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2 Aug’ 2022
QHA announces national handball team squad for 2023 World Championship
Doha – The Qatar Handball Association (QHA) announced Monday the national team's squad for the 28th Men's World Championship in Poland and Sweden from Jan. 11 to 29, 2023.
The national team's squad comprises 23 players as follows: Belal Masoud Mararheh (Al Ahli), Abdulrahman Tarek Al Abdullah, Mustafa Amir Heiba, Ahmed Nader Naseem, Ahmed Mohamed Maddadi, Rafael De Costa Kabote, Belal Lbenka, Alladine Nabil Belrashed, Ali Khaled Hamed (Al Duhail); Rasheed Yussef, Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelmajid, Ibrahim Shebl Ebeid (Al Sadd); Anis Abdulrazaq Zawawi (Al Arabi); Mahmoud Ahmed Zaki, Abdelhadi Medhat Rashad (Al Gharafa), Kamaledine Mallash, Amin Mowafak Zekkar, Edler and Ali Emad Al Diry (Al Rayyan); Yassine Sami Ebrahim and Ahmed Abdulhamid El Meniawy (Al Wakrah); Frankis Carol Marzo (Kuwait's Al Kuwait) The national team starts preparations on Aug. 14 under the leadership of Spanish coach Valero Rivera.
Qatar was drawn in Group E along with Germany, Serbia and Algeria. Group A includes Spain, Montenegro, Chile and Iran.
The Qatari national team qualified for the 2023 World Cup after leading group A at the group stage of the 20th Asian Cup held in January in Saudi Arabia, which saw the Qatari team being crowned champion for the fifth consecutive time after a 29/24 victory over Bahrain in the final.
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Team Qatar Wraps Up Dakar 2026 Campaign with Valuable Olympic Experience
Diamniadio, Senegal – Team Qatar’s young athletes brought their participation in the fourth Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 to a close by attending the Games’ closing ceremony at the Youth Olympic Village in Diamniadio on Friday. Qatar’s Idris Abu Bakr carried the national flag during the ceremony, representing the Qatari delegation at the event.The closing ceremony celebrated the spirit of the Games through a colorful blend of sport, culture and artistic performances, highlighting the richness of African identity and the continent’s diverse cultural heritage.A number of prominent figures, sports leaders and officials from around the world attended the ceremony, which included addresses by the President of the Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee and IOC President Kirsty Coventry. The ceremony was attended exclusively by athletes and accredited delegations and featured the extinguishing of the Youth Olympic flame, as well as a series of musical performances.In the sporting competitions, Team Qatar’s young athletes concluded their campaign with solid performances that reflected their promising potential and competitive spirit. Dana Salem won the bronze medal in the 100m, while Idris Abu Bakr finished sixth in the 110m hurdles, setting a new personal best of 13.96 seconds. In swimming, Adam Morsi reached the final of the 200m breaststroke, setting a new Qatari senior-category record with a time of 2:17.7. Meanwhile, Adham Al-Deeb advanced to the quarter-finals of the foil fencing competition.
Qatar and Oman Athletes’ Commissions Discuss Cooperation and Expertise Exchange
DOHA – The Athletes’ Commission of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and its counterpart at the Oman Olympic Committee have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) next month, aimed at strengthening their partnership, exchanging expertise and experiences, and advancing sports and Olympic work in both brotherly countries.The agreement was announced during a meeting held by the two sides on Thursday at the QOC headquarters, marking the conclusion of a three-day visit to Doha by the Omani delegation. The visit featured a varied program of meetings and field visits, providing an opportunity to learn about Qatar’s experience in sports and Olympic affairs.During the meeting, both sides discussed prospects for cooperation and ways to develop initiatives that serve athletes and strengthen their role in the Olympic Movement. They also explored opportunities to exchange expertise and successful experiences to support the development of athletes’ committees in both countries.The meeting was attended by Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee. The Qatari side was represented by world champion Mutaz Barshim, Secretary-General of the Athletes’ Commission; Team Qatar champion Nada Mohammed Wafa, Assistant Secretary-General; and committee members and Team Qatar athletes Abdullah Al-Tamimi and Maryam Al-Suwaidi. The Omani delegation included Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Jabri, Chairman of the Athletes’ Commission; Nasser Hamdan Al-Riyami, commission member; and Buthaina Al-Yaqubi, commission rapporteur.The visit program included a lecture delivered by QOC expert Mohammed bin Humaida, as well as visits to Aspire Academy to learn about its athlete development program, the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum, and the Qatar Anti-Doping Agency. The visits provided an opportunity to learn about the work of these institutions and the services they offer in sports development, talent identification and athlete capacity-building.On the occasion, Mutaz Barshim, Secretary-General of the Athletes’ Commission at the Qatar Olympic Committee, welcomed the Omani delegation on its first official visit to Doha. He reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with sports committees in brotherly countries and exchanging expertise and experiences to advance sports development and improve athletes’ performance.Barshim also highlighted the importance of continuing such joint meetings, which provide opportunities to exchange perspectives, strengthen sports partnerships and support progress and excellence within the Olympic Movement.For her part, Nada Mohammed Wafa, Assistant Secretary-General of the QOC Athletes’ Commission, welcomed the Omani delegation’s visit and praised the constructive dialogue and fruitful discussions, which reflected both sides’ commitment to expanding cooperation and exchanging expertise. She noted that such meetings represent an important step towards strengthening institutional partnerships among athletes’ committees and developing the initiatives and services provided to athletes, further supporting their role in the Olympic Movement.Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Jabri, Chairman of the Omani Athletes’ Commission and member of the Oman Olympic Committee’s Board of Directors, expressed his gratitude to HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and the members of the QOC Athletes’ Commission for their warm welcome and generous hospitality. He described the visit as productive and highly beneficial, noting that it had paved the way for the signing of MoU between the two sides next month.
