Strong Start for the FIVB Beach Volleyball U18 World Championships in Doha

DOHA -  The preliminary rounds of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-18 World Championships kicked off on Tuesday in Doha, marking Qatar’s first-ever hosting of this prestigious global event. The championship, held at the Al Gharafa Beach Courts, runs through October 11.The main draw lineup was completed Tuesdayh following the qualification rounds, which saw eight teams  four men’s and four women’s advance. On the men’s side, Brazil, Norway, Austria, and Ukraine secured their places, while in the women’s competition, the United States, Brazil, Hungary, and Slovakia booked their spots.The main draw was conducted immediately after the conclusion of the qualifiers, with Team Qatar fielding four squads two in the men’s category and two in the women’s.According to the draw, Qatar (1) men’s team was placed in Group A alongside Colombia, Canada, and Türkiye, while Qatar (2) was drawn into Group H with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.In the women’s category, Qatar (1) was placed in Group A with Mexico, the United States, and Malaysia, whereas Qatar (2) landed in Group H with Canada, Gambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Team Qatar begins its campaign today, as the men’s Team Qatar (1), featuring Mousa Al-Khair and Ahmed Ziad, faces Türkiye in their opening match, while the pair of Jassim Al-Tamimi and Saad Al-Awad take on Saudi Arabia.On the women’s side, Qatar (1), represented by Bendaa Ibrahim and Mariam Mouhoub, will play two matches today the first against the United States and the second versus Malaysia. Similarly, Qatar (2), represented by Lujain Mahmoud and Selin Mahmoud, will meet the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gambia in their group fixtures.The top three teams from each of the eight groups will qualify for the knockout stage. Group winners will advance directly to the Round of 16, while the teams finishing second and third will move on to the Round of 24.The knockout rounds will begin on Friday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday, with the medal matches concluding the championship on Sunday. 

Qatar held to a goalless draw by Oman

Doha: Hosts Qatar were held to a goalless draw by Oman in the opening Group A tie of the fourth/playoffs round of the Asian qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday.Qatar pushed hard and came close on a couple of occasions but were kept at bay by the solid defence of Oman. With 1-point each now, both Qatar and Oman will face the United Arab Emirates in their second clash with Oman playing first on Sunday, and UAE meeting Qatar three days later on Tuesday.Only the group winner will earn an automatic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.At the post-match conference, Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui termed Oman’s defence as stubborn.“We performed well throughout the match against a stubborn team that defended well and closed down spaces. Despite that, we created several opportunities but couldn’t convert them into goals,” the Spaniard lamented.He also felt that the best players were on the field. “The starting lineup was ideal given the injuries, and all the players gave their best to achieve the desired result. When you have the chances and you are unable to take advantage, then you have to be humble and compete hard. It means that on the day that you can’t win, you have to avoid to lose. Today we had the right mentality, so we have one point. We have the half of the competition. We have to recover well and to face the next challenge.”Were Qatar less offensive? “I repeat we have to analyze how much and how much means how you attack and how you defend. I think that we defended really. I think that the team will show good maturity a little bit. We are in competition. We have to recover well. I think we don’t talk about what we missed, we have to put focus on the things that are really well.“We will continue to pursue our dream of qualifying for the World Cup. Today’s draw against Oman hasn’t negatively impacted the team or added pressure ahead of the UAE match on October 14.”Qatar face a big challenge against UAE but the coach hoped that his side would be up to the task.“I trust in the team, in their work. I think, they are working really well. We have a big, big enormous challenge in front of us. A big dream and when you are following one dream there is nothing else (of qualifying for the World Cup). This is the dream you have to realize. So we have to continue with what we have now. It is time to recover well and to think about the next match,” stressed Lopetegui.Oman’s highly-experienced coach Carlos Queiroz said that the stalemate was the best result for both sides. “We performed well and managed to stop Qatar’s attacks, which we expected given they were playing at home,” said Queiroz.“We knew the match would be tough, so we played with high spirit. Despite our solid defense, we also created chances but couldn’t score. A draw is the best result for both teams today. A loss would have hurt our chances of World Cup qualification. We don’t have much time before facing the UAE, but we’ll prepare well to keep our World Cup dream alive.”Quieroz also appreciated Qatar’s play but added that Oman also deserves fans’ respect for the way they played today. “Qatar make great efforts in the game, different moments. It is the beauty of Qatar to start the game on a strong note. We knew that this is the style of Qatar when they start briskly, they go against every single team. We build up our strategy to make a contention, stop them, create a fear factor on them. We cut all the solutions that usually they use to win matches. And when we created that frustration, it was when our players began to play better and better, control the game, and we start to create our chances.“I think the result is fair, more than fair. But one thing again, I saw my boys. They deserve our respect. They deserve that the fans are proud of them.”Earlier the coaches were more exemplified with their gestures on the field. Lopetegui threw his hands out in desperation when Boualem Khoukhi missed an early chance in the 13th minute being off target.Qatar’s Sultan Al Brake and Edmílson Junior also pushed early but with no success.Oman tested Qatar’s debutant goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada in the 27th minute when Issam Al Sabhi skipped made a powerful left-footed shot but it was well held by the custodian.Qatar almost capitalized six minutes later when Mohammad Al Mannai slipped a clever ball through to Akram Afif, who tried to catch Oman napping but Thani Al Rushaidi was up to the task with a solid intervention.Nasser Al Rawahi came close to finding the opener for Oman after seeing his glancing header whisk over the bar off a corner, while Qatar’s push for goal in the closing stages of the half came from Afif, whose effort was easily dealt by the Omani defence.Afif came knocking on Oman’s door again four minutes after the restart, bursting through the centre and weaving past defenders before cutting inside the box on his favourite right foot, only to drag his effort just wide.Oman almost caused problems for Julen Lopetegui’s side on 69 minutes when Abunada rushed off his line to clear a cross into the box and in doing so left his goal exposed but Abdullah Fawaz could not find the target from distance.Almoez Ali came on in the 57th minute for Ahmed Al Ganehi but couldn’t inspire Qatar tovictory as the teams settled for a share of the spoils. 

