laithi.Qatar will also look to Mohammed Muntari for firepower during a tournament that concludes with the final at the iconic Lusail Stadium on December 18.Young prospects Yousuf Ayman and Mohammed Khalid are also included as Lopetegui continues to integrate new talent into the national setup.Qatar, who played a friendly against Zimbabwe to prepare for Arab Cup, will hold a short training camp before the tournament. Qatar squad:Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham, Shehab Al Laithi (goalkeepers), Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Ahmed Fathy, Akram Afif, Al Hashemi Al Hussein, Ayoub Mohammed, Assim Madibo, Edmilson Junior, Issa Lay, Homam Al Amin, Jassim Jaber, Khalid Ali, Lucas Mendes, Mohammed Khalid, Mohammed Mannai, Mohammed Muntari, Mohammed Waad, Sultan Al Brake, Tarek Salman, Yousuf Ayman

Qatar School Sports Association President Highlights the Olympic School Program’s Role in Discovering Young Talent

Doha: H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, President of the Qatar School Sports Association, affirmed the importance of the Olympic School Program in identifying and nurturing emerging sporting talents, while providing an encouraging environment for learning and teamwork.Sheikh Khalifa praised the continued success of the Olympic School Program and the growing participation of students across Qatar, noting that the current edition features an expanded lineup of 38 individual and team sports. This expansion aims to broaden participation opportunities and enrich students’ athletic and educational experiences, in line with the program’s vision to build a creative and responsible generation capable of contributing to the nation’s progress.He made these remarks during a press conference held today at the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters to announce the signing of a sponsorship agreement between the Olympic School Program and Kotinos.The President of the Qatar School Sports Association stated:“Previous editions of the program—especially the 18th edition—achieved remarkable success, with around 25,000 students from 502 schools participating across a wide range of sports.”He added:“This achievement has strengthened the program’s ability to discover and support emerging young athletes, while providing a stimulating learning environment that encourages teamwork. It has become a leading model for school sports.”Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani emphasized the Association’s firm commitment to further developing the program and achieving the best outcomes in the current edition.For his part, Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, Executive Director of the Olympic School Program, confirmed that there is a strategic vision aimed at ensuring the program continues to achieve its goals of discovering promising Qatari sports talent.He said:“The Olympic School Program has made major strides and has contributed to identifying many young talents in Qatari sports, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030. We look forward to continued success at all levels, including increasing the number of sporting competitions and the number of participating students in this year’s edition.”Meanwhile, Mr. Jiham Al-Kuwari, Board Member of the Qatar School Sports Association, expressed his confidence in the program’s ability to enhance efforts to discover and develop sporting talent in Qatar, serving the future of Qatari sport.He stated:“The new edition of the Olympic School Program is witnessing significant interest from school students, reflecting the great success of this initiative. It provides students with the opportunity to showcase their abilities and talents across a wide range of sporting events.”The 19th edition of the Olympic School Program for the 2025–2026 season officially began in September.

Abdelkader Said wins the Super Grand Prix at the Longines Global Champions Tour

Prague: Belgian rider Abdelkader Said a member of Qatar’s Team Wathnan, captured the Super Grand Prix title at the Global Champions Playoffs, the 17th and final round of the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League, held in Prague, Czech Republic. The event brought together the world’s elite riders and top-level horses.Riding “Bunamy”, Said secured first place with a time of 62.43 seconds and four penalty points over a 165 cm course. He earned a prize of €300,000 out of a total purse of €1.25 million.French rider Simon Delestre finished second aboard “Cayman Jolly Jumper”, clocking 62.45 seconds with four faults to claim €250,000. British rider Scott Brash placed third on “Hello Shadura Lady” in 62.81 seconds, also with four faults, earning €200,000.This year’s Longines Global Champions Tour began in Doha (Al Shaqab) before moving on to Mexico City, Shanghai, Madrid, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Paris, Monaco, London, Valkenswaard, Riesenbeck, New York, Vienna, Rome, Rabat, and Riyadh, culminating in the Prague finale, where all winners of the Grand Prix rounds from the tour’s 16 prior stages competed for the season’s ultimate title.

