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29 Oct’ 2025
Qatar to face Germany in U-17 Handball World Championship semifinals
Rabat: Qatar's under-17 handball team will take on Germany on Thursday in the semifinals of the U-17 World Championship, currently underway in Morocco.
Qatar is aiming to reach the final for the first time in its history, having advanced to the semifinals with a string of strong performances. The team secured its spot with a decisive 45-24 victory over South Korea, finishing second in its group behind Spain and qualifying as the best runner-up.
The Qatari squad will rely on its speed in transition, individual skill, and the players' ambition to replicate the success of previous national handball teams.
Germany, known for its disciplined play, powerful shooting, and solid defense, is expected to pose a formidable challenge.
In the other semifinal match, Egypt will face Spain, with the winners of both games set to meet in the championship final.
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Gold and Bronze for Team Qatar Equestrian on Final Day of Aichi-Nagoya 2026
Aichi-Nagoya - Team Qatar’s equestrian riders claimed two medals one gold and one bronze, as competition concluded at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan.Team Qatar delivered an impressive performance in the equestrian competitions, with Faleh Sweid Al Ajami claiming the gold medal in the individual show jumping event.Al Ajami produced an outstanding performance in the final stages of the competition to secure first place and top the podium, underlining his strong showing in show jumping and adding another gold medal to Qatar’s tally at the Games.Qatari rider Bassem Mohammed also secured a bronze medal in the individual competition, adding another achievement for Qatar in show jumping and ensuring Team Qatar riders were represented on the podium.The individual competitions featured some of Asia’s leading riders and were contested across two categories based on fence height, with Team Qatar riders reaching the podium in both categories.The medals won by Al Ajami and Bassem Mohammed underlined the strong presence of Qatari equestrian sport at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and reflected the high level demonstrated by Team Qatar’s riders throughout the show jumping competitions.The achievement provided a fitting finale to Qatar’s participation in the 20th Asian Games in Japan, taking Team Qatar’s final tally to 18 medals — six gold, six silver and six bronze — in one of Qatar’s strongest Asian Games campaigns. Attention will now turn to the next edition, Doha 2030, where Qatar will look to build on the achievements of Aichi-Nagoya and pursue further success across a wide range of sports.
Aichi–Nagoya Hands OCA Flag to Doha as Qatar Begins Journey to 2030
Nagoya, Japan: Qatar today formally received the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Flag at the Closing Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, marking the transition from the current host to Doha, host of the 21st Asian Games in 2030. Alongside the Handover, Doha 2030 introduced its new identity and slogan, The Games We Live For.The Flag Handover marks the beginning of Qatar’s responsibility as the next Asian Games host, 20 years after Doha welcomed the Games for the first time in 2006.His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, received the OCA Flag on behalf of Qatar during the formal Handover ceremony.The Prime Minister then handed the Flag to H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, OCA Vice President for the 2030 Asian Games and Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, who entrusted it to Olympic and Asian champion Mutaz Essa Barshim for the Doha 2030 presentation that followed.The ceremony also marked the public introduction of the Doha 2030 identity and The Games We Live For, the overarching platform that will guide Qatar’s journey towards welcoming Asia back to Doha in 2030.The slogan is built around the dreams of athletes, people and nations. Every athlete arrives with a dream, every nation brings its own hopes and ambitions, and the fans, families and communities who support them become part of that journey. Doha 2030 brings these individual dreams together and turns them into something shared: the moments athletes spend years working towards, the moments fans and families experience with them, and the moments that inspire another generation.The new Doha 2030 identity places the OCA sun, the unifying symbol of the Asian Games, within the “O” of DOHA, setting the Asian Games at the heart of the city. The sun represents light and aspiration, and the dreams that athletes and nations bring to the Games. The identity is rooted in Qatar’s heritage while looking towards the future and the next generation.Following the formal protocol, the artistic program opened with “The Games We Live For”, a short film celebrating the human moments that give sport its meaning: the moments athletes work towards, the moments families and fans share, the moments communities experience together and the moments that inspire the next generation. The film is built on one thought: “Some moments in sport last only seconds. Some stay with us for a lifetime.” It closes on the Doha 2030 slogan, The Games We Live For.The performance then continued with “The Return of an Old Friend”, in which the Flag is the guiding thread: an old friend returning to a city it already knows, travelling from Nagoya towards Doha.
