Qatar Duo Power Into Round of 16 at Adelaide Beach Volleyball Worlds

Qatar’s beach volleyball stars Cherif Younes and Ahmed Tijan powered into the Round of 16 at the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, delivering a composed straight-sets win over Brazil, 23–21, 22–20.Unbeaten since the start of the tournament, the Qatari pair dominated their group with clinical victories over Cuba, Switzerland, and Austria—each secured in straight sets. Their triumph against Brazil extends their winning streak to four matches and further cements their status as one of the championship’s most in-form teams.Renowned for their explosive attacking play and commanding presence at the net, Younes and Tijan will next take on France’s Rotar and Gauthier on Thursday, with a coveted quarter-final berth on the line.Qatar enters the knockout rounds riding a wave of international momentum, backed by an illustrious run that includes Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020, a strong fourth-place finish at Paris 2024, and eight World Tour gold medals this season.

Qatar Duo Top Group to Reach Second Round at Adelaide Beach Volleyball Worlds

Canberra - Qatar has advanced to the second round of the Beach Volleyball World Championships (Adelaide 2025) after topping its group with three straight wins.The Qatari duo of Cherif Younes and Ahmed Tijan defeated Austria 2-0 in their final group match, winning 21-12 and 22-20, to finish with a perfect record. Qatar had earlier beaten Cuba 21-14, 21-18, and Switzerland 21-15, 21-15.The tournament, held in Adelaide until November 23, features 48 men's and 48 women's teams, including Olympic champions and emerging nations. Qatar, bronze medallists at Tokyo 2020 and fourth at Paris 2024, are aiming to continue their strong run in international beach volleyball.  

Qatar’s experimental line-up slips to 2–1 defeat against Zimbabwe

DOHA - Qatar slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Zimbabwe in an international friendly at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Monday, a match that formed an important part of Al Team Qatar ’s preparations for upcoming competitions, including the Arab Cup  FIFAQatar 2025 and their long-term build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.Julen Lopetegui’s side, which entered the match ranked 52nd in the world and facing a Zimbabwe team ranked 129th, made a bright start. Debutant Mohammed Khaled marked his first senior appearance with an eighth-minute opener, capping a confident beginning from a largely experimental lineup.Zimbabwe responded well, however, and Munashe Peter Garananga levelled midway through the first half. The visitors then struck the decisive blow 25 minutes from time when Bill Leeroy Antonio fired home their second goal.Despite the defeat, the match delivered valuable insight for Lopetegui, who used all 22 players available and handed opportunities to several newcomers — most notably Khaled, whose early goal was a highlight of the night. The friendly also served as the latest test for a 26-man squad initially announced for the November camp, although Ahmed al-Janahi and Ahmed al-Rawi were later withdrawn due to injury and replaced by Al Wakrah striker Youssef Abdul-Razzaq.A crowd of 2,136 spectators, including several hundred Zimbabwean supporters, created a lively atmosphere as the two sides met for only the second time in history — the first having come in 2002, also won 2-1 by Zimbabwe.For Qatar, the match forms one part of a broader preparation phase ahead of the Arab Cup Qatar 2025, where they will compete in Group A alongside Tunisia and two play-off winners (Syria/South Sudan and Palestine/Libya). The friendly also provided Lopetegui with a chance to assess depth across all lines, including goalkeepers Shehab al-Laithi, Mahmoud Abu Nada and Meshaal Barsham, as well as a mix of experienced players and rising talents. 

Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team defeats Ivory Coast

Riyadh - Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team opened its campaign at the Islamic Solidarity Games with a 21-13 victory over Ivory Coast in Riyadh yesterday. The team will continue its first-round matches today with encounters against Turkey and Iran.In the women’s competition, Qatar lost its opening match 11-16 to Algeria. The team will look to bounce back today against Iran and Egypt in its final group-stage games. The top two teams from each group in both the men's and women's competitions will qualify for tomorrow’s finals.The Qatari men’s squad features Dejan Janic, Ahmed Mohammed, Nadim Muslic, and Miho Harasic. The women’s roster includes Alaa Sulaiman, Mona Sulaiman, and Sama Jasser.Qatar’s handball team faces the Maldives Tuesday in its final Group A match. The match is largely a formality, with Qatar already assured of first place in the group and a semifinal berth following convincing wins over Iran (39-23) and the UAE (41-24).Given the gulf in quality, Qatar is expected to claim a third straight victory, as the Maldives have suffered heavy defeats to the UAE (10-53) and Iran (14-57).The UAE and Iran will meet to determine the second semifinalist from Group A. In Group B, Bahrain face Iraq, while Saudi Arabia meet Kuwait, with both matches deciding the two semifinal qualifiers.The semi-finals will take place tomorrow. Qatar won the gold medal at the previous edition in Konya, Turkey, in 2022, defeating the hosts 26-23 in the final. Ashraf and Ahmed finish fifth and sixth in hammer throwQatar’s Ashraf al-Saifi and Ahmed al-Saifi concluded their participation in the men’s hammer throw yesterday. Ashraf placed fifth with a throw of 71.59m, while Ahmed finished sixth with 66.87m. The event was held at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City.Qatar’s athletics participation continues today. Ahmed Jibril will compete in the shot put final, while Ashraf Osman and Hussein Ibrahim run the first round of the 400m, and Abubaker Haidar races in the opening round of the 800m. In para athletics, Abdulrahman Abdulqader finished sixth in the F33/F34 discus throw with a mark of 27.55m.Qatar’s fencers Mohammed Abdul Ali and Abdulrahman al-Jadra exited the men’s epee competition held yesterday at Riyadh Boulevard. Abdul Ali was defeated 13-15 in the quarter-finals by Azerbaijan’s Vahab Fatullayev, while al-Jadra was eliminated in the round of 16 after a narrow 14-15 loss to his compatriot Abdul Ali.Abdul Ali’s campaign featured victories over Iran’s Amir Hossein (5-3), Oman’s Ahmed Kaskas (4-2), and Libya’s Ahmed Al-Sahiri (15-1), alongside losses to Uzbekistan’s Mirikhan Teymurov (3-5) and Turkey’s Doruk Erolsevik (1-4).Al-Jadra registered wins against Indonesia’s Andy Lukman (5-2), the UAE’s Imran al-Balushi (5-4), Saudi Arabia’s Khalifa al-Amiri (4-3), Iran’s Mohammad Esmaeili (4-3), Cameroon’s Mohamedou Faisal (5-1), and Pakistan’s Ahmed Khan (15-1) before bowing out to his teammate.Qatar’s fencing participation continues today with Adham al-Deeb and Khaled Aref Hussein in the men’s individual foil, while Dhikra al-Abdullah and Sheikha Jassim compete in the women’s individual épée.Qatar’s Noor Mohammed and Maram Fatnasi were both eliminated in the quarter-finals of the taekwondo competition. Noor fell to Iran’s Malika Vakili in the over-70kg category, while Maram lost to Uzbekistan’s Diyorkun Azizova in the under-63kg division.Camel racing events begin today at the Janadriyah racecourse as part of Riyadh 2025. The men’s 2000m heats start at 7:45am and 8am, serving as qualifiers ahead of Thursday's finals. The programme includes 2000m and 8000m races for both men and women.Wrestling competitions also begin today, with 202 wrestlers from 33 countries taking part. Qatar is represented by Arif Mohammadi (67kg) and Shaheen Mohammed (77kg).The tournament features 18 weight classes. Matches run over three days at Riyadh City Boulevard and include preliminaries, repechage and finals, followed by medal ceremonies.Turkey has extended its lead in the overall medal standings, reaching 117 medals (59 gold, 34 silver, 24 bronze). Uzbekistan are second with 61 medals (20 gold, 21 silver, 20 bronze), followed by Iran in third with 54 (17 gold, 15 silver, 22 bronze). Egypt sit fourth with 36 medals (12 gold, 10 silver, 14 bronze), while Kazakhstan are fifth with 40 (11 gold, 13 silver, 16 bronze). 

Qatar’s Cherif and Tijan Claim Second Victory at Beach Volleyball World Championships

AUSTRALIA - Qatar’s beach volleyball stars Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan continued their impressive run at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, Australia, securing their second win in Pool J today.The Olympic bronze medallists delivered a confident performance, defeating Switzerland’s Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli in straight sets, 21–15, 21–15. The victory keeps the Qatari duo at the top of their group as they head into a decisive match later today against Austria’s Timo Hammarberg and Timm Berger, which will determine the Pool J leaders.Cherif and Tijan began their campaign with a strong opening win over Cuba’s Damian Gomez and Iblaiz Ferranes, also in straight sets. A total of 48 of the world’s best teams are taking part in the championships, which continue in Australia until November 23. 

Team Qatar Gears Up to Take On Zimbabwe in Monday Test Match

DOHA - The Qatar national football team will take on Zimbabwe on Monday at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in a friendly match forming part of Qatar's preparations for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar, which Doha will host from December 1 to 18, 2025.The match also fits into Qatar's long-term preparation plan for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Qatar secured its spot in the tournament after topping Group A of the Asian playoff competition held in Doha last month, finishing ahead of the UAE and Oman.Head coach Julen Lopetegui aims to evaluate several players before finalizing the 23-man squad for the FIFA Arab Cup, in accordance with FIFA regulations.The squad for the Zimbabwe match excludes several key players who have been central to the team in recent years, including Akram Afif, Edmilson Junior, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Karim Boudiaf, and Abdulaziz Hatem. Striker Almoez Ali is also absent after undergoing surgery. The move is intended to give these players time to rest and recover following a demanding schedule with club and national team duties.The current squad features a mix of youth and experience and includes 26 players, among them three goalkeepers: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada, and Shehab Al Lithi. The squad also comprises Ahmed Al Janahi, Ahmed Al Rawi, Ahmed Suhail, Ahmed Fathy, Ahmed Alaa, Al Hashimi Al Hussain, Ayoub Mohammed, Tahsin Mohammed, Jassim Gaber, Khalid Ali, Khaled Mohammed, Sultan Al Brek, Tarek Salman, Assim Madibo, Lucas Mendes, Mohammed Khaled, Mohammed Muntari, Mohammed Waad, Mustafa Tarek, Nabil Irfan, Homam Al Amin, and Yousef Ayman.This international window marks Qatar’s final preparation phase before the Arab Cup. The host nation will open the tournament on December 1 at Al Bayt Stadium against the winner of the Palestine-Libya playoff.Qatar is placed in Group A with Tunisia and the winner of the Syria-South Sudan playoff.Zimbabwe, ranked 129th in the October FIFA rankings, recently played a friendly against Algeria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where it lost 3-1.The Zimbabwean team is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host from December 21. Zimbabwe will begin its campaign against Egypt on December 22 in Agadir in Group B, which also features South Africa and Angola.