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28 Sep’ 2026
Team Qatar Beat South Korea to Reach Handball Final Aichi-Nagoya
Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar’s men’s handball team qualified for the final of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after defeating South Korea 32-30 in yesterday’s semi-final.
Qatar will face Bahrain in today’s final after Bahrain defeated Japan 35-31 in the other semi-final. Team Qatar will be looking to retain the gold medal they have won at each of the previous three editions of the Asian Games.
The semi-final was a closely contested and exciting encounter. South Korea made the stronger start and took a 2-0 lead before Qatar responded and reduced the deficit to one goal at 5-4. The match remained evenly balanced, with both sides exchanging goals.
South Korea restored their three-goal advantage at 9-6 and remained ahead until the 20th minute, when the score stood at 11-9. They continued to lead 14-12 in the 25th minute before Qatar fought back to level at 14-14, with the first half eventually ending 16-16.
Team Qatar started the second half strongly and moved 18-16 ahead, before South Korea responded to level the score at 18-18. Korea then regained the lead at 20-19, but Qatar quickly equalized at 20-20 before moving 21-20 ahead.
The intensity continued, with the teams locked at 26-26 as the match entered its final 10 minutes. Qatar then imposed their advantage in the closing stages, taking a 30-28 lead in the 25th minute before extending the margin to 32-28. Despite South Korea’s late attempt to reduce the deficit, Qatar held firm to secure a 32-30 victory.
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QOC Elects H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani as Vice-President and Completes Board Formation
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) held its 2026 Extraordinary General Assembly today, chaired by H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.The meeting finalised the composition of the QOC Board of Directors, alongside a review of the performance of Qatar’s national teams and preparations for upcoming sporting events.The General Assembly elected H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani as Vice-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, while H.E. Mohammed bin Yousuf Al Mana was also appointed Vice-President, following the decision of H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari to step down from his position.The Qatar Olympic Committee expressed its sincere appreciation to H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari for his valuable efforts and contributions during his tenure, and wished him continued success.The General Assembly also reviewed the results of Qatar’s national teams at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, including the medals and achievements secured across various competitions, as well as preparations for Qatar’s participation in upcoming multi-sport events.H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani commended the achievements of Qatari athletes and national teams throughout the year, particularly their performances at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. He also praised the efforts of national sports federations, committees, and technical and administrative teams in preparing athletes and supporting their participation in international competitions.The Qatar Olympic Committee reaffirmed its commitment to developing Qatari sporting talent and expanding opportunities for athletes to compete, further strengthening Qatar’s sporting presence and competitiveness in future events.
Arab Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships Continue in Doha
DOHA - Competition continued at the 45th Arab Men’s Golf Championship and the 17th Arab Women’s Golf Championship, hosted by Qatar for the first time at Doha Golf Club, with 72 male and female golfers representing 14 countries. The championships have witnessed intense and closely contested battles for the individual and team titles as the competitions enter their decisive stages.In the second round of the men’s individual competition, Morocco’s Reda El Hali maintained his position at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 139 strokes, seven under par. The UAE’s Jonathan Selfrage followed in second place at five under par, also with a total of 139 strokes, while compatriot Sam Mullaney finished third with 144 strokes, at par.Morocco’s Hugo Trommeter took fourth place at one over par with 145 strokes, while Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi moved up to fifth, sharing the position with Bahrain’s Khalifa Al Marisi and the UAE’s Mohammed Shaik. All three recorded two over par, with 146 strokes each. Qatar’s rising talent Daniel Sokolov finished seventh at three over par with 147 strokes.Among the other Qatari golfers, Ali Al Shahrani finished 17th at 11 over par, while Fahad Mir placed 28th at 17 over par.In the women’s individual competition, Morocco’s Reem Emni claimed the lead after recording four under par, with a total of 142 strokes. The UAE’s Intisar Rish finished second with 146 strokes, while Morocco’s Maria Harroush and the UAE’s Lara Al Shuaibi shared third place at two over par, each recording 148 strokes. Morocco’s Malak Bouraida finished fifth at three over par.Among the Qatari participants, Nada Mir finished 13th at 20 over par, while Mouza Al Thani placed 17th at 45 over par.In the men’s team competition, the UAE topped the standings with 429 strokes, three under par, holding a one-stroke advantage over Morocco, which finished second with 430 strokes. Qatar took third place with 448 strokes, 16 over par, followed by Bahrain in fourth at 23 over par and Saudi Arabia in fifth at 34 over par.In the women’s team competition, Morocco topped the standings with 289 strokes, three under par, followed by the UAE in second place with 294 strokes, two over par. Tunisia finished third at 33 over par, followed by Egypt at 43 over par, while Qatar placed fifth with 357 strokes, 65 over par.
