Qatar U13 table tennis team record positive results at WTT Youth Contender Doha 2026

DOHA: Qatar’s Under-13 table tennis team recorded encouraging results at the WTT Youth Contender Doha 2026, currently taking place at Lusail Sports Hall and running until January 22.Qatar’s Rasha Laghraibi claimed second place in the Under-13 category after losing the final to Egypt’s Malak Zaki 3–0. Laghraibi had earlier secured a 3–0 victory in the semifinals against fellow Qatari player Alia Al-Baz, who finished third.In the boys’ Under-13 competition, Qatar’s Rabia Al-Kuwari earned third place after suffering a 3–1 defeat in the semifinals to Uganda’s Joseph Ssebatindira.In other results, Chinese Taipei’s Wu Wing won the Girls’ Under-17 title after defeating India’s Devyanshi 3–2, while Iran’s Benjamin Faraji claimed first place in the Under-17 category with a 3–0 victory over Hong Kong champion Man Long.Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, a board member of the Qatar Table Tennis Federation, praised the performances of Qatar’s national team players at the Youth Contender Championship.Al-Rumaihi said that the Qatari players were well prepared for the tournament through appropriate training camps, which had a positive impact on their results. He added that participation in this level of competition helps refine players’ skills and experience through exposure to athletes from different nationalities and playing schools, commending the high standards shown across all categories.Matches of the Youth Contender Championship will continue on Wednesday, with the competition concluding on Thursday, followed by the start of the Star Youth Contender tournament.The championship is part of the Qatar International Table Tennis Series, which includes five tournaments: the WTT Champions Qatar, Star Contender, Youth Contender, Youth Star Contender, and concludes with the Feeder Tournament, scheduled to take place from January 27 to 31. 

Qatar shooters clinch team trap silver at Asian Shotgun Championship

Doha: Qatar shooters won the silver medal in the men’s team trap competition on the penultimate day of the Asian Shotgun Championship at the Lusail Shooting Complex on Tuesday.The Qatari trio of Saeed Abu Sharib, Mohammed Al Rumaihi and Angelo Scalzone finished second with a total of 352 targets across five rounds. Kuwait claimed the gold medal as Abdulrahman Al Faihan, Nasser Al Muqallad and Khaled Al Mudhaf topped the standings with 354 targets, while the UAE trio of Yahya Al Muhairi, Waleed Al Aryani and Mohammed Al Maktoum secured bronze with 351.In the men’s individual trap event, Pakistan’s Muhammad Farooq Nadeem won the gold medal after setting new Asian and world records with a score of 27 out of 30 targets. Kazakhstan’s Maxim Beidarov took silver with 26, while Kuwait’s Al Faihan claimed bronze with 20.Chinese Taipei’s Wan-Yu Liu captured the gold medal in the women’s individual trap competition, also setting new Asian and world records with 24 out of 30 targets. Kazakhstan’s Ibragimova Ilyinova finished second with 23, while China’s Shen-Yu Fan secured the bronze with 17.In the women’s team trap event, Kazakhstan won the gold medal after accumulating 235 points over five rounds. Chinese Taipei finished second to take silver with 316 points, while Kuwait claimed the bronze with 315.At the conclusion of the competitions, the winners were crowned by Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Roshan Starakhan Azard, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Jassim Shaheen Al Sulaiti, Secretary General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, and Obaid Manahi Al Osaimi, Secretary General of the Kuwaiti and Arab Shooting Federations. 

New Asian and world records set in junior trap events

Doha: The trap shooting competition continued on the eighth day of the Asian Shotgun Championship Doha 2026, currently taking place at the Lusail Shooting Complex. The championship runs until Wednesday and features 196 male and female shooters from 17 countries.Monday’s programme included the final qualifying rounds for junior men and junior women in the individual trap events, as well as the team category. The competitions concluded with the medal ceremonies.In the junior men’s individual event, contested over two qualifying rounds, the top eight shooters advanced to the final. Uzbekistan’s Okinjon Abdukodirov claimed the gold medal and set new Asian and world records after hitting 24 of 30 targets in the final. Lebanon’s Ghassan Baklini secured silver with 21 targets, while Kazakhstan’s Denis Krivenko took bronze with a score of 18.The junior women’s individual event, part of the Asian Grand Prix, featured eight shooters over two rounds of 50 targets. Kazakhstan’s Leila Shantikova won gold after scoring 25 targets in the final. Uzbekistan’s Yaroslava Ishtaeva earned silver with 19, while Kazakhstan’s Milana Babshikina claimed bronze with 16.In the junior team event, Kazakhstan topped the standings with a total of 320 targets to win gold. Lebanon followed closely with 318 for silver, while Uzbekistan secured bronze with 313.The winners were crowned by Ahmed Yahya Al Nuaimi, Assistant Secretary of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) and Deputy Director of the Championship, along with Abdullah Ali Al Mutawa Al Hammadi, Head of the Championship’s Technical Committee.Competition resumes on Tuesday with five qualifying rounds in the men’s, women’s and team trap events, followed by the singles finals and medal ceremonies.Al Mutawa Al Hammadi praised the strong performance of Qatari shooters in the skeet events, where they collected six medals, including three gold and three silver. He expressed hope that the momentum would continue in the remaining trap competitions.Speaking to media, he said the championship is significant as it is the first to apply the new International Shooting Federation rules, which will be used at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. He noted that the updated format, allowing eight shooters into individual finals instead of six, contributed to several new Asian and world records being set.He also highlighted the achievements of Rashid Saleh and Reem Al Sharshani in the mixed team skeet event, and Mutaib Al Marri in the youth individual skeet, all of whom set new Asian and world records. He concluded by thanking the judging panel for their efforts and voiced confidence in further Qatari success in the days ahead. 