Team Qatar Complete Beach Volleyball Golden Hat-Trick
Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar’s beach volleyball pair Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan were crowned Asian Games champions after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Indonesia in the final at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, successfully defending their title for a third consecutive edition and continuing Qatar’s outstanding record in Asian beach volleyball. Following the match, Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, presented the Qatar team with their gold medals. Indonesia received silver, while Japan claimed bronze.The triumph underlined Qatar’s continued success in Asian beach volleyball, with Cherif and Tijan winning their third successive Asian Games gold following their victories at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.The final began at a high tempo, with Indonesia taking an early 2-0 lead in the opening set before Team Qatar levelled at 2-2 and moved ahead 4-2. The contest remained close, with Indonesia drawing level at 17-17 before edging ahead 20-19 and taking the opening set 21-19.Team Qatar responded strongly in the second set, establishing an early 4-1 advantage before extending their lead to 7-3. Cherif and Tijan remained in control, moving 15-12 and then 18-14 ahead before reaching 20-16. They closed out the set 21-16 to level the match and force a deciding third set.In the decider, Team Qatar imposed themselves from the outset and raced into a 6-2 lead. Cherif and Tijan maintained their advantage to win the set 15-8 and seal a 2-1 victory and the gold medal.With the triumph, Cherif and Tijan further strengthened their standing among Asia’s leading beach volleyball pairs, successfully defending their Asian Games crown for the third consecutive edition and adding another gold medal to Qatar’s Asian Games record.Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, expressed his delight with Qatar’s historic achievement in winning a third consecutive Asian Games beach volleyball gold medal. “We congratulate our leadership and the Qatar Olympic Committee on this great achievement and dedicate this precious gold medal to our leadership, which has spared no effort in supporting sport and athletes,” he said.“I would also like to thank H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his continued support of Qatari sport and athletes, which provides us with great motivation to continue working and achieving further success.“I would like to commend Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who produced outstanding performances throughout the Games, showed tremendous fighting spirit and rose to the occasion. They fully deserved the gold medal after an excellent campaign. Despite some difficulties we faced before the tournament following Cherif’s injury, and our concerns over whether he would be able to participate, he was determined to play and, thankfully, we succeeded in retaining the gold medal.“Winning the title for the third consecutive edition confirms that this achievement is the result of sustained work, planning and significant support for the sport. We look forward to continuing this
SC showcases Qatar’s volunteering legacy at Bayt Qatar in the Asian Games 2026
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) showcased the legacy of its Qatar Volunteer Programme at Bayt Qatar, as part of the Asian Games 2026, which took place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. Former volunteers, who worked on mega-events including FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ and the Qatar Football Season 2025, were part of the SC delegation at Bayt Qatar – a Qatar Olympic Committee initiative that offered visitors an interactive showcase of the country’s heritage and sporting achievements. As Qatar prepares to host mega events in the future, the Qatar Volunteer Programme will play a key role in delivering world-class experiences. For Haya Al Noaimi, SC Event Workforce & Volunteers Executive Director, Qatar’s sporting legacy has helped build a strong volunteer culture within the community, which has positively shaped fan experiences: “By involving our volunteers in Bayt Qatar, we wanted to showcase how volunteerism has become a deeply rooted culture in Qatar that lasts well beyond a single event. We hope their stories inspire more people to volunteer, participate in future events and become part of the growing community we have built. Our biggest legacy is a robust community of experienced, passionate and talented volunteers, who are actively shaping Qatar’s events heritage. Their experience strengthens the nation’s wider capability and continued readiness in hosting major regional and international events.”Participating at Bayt Qatar, Qatari volunteer Ali Al Khater, an oil and gas industry professional, shared how working as a guest relations volunteer at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ created memorable experiences: “Volunteering at Qatar 2022 showed me how different cultures can come together as one team to achieve a common goal. This is the power of sport. It was a proud moment to meet Japanese fans here in Aichi-Nagoya, relive memories of the historic World Cup, and show our passion for sport and for organising world-class tournaments.”