Spain Complete Historic Double at FIP World Cup Qatar 2026
Doha : Spain completed a memorable double at the FIP World Cup Qatar 2026 on Saturday, claiming both the men's and women's titles after defeating arch-rivals Argentina in two thrilling finals at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.The Spanish men's team reclaimed the world crown with a 2-1 victory over defending champions Argentina, avenging their defeat in the 2024 final in Doha, while the women's team extended their remarkable dominance by securing a seventh consecutive world title with a 2-0 triumph over the same opponents.In the men's final, Spain made a strong comeback in the opening encounter as Juan Lebron and World Cup debutant Aimar Goñi recovered from a set down to defeat Argentina's Martin Di Nenno and Leandro Augsburger 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.The Argentine pair took the opening set and appeared to be in control after establishing a 4-2 lead in the second. However, Lebron and Goñi fought back to level the contest before taking the second set 7-5.The Spanish duo carried their momentum into the deciding set, securing an early break and eventually sealing a crucial victory to give Spain a 1-0 lead.Argentina responded in the second match through Agustin Tapia and Federico Chingotto, who delivered a commanding performance to defeat Paquito Navarro and Jon Sanz 6-1, 6-2 in just 55 minutes, levelling the final at 1-1.With the world title at stake, Arturo Coello and Coki Nieto rose to the occasion in the decisive encounter against Argentina's Tino Libaak and Gonzalo Alfonso.The Spanish pair produced an impressive display to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory, sparking celebrations among their teammates and supporters as Spain regained the men's world title.The victory marked a significant turnaround for Spain, who had lost the men's final to Argentina by the same 2-1 scoreline at the previous edition in Doha two years earlier.
European and Chinese Shooters Shine on Day Six of Doha 2026
DOHA - Competition continued for the sixth consecutive day at the ISSF World Shooting Championships Doha 2026, which also serve as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The championships are being held at the Lusail Shooting Complex and run until November 13, bringing together around 1,100 male and female shooters from 91 countries, including some of the world's leading Olympic and world champions.The day's competitions saw European and Chinese shooters dominate the finals of the 25m Standard Pistol events for men and women, in both individual and team categories, as well as the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.In the men's 25m Standard Pistol individual event, the final witnessed a closely contested battle, with narrow margins separating the leading shooters. France's Kevin Chapon claimed the gold medal with 578 points, followed by Ukraine's Pavlo Korostylov, who took silver with 576 points. Latvia's Lauris Strautmanis finished third with 574 points to secure bronze.In the men's team event, Latvia claimed gold with a combined score of 1,703 points. Korea took silver with 1,700 points, while Ukraine secured bronze with 1,697 points.In the women's individual 25m Standard Pistol event, China's Xiao Jia Ruixuan claimed gold with 569 points. Hungary's Veronika Major took silver with 568 points, while China's Zhang Yu secured bronze with 567 points.China also made history in the women's team 25m Standard Pistol event, setting a new world record of 1,698 points to claim the gold medal. India finished second with 1,682 points to take silver, while Hungary secured bronze with 1,676 points.In the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, Norway claimed gold with a total of 1,764 points. Switzerland finished second with 1,761 points to take silver, while the Czech Republic secured bronze with 1,759 points.The championships will resume tomorrow with the return of Olympic qualification quota places on offer in the women's individual 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. The programme will also feature the women's individual 25m Pistol competition, alongside the start of training sessions for the men's and women's Trap events, in which shooters will compete over 50 targets.Jassim Shaheen Al Sulaiti, Secretary-General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and Championship Director, praised the outstanding performances and record-breaking achievements delivered by shooters across the various events at the championships, which conclude next Friday.Speaking today, Al Sulaiti said the competition had been intense from the outset, with some of the world's leading shooters battling for Olympic qualification places at Los Angeles 2028. This high level of competition has been reflected in the results recorded at the Lusail Shooting Complex, where margins between competitors have become increasingly narrow.He noted that the championships had provided shooters with an ideal environment to showcase their technical abilities and perform at their best. Al Sulaiti added that the event's organizational success would not have been possible without the close coordination among all working committees and the tremendous efforts made by everyone involved.He said the repeated praise received by the Organizing Committee from International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) officials, heads of delegations and Olympic champions was a source of pride and recognition, while also placing greater responsibility on the organizers.Al Sulaiti concluded by expressing his hope that the remaining competitions would maintain their high levels of excitement and competitiveness, producing further world records. He also wished all participating shooters success in the remainder of the championships.For his part, Mohammed Abdulmohsen, Chairman of the Pistol and Rifle Committee at the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, said the men's and women's pistol and rifle competitions had showcased outstanding performances from shooters representing both Asia and Europe, as they competed for podium places and Olympic qualification quota places for the 2028 Games.