Qatar Football Festival 2026 set to take place this March

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Football Events has announced the Qatar Football Festival 2026, set to take place between 26-31 March. The Festival will include the men's Finalissima 2026 alongside a series of high-profile international matches with the participation of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Serbia. The matches offer participating nations valuable preparation to measure their readiness and assess their capabilities ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.The six matches scheduled as part of the Qatar Football Festival include:Finalissima 2026:The match will be held at the iconic Lusail Stadium on 27 March, where European champions Spain will face South American champions Argentina in an anticipated meeting between continental title holders.International Matches: •    26 March: Egypt v Saudi Arabia – Ahmad bin Ali Stadium•    26 March: Qatar v Serbia – Jassim bin Hamad Stadium •    30 March: Egypt v Spain – Lusail Stadium•    30 March: Saudi Arabia v Serbia – Jassim bin Hamad Stadium •    31 March: Qatar v Argentina – Lusail StadiumTickets on sale next month●    Exclusive travel packages for international fans will be available starting from 1 February 2026, delivered in partnership with Visit Qatar, the official marketing and promotional arm of Qatar Tourism, and Qatar Airways.●    Match tickets will go on sale from 25 February 2026 at roadtoqatar.qa.H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, LOC Chairman for Football Events, said: "We look forward to welcoming players and fans from around the world as we prepare to host the world's biggest football stars ahead of the FIFA World Cup. We are honoured to open our doors once again to the global football community.”H.E. Sheikh Hamad added: “Hosting the Qatar Football Festival reflects our commitment to delivering world-class experiences and reaffirms Qatar's position as a trusted partner in global football.”Lusail Stadium holds a special place in world football history, having witnessed unforgettable moments during major tournaments and hosted remarkable achievements for national teams and players alike. The venue has seen teams and stars crowned with world and continental titles, from iconic moments at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to Qatar's triumphant Asian Cup victory. The stadium continues to cement its position as one of football's most prestigious landmarks and a stage for creating new footballing memories. 

Team Qatar set to Face South Korea in Asian Handball Championship Clash

KUWAIT -  Qatar’s national handball team will take on South Korea on Tuesday in a key Group A encounter at the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, currently underway in Kuwait and running until January 26.The continental tournament also serves as a qualifying event for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship, which will be held in Germany.Both sides arrive with confidence after booking their places in the main round. Qatar opened their campaign with an emphatic 27–15 victory over Oman, while South Korea secured a 29–24 win against Oman.Qatar will be aiming to continue their strong start and secure a win over South Korea to finish the group stage at the top of Group A.The draw placed Qatar in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B features Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan; Group C includes Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India; while Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. 

Yuling, Qihao claim WTT Star Contender Doha titles

Doha: Year 2026 couldn’t have opened any better for Zhu Yuling, who emerged as back-to-back champion at Lusail Sports Arena after beating Hitomi Sato to the WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 title (5-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5).Picking up her first WTT Champions success in this very city just last week, Zhu is yet to taste defeat on WTT Series 2026, adding five more wins this week off the back of the five she picked up last week, making that 10 out of 10.That perfect record very nearly came undone at the semi-final hurdle on Sunday, with Zhu pulling off a Match Point save to deny Satsuki Odo, and the final would prove equally as challenging.Facing off against the unshakable defensive prowess of Hitomi Sato, the Japanese star hadn’t dropped a single game in the lead up to the final, and she looked to be well on her way to another outstanding victory, sweeping the opening two games of the title match.But Zhu eventually found the breakthrough she was looking for, hitting back in the third to get the ball rolling. The former World No.1 had cracked the code, and from that point on it was one-way traffic. Patiently waiting for her moment to strike, Zhu began to pick apart her opponent’s defensive stance, chalking up four games on the bounce to deny Sato at the last.The men’s singles honours ended up going Zhou Qihao’s way, who laid claim to his first WTT Star Contender title, and his first WTT Series success since WTT Contender Lagos 2023.His opponent in the final, Wen Ruibo, had impressed all week, signalling his intent with a stunning semi-final win over No.2 seed Hugo Calderano.Despite starting the final brightly, the 19-year-old would ultimately fall short. Zhou Qihao, a player who has been there and done it in finals before, lent on his experience to expertly navigate the occasion, staying grounded in the heat of battle to reach the finish line first (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8).Earlier in the day, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem finally got their hands on the WTT Series trophy that had eluded them for years, taking home the mixed doubles title in Doha.One of the sport’s longest running partnerships, combining forces for the first time well over a decade ago, Wong and Doo know everything there is to know about each other’s game, and their vast experience would prove pivotal in deciding Sunday’s title clash.Weathering an early storm, the Hong Kong, China duo found their mojo in game two and didn’t look back from there, punishing Park Ganghyeon and Kim Nayeong who failed to take advantage at 7-9 up in the third before kicking on to finish the job in four (9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5).