Doha to open 2026 Wanda Diamond League Season as Calendar Confirmed

Doha: The 2026 Diamond League season will begin in Doha on May 8 and finish at the two-day series final in Brussels on September 4-5.The world’s greatest athletes will return to the global stage next year as they embark on another continent-crossing Wanda Diamond League campaign in 2026.The 2026 season calendar has now been published and can be viewed on the Diamond League website.Following another record-breaking year in 2025, many of the sport’s biggest names will be hoping to make history once again as athletics’ premier one-day series returns for its 17th season.As in previous years, athletes will compete for points at 14 meetings as they bid to qualify for the series final in Brussels and a shot at the iconic Diamond Trophy.The 2026 Road to the Final will begin in Asia, with Doha hosting the season opener on May 8 before back-to-back Chinese meetings in Shanghai and Xiamen.The African leg of the series will take place in Rabat on May 31, before the first European meeting of the season in Rome the following week.After stops in Stockholm, Oslo and Paris, the world’s biggest stars will head to Eugene on the US west coast for a meeting which has seen five world records in the past three seasons alone.The series then returns to Europe for meetings in Monaco and London, before the Road to the Final enters the home straight in August.Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich will be the last stops before the world’s biggest stars assemble in Brussels for the Wanda Diamond League Final on September 4-5.With meetings on four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.In 2025, it welcomed 400,000 spectators to some of the planet’s most iconic arenas and was broadcast on television in 170 different countries.It also reached an online fanbase of five million social media followers worldwide, notching up more than one billion impressions and more than 900 million video views across all platforms.In 2026, that global reach will only grow as the sport’s biggest names return to Diamond League action.Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis will be out to claim a sixth successive Diamond League title in 2026, as he looks to improve on his latest world record of 6.30m.US sprint star Noah Lyles became the most successful track athlete in Diamond League history with his sixth series title in 2025, and now has the chance to equal or even surpass the overall record of seven Diamond Trophies.For newly crowned world champions such as the USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, the 2026 Diamond League offers the chance to confirm their top-dog status in a season-long struggle for one of the sport’s biggest prizes.With no Olympic Games or World Championships, the Diamond Trophy will be one of the biggest global titles up for grabs in 2026.The full dates for the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season are as follows:May 8 – DohaMay 16 – ShanghaiMay 23 – XiamenMay 31 – RabatJune 4 – RomeJune 7 – StockholmJune 10 – OsloJune 26 – ParisJuly 4 – EugeneJuly 10 – MonacoJuly 18 – LondonAugust 21 – LausanneAugust 23 – SilesiaAugust 27 – ZurichSeptember 4-5 – Final in Brussels 

Islamic Solidarity Games draw places Qatar Handball Team at Top of Group A

Riyadh: The draw for the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games handball competition, to be held in Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 21, placed Team Qatar, the defending champions, at the top of Group A.Group A also includes Iran, the UAE, and the Maldives, while Group B features Saudi Arabia (host nation), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq.Handball is one of the most prominent and competitive events at the Islamic Solidarity Games, with a strong lineup of elite Arab and Asian national teams. The draw produced two balanced groups, setting the stage for intense regional matchups.The Games will be held in Riyadh, bringing together more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries, who will compete across 23 sports, including the introduction of camel racing and esports for the first time in the event’s history — reflecting the growing diversity and evolution of the Games.The group draw presents a promising path for Team Qatar, one of the top contenders for the gold medal. Despite Iran’s notable strength and record in Asian competitions, Qatar’s technical superiority, tactical discipline, and determination to defend its title give the team a strong edge as they aim to retain the championship they won in the previous edition.

Qatar Olympic Committee Enhances Professional Efficiency in Document and Workflow Management

Doha: As part of its ongoing efforts to develop staff capabilities and strengthen its institutional work environment, the Human Resources and Administrative Affairs Department at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) organized a specialized training course titled “Professional Management and Organization of Documents and Work Procedures.” The program was held in cooperation with Al Rowad Training Center at the QOC headquarters in Lusail Hall.The three-day course ran from October 21 to 23, 2025, with the participation of secretarial and archiving staff from various QOC departments.Delivered by HR expert Khadija Mahmoud Al-Dabsha, the training featured a series of in-depth sessions covering best practices in document organization and workflow management. The first session introduced participants to the fundamental concepts of document and correspondence management, including organization, filing principles, and procedures for receiving and recording official correspondence.The second session focused on administrative process organization and digital transformation, addressing methods for planning and streamlining administrative procedures, the latest technologies in archiving, and practical secretarial skills. The final day was dedicated to hands-on applications and quality management, featuring exercises in document classification, numbering, and workflow mapping, along with discussions on quality standards and continuous improvement through real-life case studies and innovative solutions.The program aimed to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of document lifecycle management and its importance within public institutions. It also provided practical training in organization, indexing, numbering, confidentiality, and the implementation of modern electronic archiving systems to enhance institutional performance.This initiative reflects the QOC’s strong commitment to investing in human capital as a cornerstone of organizational excellence and to empowering its employees with the latest administrative and management tools. It also aligns with the QOC’s vision to foster continuous improvement, accelerate service delivery, and raise overall efficiency and quality.At the conclusion of the program, participants received certificates and expressed their appreciation to the QOC for providing this training opportunity. They emphasized that the skills and knowledge gained would contribute to improving daily performance and enhancing work quality.

