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28 Jul’ 2025
Team Qatar defeat Saudi Arabia in opening game of International Friendly Basketball Tournament
Doha: The Qatar national basketball team opened its campaign in the 2025 International Friendly Tournament with a thrilling 82–78 win over Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Multipurpose Arena. The tightly contested matchup marked the start of the four-team tournament hosted by the Qatar Basketball Federation, running through August 1.
The game remained evenly matched throughout, with the first quarter ending in a 24–24 tie. Qatar then managed to carve out narrow leads in each subsequent quarter — 21–20 in the second, 19–18 in the third, and 18–16 in the fourth — to secure the hard-fought victory.
Brandon Datrill Goodwin led the way for Qatar with 23 points, shooting an impressive 69% from the field. For Saudi Arabia, standout player Mohammed Ali Abdulrahman topped the scoring charts with 24 points in a strong solo showing.
The tournament features national teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Iraq. Action continues on Wednesday, July 30, with Qatar facing Japan at 5:00 PM, followed by Iraq vs. Saudi Arabia at 7:00 PM. The event concludes on Friday, August 1, with Saudi Arabia taking on Japan and Qatar closing against Iraq.
Coached by Turkish tactician Hakan Demir, the Qatari squad is using this tournament as a crucial part of its preparations for the 31st FIBA Asia Cup, which takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17. Sixteen teams will compete across four groups, with Qatar drawn into Group A alongside Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon.
The Asia Cup features a group-stage format, where group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals. Teams finishing second and third will enter play-in knockout rounds to determine the remaining quarterfinalists.
With high-level opposition and competitive matchups, the International Friendly Tournament offers a valuable testing ground for Qatar to sharpen their form and tactics ahead of the continental showdown.
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Strong Crowd Engagement at Mizuho Stadium
Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar captured the spotlight during the Closing Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan, where it received the flag as host of the 21st Asian Games in 2030.The artistic performance, which drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, featured The Games We Live For film and the Return of an Old Friend segment, creating a link between Doha 2006, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and the journey towards Doha 2030.The Games We Live For, the slogan of Doha 2030, reflects the ambitions of athletes, people and nations, and the shared sporting experiences that bring Asia together.Qatar made a striking impression through a showcase of its identity and culture. Dana Al Meer performed the Qatari national anthem live to an enthusiastic reception from the audience, while Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim received the Asian Games flag wearing traditional Qatari attire. Qatari rider Jassim Al Kuwari then entered the stadium on horseback carrying the flag, evoking memories of the iconic scene from the Opening Ceremony of the Doha 2006 Asian Games. Together, these elements reflected Qatar’s identity and culture and underlined its readiness to host an exceptional edition of the Asian Games.The new Doha 2030 identity places the Olympic Council of Asia sun inside the letter “O” in “DOHA”, symbolizing the special place the Asian Games hold in the city of Doha.H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee, said Team Qatar’s achievements at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games represented a significant and proud accomplishment, noting that the Qatari delegation won 18 medals, the country’s highest Asian Games tally since Guangzhou 2010.He said: “We achieved an outstanding result at Aichi-Nagoya by winning 18 medals. The diversity of these medals reflects the progress of Qatari sport. We won medals across 10 different sports, while three sports — padel, wrestling and karate — were added to Qatar’s Asian Games medal record for the first time. This diversity confirms that our work is moving in the right direction and that there is clear progress in the level of our athletes across different sports.”
Sheikh Joaan: “Our Hearts and Homes Are Open to All of Asia… Welcome Everyone to Doha, a Home for All”
Aichi-Nagoya - H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, invited the youth of the continent to come together again in Doha in four years’ time, when Qatar hosts the 21st Asian Games in 2030, stressing that the transition of the Games from Japan to Qatar reflects the continued reach of their message and values across the continent.Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, H.E. Sheikh Joaan said: “Our hearts and homes are open to all of Asia, and we welcome everyone to Doha, a home for all.”He added: “We invite the youth of Asia to carry this spirit with them, and to meet again in four years’ time at the 21st Asian Games – Doha 2030. From East to West, from Japan to Qatar, we will carry our values forward and ensure that every part of our continent experiences this celebration of sport.”H.E. Sheikh Joaan praised the outstanding levels of performance witnessed during this edition of the Games, which saw more than 350 records broken, including over 50 world records, noting that this represented a record for an Asian Games.He added that Aichi-Nagoya 2026 featured remarkable comebacks and last-second victories, alongside the emergence of a new generation of young stars and continued achievements by seasoned champions. Athletes also set an outstanding example of sportsmanship and respect throughout the competitions.H.E. Sheikh Joaan congratulated the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Organising Committee, the Japanese Olympic Committee, Aichi Prefecture, the City of Nagoya and the Government of Japan for organizing the Games and providing Asia’s athletes with the opportunity to perform at their best.He also commended the efforts of Asia’s 45 National Olympic Committees in supporting their athletes, as well as the contributions of partners, sponsors and broadcasters in bringing the Games to audiences. He praised the support of the people of Aichi, Nagoya and the co-host cities, along with the efforts of thousands of volunteers throughout the Games.H.E. Sheikh Joaan stressed that bringing the curtain down on Aichi-Nagoya 2026 did not mark the end of what the Games had achieved, but rather the beginning of a new chapter for Asian sport.“Tonight, as we lower the flag on Aichi-Nagoya 2026, we close these Games, but we raise the bar for Asian sport. The flame may be extinguished, but the hopes it has ignited will continue to shine across our continent,” he said.
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.
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.