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11 Feb’ 2019
Qatar Total Open gets underway
DOHA, February 12, 2019 Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic on Monday became the first player to reach the second round of the Qatar Total Open with a straight-set win over Fatma Al Nabhani of Oman. Strycova won 6-1, 6-1.
Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday beat Polona Hercog of Slovenia to reach the main round of the tournament.
Tomljanovic won 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour 46 minutes on the Center Court. Croatian-born Australian Tomljanovic, still without a WTA Tour title, fired two aces in her hard-fought win.
In another qualifying match, Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic beat Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in three sets. Muchova won 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in 1 hour 46 minutes on Court Number 1. Muchova fired 6 aces in her gutsy win.
The qualifying match between Samantha Stosur of Australia and Russia's Anna Blinkova was stopped because of rain. Blinkova eventually won the match 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. In another qualifying match, China's Lin Zhu beat Alison Riske 6-2, 6-1.
The winner in Doha this Saturday will get $158,895 and 470 rankings points while the losing finalist will bag $84,850 and 305 points. The two losing semi-finalists get $45,320 each while the players who exit the tournament at the quarter-finals stage get richer by $24,360 each.
Simona Halep of Romania, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, Angelique Kerber of Germany and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine are the top four seeds in Qatar this week
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Curtain comes down on sixth Qatar International Taekwondo Championship
Doha: The sixth Qatar International Taekwondo Championship concluded yesterday after four days of competition at the Women’s Sports Committee Hall. Organised by the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation, the tournament brought together 1,152 athletes from more than 46 countries across four age categories: children, cadets, juniors and seniors.The final day featured 16 senior weight divisions, with eight each for men and women. In the men’s competition, gold medals went to Belarus’s Hristiyan Georgiev in under-54kg, Türkiye’s Enes Kaplan in under-58kg, Tunisia’s Adem Salmi in under-63kg and compatriot Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi in under-68kg, Iran’s Radin Zeinali in under-74kg and compatriot Amir Bakhtiari in under-80kg, Uzbekistan’s Yodgorbek Zoroboyev in under-87kg, and Tunisia’s Moataz Ayfaoui in over-87kg.In the women’s competition, gold medals were claimed by Egypt’s Haneen Ali Rabie Abdelaziz in under-46kg, Türkiye’s Zeynep Taskin in under-49kg, Russia’s Veronika Levakova in under-53kg and compatriot Ksenia Smirnova in under-57kg, Iran’s Nastaran Valizadeh in under-62kg and compatriot Soghar Sheiklar in under-67kg. Egypt’s Malak El-Husseini won the under-73kg title after defeating Qatar’s Nour Mohammed in the final, with Mohammed taking silver. Uzbekistan’s Svetlana Saidova claimed gold in over-73kg.
Qatar win gold at World Military Beach Volleyball Championship
Muscat: Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan claimed gold and the men’s title at the fifth World Military Beach Volleyball Championship, hosted by Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, after defeating Brazil in straight sets in the final.Younousse and Tijan delivered impressive performances throughout the tournament, sealing a 2–0 victory in the final to secure first place and the gold medals, while the Brazilian pair finished runners-up and took silver.In the third-place play-off, Oman’s military team secured bronze with a 2–1 victory over Germany to earn their place on the podium.The men’s competition featured eight nations: Qatar, Brazil, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Algeria, Sri Lanka and hosts Oman, who fielded two teams. Six nations contested the women’s event: Oman, Algeria, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.In the women’s competition, Germany claimed the title and gold medal after defeating France in straight sets. Sri Lanka secured bronze with victory over Algeria, while Germany also received the Fair Play Award.The seven-day championship featured 39 matches, comprising 28 in the men’s competition and 11 in the women’s event, with strong competition among the participating teams.The world title caps a year of achievements for Younousse and Tijan. In 2026, the Qatari pair won gold at the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games, securing their third consecutive Asian Games title following victories at Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022. They also claimed gold at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, won the Doha Asian Open and were named Asia’s Best Beach Volleyball Players for 2026.The world title adds to Younousse and Tijan’s achievements and further strengthens their standing among the leading beach volleyball pairs in Asia and on the international stage.
Qatar Delegation Celebrates Swimming and Athletics Medalists at Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games
Nagoya: Qatar's delegation participating in the fifth Asian Para Games, Aichi–Nagoya 2026, held a celebration to honour Team Qatar's athletes following their success in winning three medals, comprising two silver and one bronze, in swimming and athletics. The achievements mark another milestone for Qatari Para sports at the Games, which are taking place in Japan from October 18 to 24.The celebration, held at the Qatari delegation's headquarters in Nagoya, was attended by HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee; Dr. Ahmad Abdulla Al Buenain, CEO of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee; and Dr. Hassan Al Ansari, Secretary General of the Qatar Paralympic Committee, alongside Team Qatar athletes, coaches and administrative staff.The event recognised the achievements of Team Qatar's athletes, with swimmer Shamil Shahov claiming silver in the men's 100m breaststroke SB12 event and bronze in the men's 400m freestyle S13 event. Meanwhile, Ali Arshid added Qatar's second silver medal after finishing runner-up in the men's 100m wheelchair T34 event.The gathering formed part of ongoing efforts to recognise Team Qatar's achievements, encourage athletes to maintain their strong performances in the remaining competitions, and strengthen team spirit among members of the Qatari delegation, with the aim of securing further positive results and raising Qatar's flag high at continental and international sporting events.Team Qatar is represented at the fifth Asian Para Games by a delegation of 12 male and female athletes competing in three sports: swimming, athletics and goalball. The delegation is looking to add further medals to Qatar's tally during the remaining days of the Games.
Team Qatar Athletes Claim Three Medals in Swimming and Athletics
Nagoya: Qatar's delegation competing at the fifth Asian Para Games, Aichi–Nagoya 2026, claimed three medals on Tuesday, with swimmer Shamil Shahov and wheelchair racer Ali Arshid delivering a strong start for Team Qatar at the Games, which are being held in Japan from October 18 to 24, bringing together athletes from 45 countries competing across 18 sports.Qatar's three medals came through Shahov, who secured silver in the men's 100m breaststroke and bronze in the men's 400m freestyle, while Arshid added a second silver medal in the men's 100m wheelchair race. Their achievements demonstrated Team Qatar's ability to compete at the highest level and reach the podium at the continental event.Team Qatar is represented at this year's Games by a delegation of 12 male and female athletes competing in three sports: swimming, athletics and goalball. The delegation is aiming to build on its early success and add further medals to Qatar's tally in the coming days, reflecting ongoing efforts to develop Para sports in Qatar and strengthen the country's competitiveness at major continental championships.Team Qatar swimmer Shamil Shahov secured the silver medal in the men's 100m breaststroke SB12 event after finishing second in 1:13.17, behind Japan's Genki Saito, who claimed gold in 1:12.74. Iran's Abadi Karimi Jahan took bronze with a time of 1:13.47.Shahov had earlier opened Qatar's medal account at the Games by winning bronze in the men's 400m freestyle S13 event, finishing third in 4:33.09.Uzbekistan's Dmitry Khorlin claimed gold in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:21.32, while his compatriot Egor Bolotov secured silver in 4:21.94.With two medals to his name, Shahov delivered an impressive performance in the swimming competitions, earning Team Qatar its first medals of the Games and strengthening the country's presence on the continental stage.Team Qatar's Ali Arshid claimed the silver medal in the men's 100m wheelchair T34 event, finishing second in 14.95 seconds.