Mohammed Ismail shines with Fifth-Place Finish in 50m Butterfly at Asian Youth Games

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October 28, 2025
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28-October-2025

Mohammed Ismail shines with Fifth-Place Finish in 50m Butterfly at Asian Youth Games

MANAMA – Qatar’s swimmer Mohammed Ismail delivered a strong performance at the 3rd Asian Youth Games currently underway in Bahrain, finishing fifth in the 50m butterfly event held on Tuesday. The Games run until October 31, featuring over 5,000 athletes from 45 Asian National Olympic Committees, and serve as a qualifier for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

Ismail clocked a time of 25.17 seconds, while Hussain Shawqi of the UAE claimed the gold medal with 24.73 seconds. James Hei of Hong Kong took the silver with 24.97 seconds, and Gao Si of Chinese Taipei earned the bronze, finishing in 25.05 seconds.

In other swimming events, Qatar’s swimmers were unable to qualify for the finals. Ziyad Morsi competed in the 100m freestyle, recording 54.54 seconds, while Hamza Shaalan and Adam Morsi participated in the 200m breaststroke, finishing in 2:25.91 and 2:27.78 minutes respectively.

Meanwhile, in table tennis, all Qatari players concluded their participation in the individual competition. Abdulaziz Al-Abdullah reached the Round of 32 after defeating Bahrain’s Ali Mohammed 3–2 (10–12, 11–7, 9–11, 11–7, 13–11), before losing to Hong Kong’s William Man 1–3 (5–11, 4–11, 11–9, 3–11). Issa Al-Haddad exited in the Round of 64, falling to Cambodia’s Sisouchada Lamkimna 1–3 (13–11, 7–11, 5–11, 5–11), while Yousef Al-Abdullah lost to Emmanuel Bacolba of the Philippines in straight sets (7–11, 8–11, 7–11).

In badminton, Qatar’s duo Ahmed Al-Malki and Noor Abel were eliminated from the mixed doubles event, losing 0–2 (10–21, 3–21) to Pamudu Randiligama and Nithami Ratnayake of Sri Lanka. Noor Abel also exited the women’s singles after a 0–2 (5–21, 5–21) defeat to Teng Su of Chinese Taipei.

Qatar’s delegations continue to compete Wednesday in cycling, swimming, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling.

Team Qatar is represented by 67 athletes, male and female across 16 sports, including athletics, badminton, basketball (3x3), equestrian (show jumping), golf, judo, jiu-jitsu, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling, volleyball, beach volleyball, and boxing. Qatar’s female athletes are participating in four sports: athletics, badminton, volleyball, and beach volleyball.

So far, Team Qatar has claimed four medals at the Bahrain Games one gold, two silver, and one bronze. The gold medal came from Idrees Abubakar in the 110m hurdles, while Dana Salem captured silver in the women’s 100m sprint, and the equestrian team added another silver in team show jumping. The men’s 3x3 basketball team earned bronze, rounding out Qatar’s current medal tally.

Mr. Hussain Al-Sada, Manager of Qatar’s National Swimming Team, praised the athletes’ participation, describing it as an important developmental step.

“The objective of our participation in the Asian Youth Games is to give our young swimmers the opportunity to gain valuable experience and enhance their readiness for future competitions,” Al-Sada said.

He added that several Qatari swimmers achieved personal best times during the Games, reflecting the positive impact of their intensive training programs.

“This event represents a key milestone in the team’s journey,” he emphasized. “The technical staff are focused on improving the performance of our young swimmers and increasing their exposure to strong Asian competitors, which will help prepare a new generation capable of achieving honorable results for Qatar in the future.”