Qatar handball team lose to Saudi Arabia in a friendly match

Doha: Qatar's national handball team lost to Saudi Arabia 26-25 in their first friendly match on Monday, part of preparations for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship to be held in Kuwait from January 15 to 26. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championship in Germany.The two sides will meet again in a second friendly on Wednesday. Qatar is aiming to reach peak readiness before the Asian competition, where it has been drawn into Group A alongside South Korea and Oman.Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China and Jordan; Group C features Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and India; while Group D consists of Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams split into two groups. The leading two from each group will qualify for the semifinals and secure direct entry to the 2027 World Championship.Qatar is seeking to defend its Asian title, having won the last six editions. The team has appeared in the World Championship ten times, with its best result being a runner-up finish at the 2015 tournament hosted in Doha. 

Qatar handball team to face Saudi Arabia in friendly

Doha: The Qatari national handball team will face their Saudi counterparts tomorrow, Monday, at the Al Duhail Sports Hall, in the first friendly match between the two sides as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship. The tournament will be held in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January and also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.The Qatari and Saudi teams are also scheduled to meet in a second friendly match next Wednesday.The Qatari team are aiming to reach peak readiness ahead of the Asian Championship, with the draw placing them in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatari handball team will be seeking to retain the Asian title they have won in the past six editions and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever result at the World Championship remains a runners-up finish at the Qatar 2015 edition.Qatar claimed the title of the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final. 

Doha to host Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 on Tuesday

Doha: The FIFA has announced that Doha will host The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 on Tuesday.The prestigious event will be held on the eve of the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025, which will see Paris Saint-Germain of France face Brazil's Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali World Cup Stadium.During the ceremony, FIFA will unveil the winners of The Best awards for men's and women's players, as well as men's and women's coaches, for the year 2025.The awards will be presented during the FIFA 2025 gala dinner, to be held at the Katara Hall of the Fairmont Hotel in Doha. 

Team Qatar to face Iraq in semi-finals of Gulf Under-23 Cup

Doha: The Qatari national under-23 football team will face their Iraqi counterparts tomorrow, Sunday, at Aspire Stadium No. 2, in the semi-final of the Gulf Under-23 Cup, which is being hosted by Qatar.Qatar booked their place in the next stage of the tournament after finishing second in Group A with seven points. They opened their campaign with a 3–0 victory over Kuwait, followed by a 1–0 win against Bahrain, before drawing 1–1 with Saudi Arabia in the third round.The Qatari team head into the match aiming to secure victory and claim a place in the final, scheduled for next Tuesday. Portuguese head coach Alido Valy is counting on several players who delivered standout performances during the group stage, notably forwards Mustafa Al-Sayed and Amro Abdel Fattah.Meanwhile, the Iraqi team reached the semi-finals after topping Group B with six points. They defeated Oman 2–0 and overcame the UAE 1–0 in the second round, recovering from a 2–1 defeat to Yemen in the opening round.In the other semi-final, Saudi Arabia will face the UAE at Aspire Stadium No. 1.Saudi Arabia advanced to the semi-finals after finishing top of Group A with seven points, having opened with a 5–0 win over Bahrain, followed by a 1–0 victory against Kuwait, before drawing 1–1 with Qatar in the final group match.The UAE finished second in Group B with six points, after defeating Yemen 3–1 in the opening round and overcoming Oman 2–0, before suffering a 1–0 loss to Iraq in the third and final round. 

Sheikh Joaan crowns winners of T100 Triathlon World Championship

Doha: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, today crowned the winners of the professional races at the T100 Triathlon World Championship, as Doha hosted the final weekend of the series, with the participation of a select group of the world’s top triathlon athletes.In the Men’s Pro T100 race at the final round, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde claimed first place with a time of 3:06:08, ahead of USA's Morgan Pearson, who finished second in 3:07:23, while Belgium’s Marten Van Riel secured third place with a time of 3:08:14, following a highly competitive race marked by strong performances and intense competition through to the final stages.With this result, Hayden Wilde was crowned champion of the 2025 T100 Triathlon World Championship season, accumulating 195 points, while Germany’s Mika Noodt finished second overall with 150 points, and Belgium’s Jelle Geens secured third place with 149 points.In the Women’s Pro T100 race, Britain’s Kate Waugh claimed first place with a time of 3:31:30, followed by her compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown, who finished second in 3:31:50, while Switzerland’s Julie Derron secured third place with a time of 3:32:31.In the women’s overall standings, Kate Waugh claimed first place with 183 points to be crowned women’s champion of the season, followed by Julie Derron in second place with 163 points, while Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay finished third with 152 points.The medal ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism; Mr. Antonio Arimany, President of World Triathlon; and H.E. Engineer Yasser bin Abdullah Al-Jamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.Hosting the final round of the championship in Doha reflects ongoing efforts to further strengthen Qatar’s position as a global sports and tourism destination, in line with the country’s vision of leveraging sport as a driver of development, promoting sports tourism, and showcasing its world-class organizational capabilities. 

Team Qatar Handball to Play Two Friendly Matches Against Saudi Arabia in Preparation for the Asian Championship in Kuwait

Doha: The Qatari national handball team will play two friendly matches against their Saudi counterparts on Monday and Wednesday in Doha, as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January 2026. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.The two matches will provide an important opportunity for the national team’s technical staff, led by Spanish head coach Valero Rivera, to assess the players’ readiness ahead of announcing the final squad that will represent Qatar at the continental championship.The tournament draw placed the Qatari team in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Qatar will open their campaign against Oman on Friday, 16 January, before facing South Korea in their second group match on 20 January.Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatari handball team will be aiming to retain the Asian title they have won in the past six editions—2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024—and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever finish at the World Championship remains second place at the 2015 edition, which was hosted by Qatar.Qatar claimed the title at the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final.