Team Qatar to take on Oman in final Asian play-off stage of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Doha, Qatar: Asian champions Qatar will begin their campaign in the final Asian play-off stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday when they take on Oman at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al Sadd.The six-team play-off, split into two groups of three, will decide Asia’s final direct qualifiers for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams in each group will play each other over two legs in November to determine which team advances to the inter-confederation play-offs.Doha will host the Group A fixtures of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, while Group B, hosted in Jeddah, includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia. The winners of each group will earn direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA extravaganza which will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.Ahead of the crucial stage, Lopetegui said that “preparations went in an ideal manner” and that “the team will seek to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26 despite the challenge of having to face two strong opponents: Oman and the UAE”.Lopetegui added that it is imperative that all team members maintain their mental focus and put in their maximum effort in pursuit of the desired goal.Qatar, champions of the last two AFC Asian Cups in 2019 and 2023, are targeting their second appearance at the World Cup after hosting the highly successful 2022 edition, and are favourites to go through.However, Lopetegui added that what matters now is giving the utmost performance, being in the present moment, and being competitive to surpass Oman and the UAE despite the team’s illustrious pedigree.The Qatar coach pointed out that the team is facing minor issues with player injuries, with some key players remaining uncertain for tomorrow’s clash.Meanwhile, in an interview with the Qatar News Agency, former Qatar star Abdulaziz Hassan said the players have the experience to handle key matches and that playing in Doha before a big home crowd will help the team recover after a disappointing third round.“The squad has strong attacking options with Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, and Edmilson,” Hassan said, urging the players to give maximum effort and maintain top form to beat their rivals while not wasting valuable chances.“The three Group A teams are evenly matched and dropping points could prove costly,” Hassan added.