Popular Arab literary character Juha comes to life as FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 mascot

Doha: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Local Organising Committee (LOC) has unveiled Juha as the official mascot for the prestigious Arab competition taking place from December 1-18 in Qatar.  Inspired by arguably the most popular character from the history of Arab literature, Juha embodies the rich folkloric traditions of the region. Often depicted as a clumsy and slow-witted man who finds himself in humorous situations due to his strange antics, Juha’s tales, wildly popular across generations in the Arab world, always ends up in a revelation of profound wisdom.The beloved folklore hero will come to life, joining in the festivities of the FIFA Arab Cup, that will once again unite Arab fans for a unique celebration of the region’s vibrant culture and shared passion for football.A total of 16 teams will have a chance to lift the coveted FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 trophy. Nine of the highest FIFA ranked teams have qualified automatically, while 14 teams will vie for the remaining 7 spots in a series of qualifiers. The qualifying matches will be held ahead of the tournament on November 25-26 in Qatar.FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 ticket are available at: www.roadtoqatar.qa, with prices starting from QR25. Supporters can also purchase a Follow My Team ticket, which will enable them to attend all matches of their team of choice during the group stage. Throughout the competition, fans will also be treated to a variety of entertainment and cultural activities.All tickets will be digital and will include accessible seating options for disabled fans. Disabled fans wishing to request accessible seats can do so by sending an e-mail to [email protected] opening match will take place on December 1 at Al Bayt Stadium featuring hosts Qatar and the winner of Palestine v Libya. The Final will be held on December 18 at the iconic Lusail Stadium. Other stadiums that will host matches during the tournament are Ahmad Bin Ali, Education City, Khalifa International and Stadium 974.

Qatar ends Islamic Solidarity Games with three medals

Riyadh: Qatar wrapped up its campaign at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh with three medals — a silver in fencing and bronze medals in handball and athletics — bringing its overall tally to 11 (3 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze).The men’s foil team of Khalid al-Yafei, Adham al-Deeb and Abdullah Khalifa won silver after a tight 43-45 loss to Uzbekistan in the final, having beaten the UAE in the semi-finals. The men’s and women’s epee teams were eliminated in the Round of 16.Qatar’s handball team claimed bronze after a 36–28 win over the UAE, overcoming the disappointment of a narrow semi-final defeat to Bahrain. They topped their group with three victories before finishing the tournament with a 4–1 record.In athletics, Abubaker Haydar secured bronze in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:46.26, while Moaz Ibrahim was placed fourth in the discus throw.In camel racing, Hazam Abdullah al-Nadeela finished fourth in the 2km event at Al-Janadriyah.

Islamic Solidarity Games Conclude in Riyadh

Riyadh: The sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games came to a close today, Friday, in the Saudi capital Riyadh, following competitions held from November 7 to 21. The Games concluded with a grand closing ceremony staged at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Stadium.Qatar finished its participation with a total of 11 medals: 3 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze.The first Qatari medal of the Games came in swimming, where Team Qatar’s Ali Tamim won silver in the men’s 100m freestyle, clocking 49.63 seconds, just behind Saudi Arabia’s Zaid Al-Sarraj, who secured gold in 49.62 seconds. Saudi swimmer Imad Al-Zaben claimed bronze with 50.4 seconds.Qatar’s medal tally rose further when weightlifter Ouisal Ikhlef dominated the women’s over 86kg category with three gold medals. She won the snatch with a successful lift of 117kg, took gold in the clean and jerk with 160kg, and secured her third gold with a combined total of 277kg.Team Qatar earned its fifth medal through show jumper Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, who clinched silver in the equestrian jumping competition after finishing second in the final round at Al-Janadriyah Equestrian Arena, registering a time of 34.62 seconds on his horse Marco Monet.In fencing, Khalid Al-Yafai earned bronze in the men’s foil event, while wrestler Shaheen Mohammed claimed bronze in the 77kg category. Team Qatar’s 3×3 basketball squad then delivered the country’s eighth medal of the Games with a strong performance.Qatar wrapped up its final day of competition with one silver and two bronze medals. The men’s foil team secured silver in team fencing, the national handball team added a bronze, and Abubaker Haydar won bronze in the men’s 800m event in athletics.The final medal ceremonies of the Games were held today, including for the men’s handball competition, where Bahrain claimed gold with a 33–31 victory over Saudi Arabia in the championship match, while Qatar secured the bronze medal.