Team Qatar set to take on Spain at U17 World Handball Championship

Casablanca: Team Qatar will take on Spain today at 12:30 p.m. in their second match of the inaugural U17 World Handball Championship, currently taking place in Casablanca, Morocco and running until November 1.The Qatari side began their campaign in style, defeating Tunisia 38–30 in their opening match to collect their first two valuable points in the global competition.Buoyed by their strong start, Team Qatar will aim to secure a second consecutive victory, which could all but guarantee their qualification to the next round even before playing their final group match.A win against a powerhouse like Spain would give the Qatari team a decisive edge in the group standings. The players, inspired by their opening triumph, are determined to continue their momentum and translate the fans’ hopes into another strong performance — reaffirming Qatar’s growing stature on the international handball stage. 

Team Qatar athletes continue their participation at Asian Youth Games

Manama: Team Qatar’s national squads continued their participation in the 3rd Asian Youth Games, currently underway in the Kingdom of Bahrain and running until October 31, featuring more than 5,000 athletes representing 45 Asian National Olympic Committees.Yesterday marked the start of the table tennis singles competition, where Qatari players delivered spirited performances. Abdulaziz Al Abdullah lost 1–3 to India’s Suhail Rawat (6–11, 5–11, 14–12, 3–11) despite a strong showing in the third set. Issa Al Haddad fell 0–3 to China’s Hichen Li (4–11, 1–11, 1–11), while Youssef Abdullah narrowly lost 2–3 to Singapore’s Siah Binaya (9–11, 11–6, 11–9, 5–11, 6–11) in a close five-set contest.In volleyball, the Qatari women’s team exited the tournament after losing 0–3 to Thailand in the quarterfinals, following a tough match against one of the event’s strongest sides. The young Qatari players displayed determination in both attack and defense but were ultimately outmatched by Thailand’s experience.In taekwondo, Mohammed Yassin was eliminated in the Round of 16 (under-50kg category) after a 0–2 defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Ali.Meanwhile, in equestrian show jumping, Qatari riders delivered commendable performances but were unable to secure medals despite competing confidently throughout the individual rounds.Today, Team Qatar’s 3x3 basketball team will play Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, aiming to continue their impressive run after topping Group C with a perfect record of five wins. The semifinals and medal matches are scheduled for tomorrow, where Qatar hopes to move closer to a podium finish.Also starting today are the swimming, cycling, and badminton competitions, featuring several of Qatar’s promising young athletes, all aiming to achieve strong results.On a related note, the Qatari wrestling team arrived in Bahrain yesterday to take part in the Games, while the judo and jiu-jitsu teams are expected to arrive today, completing Qatar’s delegation.Team Qatar is represented by 67 athletes competing across 16 sports: athletics, badminton, basketball (3x3), equestrian (show jumping), golf, judo, jiu-jitsu, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling, volleyball, beach volleyball, and boxing. Qatari women are competing in four sports — athletics, badminton, volleyball, and beach volleyball.Through its participation, Qatar aims to deliver strong performances and gain valuable continental experience as part of its long-term preparation for the Doha 2030 Asian Games.Qatar’s previous achievements at the Asian Youth Games include two silver medals in athletics at Singapore 2009 and three medals (one gold in handball and two silver in shooting) at Nanjing 2013.

Qatar 3x3 Basketball Team advances to quarterfinals of Asian Youth Games

Manama: Team Qatar’s 3x3 basketball squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the 3rd Asian Youth Games, currently taking place in the Kingdom of Bahrain and running until October 31, with over 5,000 athletes representing 45 Asian National Olympic Committees.The Qatari team qualified with a perfect record, winning all five of its group-stage matches. On Sunday, Qatar earned two more victories — defeating the Maldives (21–8) and Palestine (21–7) — to top Group C.Earlier in the competition, Team Qatar had beaten Cambodia, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, completing the preliminary stage unbeaten with five consecutive wins.The quarterfinals will take place on Monday, followed by the semifinals, bronze medal match, and final later the same day.Team Qatar’s 3x3 roster features Mohammed Saeed Badri, Bekayakan Mbodji, Mohammed Diop, and Azzam Mohammed Yaken.In other sports, Team Qatar’s sprinter Dana Salem finished sixth in the women’s 200m final, after having won a silver medal in the 100m event the previous day.In beach volleyball, the Qatari duo Ahmed Ziad and Moussa Al-Khair fell short in the quarterfinals after a narrow 1–2 loss to Kazakhstan, with set scores of (11–21, 23–21, 8–15).In golf, Qatar concluded the tournament 12th in the team standings, while Daniel Sokolov placed 19th and Kamil Bin Roquia finished 37th individually.In boxing, Mohammed Al-Marri lost to Behrouz Amrov of Tajikistan in the 50kg category, while Fahd Al-Dosari was defeated by Abbas Haidar of Iraq in the 60kg division.Meanwhile, Qatar’s swimming, cycling, and badminton teams arrived in Bahrain on Sunday to begin their participation in the ongoing Asian Youth Games, which feature 26 sports disciplines and serve as a qualifier for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.