Team Qatar win West Asian Youth Athletics Champions in Beirut

Beirut: Team Qatar’s athletics delegation captured first place overall at the 3rd West Asian Youth Athletics Championships, which concluded in Beirut, Lebanon, with participation from 12 countries.Team Qatar’s athletes dominated the competition, winning a total of 23 medals — 11 gold, 8 silver, and 4 bronze — to top the overall standings. The UAE finished second with 19 medals (11 gold, 6 silver, 2 bronze), followed by Lebanon in third and Iraq in fourth place.President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala, expressed his pride in the team’s achievement, emphasizing that the result reflects years of effort and investment in developing young Qatari athletes. Speaking upon the delegation’s arrival at Hamad International Airport, Al-Fadala praised the coaching and administrative teams for their dedication over the past four years, describing the victory as “a collective success for Qatari athletics.”He noted that Qatar’s continued excellence in athletics stems from the unwavering support of the country’s leadership for sports development. Al-Fadala reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to nurturing young talent, expanding the national pool of athletes, and raising Qatar’s profile across global athletics platforms.Team Qatar participated with 16 male and 2 female athletes, competing across track and field events. Among them were: Timo Jassim (100m), Ahmed Haroun (200m), Youssef Abdulaziz and Mohamed Kala (400m), Hatim Hameed (800m & 1500m), Mubarak Saeed (1500m & 3000m), Hussein Mohammed and Idris Abubakr (110m hurdles), Abdulrahman Mohammed and Abdulrazzaq Idris (400m hurdles), Younes Al-Balushi and Ibrahim Zakaria (pole vault), Mohamed Faisal (long jump & triple jump), Saleh Mahmoud and Mohamed Jimi (shot put & discus), and Abdulrahman Ibrahim (hammer throw).The women’s lineup featured Dana Salem (100m & 200m) and Maryam Al-Salik (800m & 1500m), both of whom contributed significantly to Qatar’s strong medal haul.With this triumph, Team Qatar reaffirmed its position as a regional powerhouse in athletics and highlighted the depth of emerging young talent capable of shining on the continental and international stages. 

Team Qatar win 16 medals at West Asian Championships

Beirut: Team Qatar’s athletics squad continued their dominant performance at the 3rd West Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Beirut, Lebanon, raising its total medal count to 16 — including 8 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze — among athletes from 12 participating countries.Hatim Hameed won gold in the 800m race, while Abdulrahman Mohammed topped the hammer throw. In the pole vault, Younes Al-Balushi and Zakaria Ibrahim shared the gold medal after agreeing to split the title without a jump-off.On the opening day, four Qatari athletes captured gold medals: Abdulrahman Mohammed (400m hurdles), Mubarak Saeed (3,000m), Maryam Al-Salik (women’s 3,000m), and Dana Salem (women’s 100m).Silver medals went to Abdulrazzaq Idris (400m hurdles), Saleh Mahmoud (shot put), Mohsen Faisal (long jump), the mixed relay team of Ahmed Haroun, Dana Salem, Samer Hassan, and Maryam Al-Salik, and Mohamed Kala (400m).The bronze medals were claimed by Youssef Abdulaziz (400m), Abubakr Idris (110m hurdles), and Mohsen Faisal (triple jump).With this impressive showing, Team Qatar has firmly established itself among the leading nations in the West Asian Championships, reflecting the depth of young Qatari talent and the success of the Qatar Athletics Federation’s ongoing investment in developing future champions. 

FIVB Beach Volleyball U18 World Championships Kick Off in Doha Tomorrow

Doha: The FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-18 World Championships will get underway tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Al Gharrafa Beach Courts, running through October 11.Being hosted in the Middle East for the first time, the championship will feature 32 men’s teams and 32 women’s teams representing 55 countries, marking a historic milestone for the sport in the region.The tournament will begin with qualification rounds, where 24 teams will compete for four remaining spots in the main draw, joining 28 teams that have already earned direct qualification. The main round will feature eight groups of four teams each, with the top three from each group advancing to the knockout stage, leading up to the bronze and gold medal matches.As the host nation, Qatar will compete with two men’s teams—the first comprising Moussa Al Khair and Ahmed Ziyad, and the second featuring Jassim Al Tamimi and Saad Al Awad. In the women’s category, Qatar will also field two teams: Bandah Ibrahim and Maryam Mohoub in the first, and Lujain Mahmoud and Celine Mahmoud in the second.The Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) confirmed that preparations have been completed to ensure the successful organization of the event. The federation highlighted its commitment to delivering an exceptional championship experience for athletes and fans alike through world-class facilities, smooth logistics, and professional event management.Hosting the FIVB Beach Volleyball U18 World Championships further underscores Qatar’s status as a leading global hub for major sporting events, building on its long-standing record of excellence in hosting international competitions.