Kuwait Claim Two Trap Gold Medals at World Shooting Championships Doha 2026
Doha (QNA) – Kuwait claimed two gold medals in the men’s individual and team trap events at the World Shooting Championships Doha 2026, held at the Lusail Shooting Range Complex. The championships, which conclude on Friday, have attracted around 1,100 shooters from 91 countries and serve as a qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.The tenth and penultimate day featured men’s and women’s individual and team trap competitions, alongside the men’s individual and team 25m centre fire pistol events.In the men’s individual trap final, Kuwait’s Abdulrahman Al Faihan secured gold after defeating India’s Vivaan Kapoor in a shoot-off. Both shooters finished the final with 29 targets, before Al Faihan hit three targets in the tie-break to Kapoor’s two. China’s Qi Ying claimed bronze with 22 targets.The three medallists also secured Olympic qualification quotas for Kuwait, India and China, respectively.Kuwait continued their success in the men’s team trap event, winning gold with a total of 356 targets. Al Faihan led the team with 121 targets, supported by Talal Al Rashidi with 119 and Khaled Al Mudhaf with 116. Poland secured silver, while Czechia claimed bronze after a tie-break involving Poland, Czechia and India, all of whom finished with 354 targets.In the women’s individual trap competition, Italy’s Jessica Rossi claimed gold with 27 targets, narrowly defeating Guatemala’s Adriana Ruano Oliva, who secured silver with 26. Daria Semianova, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), took bronze with 19 targets, while Italy’s Erica Sessa finished fourth with 16.The three medallists secured Olympic qualification quotas for Italy, Guatemala and, as reported by the organisers, the neutral-athlete category.Italy also dominated the women’s team trap event, winning gold with 348 targets. Rossi contributed 119 targets, alongside Erica Sessa with 117 and Silvana Maria Stanco with 112. Czechia claimed silver with 340 targets, while Türkiye secured bronze with the same total.In the men’s individual 25m centre fire pistol event, Latvia’s Ernests Erbs claimed gold with 588 points, ahead of India’s Ankur Goel, who secured silver with 583. Czechia’s Jindřich Dubový took bronze with 582 points.
Qatar Gymnastics Builds International Presence as Medal Haul Strengthens Future Ambitions
Doha (QNA) – Qatar gymnastics continues to strengthen its regional and international presence through a strategy focused on improving gymnasts’ technical standards, expanding participation in overseas competitions and giving promising athletes the experience needed to develop their abilities and prepare for major events.Team Qatar’s recent appearances have reflected this approach, culminating in an impressive haul of 14 medals at the West Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, held in Jordan from 4 to 8 November.The achievement followed a series of international appearances by Qatar’s male and female gymnasts at continental and world events. These reflect the Qatar Gymnastics Federation’s commitment to providing opportunities to compete against athletes of varying technical standards and improve readiness through competition with leading regional and international gymnasts.Qatar were represented at the Asian Games in Japan by Rakan Al Harith, Mehrdad Ghadimi and Salma Nasser. Their international campaign continued at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, held in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 October, which brought together leading male and female gymnasts from around the world.Salma Nasser represented Qatar at the World Championships, gaining experience against high-level opposition while strengthening Qatar’s presence at one of the leading events on the international gymnastics calendar.Her participation formed part of the federation’s approach to providing gymnasts with progressive opportunities for technical development through exposure to different gymnastics styles and experience that contributes to improved performance.Qatar’s international participation also extended to France through the 30th Combs-la-Ville International Artistic Gymnastics Tournament, held from 31 October to 1 November, with several national teams and international clubs taking part.The Qatari delegation comprised six female gymnasts and was headed by Abeer Al Buainain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Gymnastics Federation and an international judge, alongside coaches Mark Cherylichenko and Gina Cherylichenko. The tournament provided the gymnasts with another opportunity to gain international exposure and further develop their technical and competitive experience.The West Asian Championships in Jordan marked a notable milestone in Team Qatar’s recent campaign, with Omar Al Hefnawi and Youssef Ahmed winning 14 medals between them. Their achievement reflected the progress of Qatar gymnastics in both performance and competitiveness at regional events.The significance of this participation lies in its being the result of sustained preparation, competition and exposure to different technical approaches. It also reflects efforts to develop young talent and provide an environment in which gymnasts can refine their abilities, improve their technical standards and prepare for upcoming competitions.