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30 Jan’ 2018
Al Gharafa qualify to group stage of ACL
DOHA, January 31, 2018-Qatar's Al Gharafa scored twice in the first half before holding on to confirm a place in the 2018 AFC Champions League group stage with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor in the play-off on Tuesday.
After a cagey start to the game, the hosts had a chance to take the lead 20 minutes in, when Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi was fouled in the box by Pakhtakor defender Marko Simic.
Al Gharafa's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder stepped up and made no mistake from the penalty spot to give his side the lead.
In the 28th minute, Al Gharafa doubled their advantage after Diogo Amado's strike from the edge of the box slipped through the hands of Aleksandr Lobanov.
Pakhtakor battled hard for a way back into the game but despite Jasurbek Khakimov's stoppage time goal, Al Gharafa hung on to clinch the win.
Al Gharafa will now join the UAE's Al Jazira, Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli and Islamic Republic of Iran's Tractor Sazi in Group A, with the Qatari side set to travel to Abu Dhabi for their first match against Al Jazira on February 12.
The other Qatar clubs, who are already in other groups of AFC Champions League, include Al Sadd, Al Duhail and Al Rayyan.
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Younousse and Tijan Claim Men’s Title at AVC Beach Tour Doha Open 2026
DOHA – Qatar’s beach volleyball stars Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan thrilled the home crowd on Tuesday as they claimed the men’s title at the AVC Beach Tour 2nd Doha Open 2026, defeating Australia’s Oliver Merritt and Jed Walker in straight sets in the final at the FIVB International Centre of Excellence in Al Gharafa.The Qatari duo, Asian Games gold medallists, delivered a commanding performance to secure a 21-13, 21-18 victory, capping an impressive campaign in front of their home fans.
Countdown Begins to FIP World Padel Championships Qatar 2026
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Qatar’s Younousse and Tijan Sweep into Doha 2026 Tour Quarterfinals
DOHA – Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan underlined their title ambitions with a dominant group-stage display to advance to the quarterfinals of the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour.Competing at the International Beach Volleyball Center of Excellence in Al Gharafa, the Qatari duo swept all three Group A matches in straight sets to secure top spot and progress to the knockout stage in emphatic fashion.They launched their campaign on Saturday with a 21-15, 21-19 victory over Thailand’s Nalphadon and Puravich before producing two commanding performances today. They defeated China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei 21-9, 21-15 and followed up with a comprehensive 21-13, 21-9 win against Indonesia’s Firza and Rizki.The results completed a perfect group-stage record for the Qatari pair, who did not drop a set and emerged as strong contenders for the tournament title.
Qatar’s Young Golfers Strike Double Gold at Arab Championship in Egypt
CAIRO – Qatar celebrated a memorable double-gold triumph at the 2026 Arab Junior and Youth Golf Championship in Egypt, as Daniel Sokolov won the Under-18 individual title before joining Kamil Ben Rekia to lead Qatar to gold in the team competition at Madinaty Golf Club.The outstanding results underline the progress of Qatar’s emerging golf talents and reinforce the country’s growing competitiveness across the Arab golfing landscape.Sokolov dominated the individual standings, carding a total of 15 under par across three rounds of competition to secure the gold medal by 15 strokes. Palestine’s Abdulhalim Al Yaqoubi finished runner-up at even par, while Jordan’s Mohammad Al Rawashdeh claimed third place at three over par.Qatar’s success extended to the Under-18 team event, where Sokolov and Ben Rekia combined for a score of seven over par to take gold. Their performance secured a 12-shot victory over Palestine and Libya, who shared the silver-medal position with identical totals of 19 over par.Fahad Nasser Al Nuaimi, head of the Qatari delegation, Secretary-General of the Qatar Golf Association and member of the Arab Golf Federation’s Executive Bureau, praised the players’ achievement, attributing it to ongoing efforts to nurture young golfers and enhance their technical abilities.