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30 Aug’ 2026
Qatar's Hemeida wins 400m hurdles in Bellinzona
Bellinzona: Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida won the men’s 400m hurdles at the Bellinzona Athletics Meeting in Switzerland on Sunday, delivering an impressive performance against a strong international field.
Hemeida clocked a season-best 47.56 seconds to secure victory and break the 48-second barrier for the first time this season. His latest performance also marked a significant improvement on his previous season-best of 48.17 seconds, recorded last week at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in Switzerland.
The Bellinzona victory highlights Hemeida’s steady progress as he continues his preparations for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, next month. His participation in international competitions across the Diamond League, Gold and Silver categories forms part of the Qatar Athletics Federation’s programme to provide national team athletes with high-level competition and valuable preparation ahead of the continental Games.
In addition to the 400m hurdles, Hemeida is also a member of Qatar’s 4x400m relay team, making him an important part of the national squad as it builds towards the Asian Games.
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Al Buenain Visits Team Qatar Delegation
H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, visited Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters at the Athletes’ Village today, ahead of the opening of the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026.Upon his arrival at Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters in the Athletes’ Village, Al Buenain was welcomed by Ahmed Al Darwish, Head of Team Qatar’s Administrative Delegation, and a number of delegation members.Al Buenain also visited the various facilities at Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters, where he was briefed on the ongoing work and arrangements being undertaken by the administrative delegation to provide athletes and technical staff with their various requirements and facilitate the delegation’s operations throughout their participation in the Games.Al Buenain praised the efforts of the administrative delegation members, stressing the importance of continuing their work and coordination to provide Team Qatar athletes with the best possible conditions, enabling them to focus on their competitions and perform at their best throughout the Games.The 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – will officially open tomorrow, Saturday, and continue until 4 October, with 45 Asian nations competing across a wide range of sports.Qatar are participating in the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – with a delegation of 427 members, including 243 athletes – 184 men and 59 women – in addition to 142 technical and administrative staff, 23 members of the administrative delegation and 16 members of the media delegation.Team Qatar athletes will compete in 26 sports and 32 disciplines through 18 sports federations, with ambitions to achieve outstanding results and further strengthen the presence of Qatari sport on the Asian stage.Qatar will compete in athletics, football, basketball, 3x3 basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, squash, padel, taekwondo, judo, artistic gymnastics, golf, shooting, swimming, jiu-jitsu, esports, sailing, equestrian, karate, fencing, archery, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting and table tennis.
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Volleyball
Qatar Women’s Volleyball Team Face Hong Kong
Qatar women’s national volleyball team will face Hong Kong today in the third and final round of Group D at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – in Japan. Qatar will be looking for victory to bounce back from yesterday’s 3-0 defeat to South Korea in the second round of Group D. The sets ended 25-6, 25-6 and 25-10.Qatar began their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Vietnam.The women’s volleyball competition features 14 teams divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.Qatar women’s volleyball team will be aiming to finish the group stage with a victory and a positive result that builds on the experience gained from their participation in the Asian Games, which provides an important opportunity to compete against continental opposition and gain further experience for the future.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Meet in Crucial Encounter
Qatar’s U23 national football team will face Saudi Arabia in a challenging second-round Group D encounter at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The match will kick off at 1:30 pm Doha time at Mizuho Park in Nagoya, with Team Qatar looking to bounce back from their opening-round defeat to South Korea.Qatar enter the match determined to regain their momentum following a difficult start against South Korea, which ended in a 4-1 defeat. During the latest training sessions, the technical staff, led by head coach José Ángel, worked on addressing the mistakes that emerged in the opening match.Team Qatar are aware that the encounter against Saudi Arabia will not be easy, given the strength of their opponents and their own determination to secure a positive result that strengthens their position in the group.The match carries significant importance for Qatar, who will be looking to turn the page after their opening defeat and keep their hopes in the competition alive by securing a positive result against Saudi Arabia before the final round of the group stage.
Team Qatar 3x3 Basketball Raise Their Ambitions at the Asian Games
Nagoya/Sabah Saadoun Al Kuwari, Head of the Qatar Basketball Federation delegation, confirmed that Qatar’s 3x3 basketball team are ready to compete at the Asian Games, noting that the team enter the competition with high ambitions, foremost among them challenging for a medal.Al Kuwari said Qatar will seek to build on the level they demonstrated in previous appearances, particularly after winning the silver medal at the Asian Games in China, an achievement that provides the players with additional motivation to perform at their best in the competition.He added that the objective is to maintain a consistent and stable level throughout the tournament and approach the competition one game at a time, stressing that the technical and administrative staff worked to provide the team with the best possible preparation before arriving in Japan.He explained that the men’s team held a domestic training camp in Doha during the past period, featuring intensive training sessions and a number of warm-up matches, including games against Serbia.Al Kuwari noted that the friendly matches against Serbia provided an important opportunity for the coaching staff to assess the players’ readiness.Team Qatar hope the match against Indonesia will provide a strong start to their medal challenge, with the players looking to impose their style from the outset through strong defence, accurate shooting and efficient use of their opportunities, before facing Chinese Taipei in another important test of their ambitions.