Team Qatar Face Iran in Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship

Amman : Qatar’s U19 handball team will face Iran on Sunday in their third Group B match at the Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship, currently taking place in the Jordanian capital, Amman, until August 31.Team Qatar will be aiming for their third consecutive victory following a strong start to the tournament. They opened their campaign with a 30–22 win over Saudi Arabia before defeating Kuwait 30–19 in their second match.Qatar will conclude their group-stage campaign against Syria on Monday in the fourth and final round.The Qatari team will be looking to maintain their positive run of results as they continue their bid for the continental title and seek to further strengthen Qatar handball’s presence on the Asian stage.

Qatar Cricket Association President Elected to Asian Cricket Council Executive Board

Bangkok : HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Thani, President of the Qatar Cricket Association (QCA), has been elected as a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Executive Board for 2026, representing the Qatar Cricket Association, in a new achievement reflecting the growing presence of Qatari cricket on the Asian stage.The election took place during the 2026 Asian Cricket Council Annual General Meeting, held in Bangkok, Thailand, with the participation of representatives from the host nation, Qatar, several GCC countries and a number of Asian cricket associations.The election of the Qatar Cricket Association President to the ACC Executive Board recognizes Qatar’s growing role in supporting and developing cricket and strengthening the sport’s presence at both regional and continental levels. It also represents an important step towards expanding the participation of Qatari sports officials in decision-making at the Asian level.The appointment also reflects increasing confidence in Qatari sports officials and underlines Qatar’s growing position within the Asian cricket community, opening new opportunities for cooperation and development while supporting efforts to promote the sport and broaden its participation base in Qatar and across the region.The achievement adds to Qatar’s growing record of success across the sporting landscape and further underlines the country’s active presence within continental and international sports organizations and federations.

Qatar Fall to France in FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship

Doha: Qatar’s U17 volleyball team suffered a straight-sets defeat to France in their second Group A match at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship – Doha 2026, currently being held in Doha until August 29.France won all three sets by an identical score of 25–11, securing their second victory in the group and booking their place in the next round.Qatar will conclude their preliminary-round campaign against Tunisia on Sunday in an all-Arab encounter, where they will be looking to produce a strong performance and secure a positive result.Tunisia lost their opening match to France and are set to face Venezuela on Saturday in their second group fixture before taking on Qatar in the third and final round.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) after the match, Qatar U17 player Ahmed Hamdi said the team faced a strong French side and that the players gave their best in an effort to match their opponents. He expressed hope that Qatar would deliver an improved performance in their next match.“France are a strong team. We could have performed better with greater concentration, but we learned a lot from this match and will work to improve our performance in the next game,” Hamdi said.Looking ahead to the encounter with Tunisia, Hamdi said the match would be an important and challenging one, adding that Qatar would prepare thoroughly and give their utmost to deliver a strong performance and achieve a positive result.Hamdi also expressed his delight at competing in the World Championship, highlighting the importance of such tournaments in providing young players with valuable experience through exposure to some of the world’s leading teams and high-level players.He also praised the team spirit within the Qatari squad, noting that the positive atmosphere among the players has strengthened cohesion and motivated them to give their best throughout the tournament.Elsewhere in Friday’s second-round action, Argentina defeated Mexico in straight sets in Group C, while Iran recorded a 3–0 victory over Pakistan. Italy defeated India 3–1, while Bulgaria overcame Spain by the same scoreline.The second round continues on Saturday with several matches, including Tunisia against Venezuela, Brazil against Poland, Cuba against Romania, Chinese Taipei against Algeria, and Egypt against Türkiye. 

Team Qatar Defeat Kuwait at Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship

Amman: Qatar’s U19 handball team continued their strong run at the 11th Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship after defeating Kuwait 30–19 in their second Group B match in Amman, Jordan.Team Qatar secured their second consecutive victory after controlling the match with a disciplined tactical performance, effective attacking play and solid defence.Qatar opened their campaign with a 30–22 victory over Saudi Arabia before overcoming Kuwait to raise their tally to four points and strengthen their chances of advancing from the group.The Qatari team will face Iran on Sunday in their third group match before concluding the preliminary round against Syria on Monday.Qatar will be looking to maintain their winning momentum and focus in the remaining matches as they seek to strengthen their chances of competing for the leading positions in the tournament, which continues until August 31. 

Qatar U18 Basketball Team Bow Out of FIBA U18 Asia Cup After Narrow Defeat to Japan

New Delhi:  Qatar’s U18 national basketball team saw their FIBA U18 Asia Cup campaign come to an end after a narrow 80–75 defeat to Japan in the qualification playoff for the quarterfinals in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.Qatar produced one of their strongest performances of the tournament and remained in contention until the closing stages, but Japan prevailed by five points to secure a place in the quarterfinals.Japan made the stronger start and took the opening quarter 20–13. Qatar responded well in the second period, improving defensively and showing greater organization in attack to win the quarter 22–18 and reduce the deficit to three points at halftime.The Qatari team maintained their momentum after the break, taking the third quarter 20–17 as they continued to put pressure on Japan and kept the contest finely balanced heading into the final period.With the match on the line, Japan proved more clinical in the decisive moments, winning the fourth quarter 25–20 to seal an 80–75 victory and advance to the last eight.Qatar captain Abdullah Yassin Mousa delivered an outstanding individual performance, scoring a game-high 46 points, while Kaiman Tsunioka led Japan with 19 points.Qatar reached the qualification playoff after finishing third in Group C with four points. They began their campaign with a 94–69 defeat to Iran and lost 118–66 to China before bouncing back with an emphatic 90–43 victory over Sri Lanka.The national squad featured Abdullah Yassin Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yaken, Tamim Ashraf Abouissa, Ziad Al Bitar, Moaz Omar Mousa, Ziad Tamer Al Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed.The tournament provided Qatar’s young players with valuable continental experience against some of Asia’s leading basketball nations, including Iran, China, and Japan.The team was led by Algerian head coach Mounir Ben Ghalla, assisted by Hashem Zaidan, while Kenan was responsible for physical preparation and Seif Al Din Al Hamandi oversaw medical and rehabilitation duties. The delegation was headed by Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams.The FIBA U18 Asia Cup also serves as a qualifier for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027 in Pardubice, Czech Republic, with the four semifinalists earning qualification for the global tournament. 

Team Qatar Open FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship Campaign with Defeat to Venezuela

Doha: Qatar’s U17 volleyball team began their campaign at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship – Doha 2026 with a 3–0 defeat to Venezuela on Wednesday at Aspire Sports Hall.Venezuela won the Pool A encounter 25–16, 25–16, 25–23, with Qatar producing their strongest performance in a closely contested third set.Team Qatar will face France in their second group-stage match on Friday, August 21, before concluding the preliminary round against Tunisia on Sunday, August 23. All three of Qatar’s matches will be played at the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall.Ismail Al Shaib, Team Manager of Qatar’s U17 national team, said hosting the championship provides the players with an important opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading teams, while noting Qatar’s extensive experience in organizing major international sporting events.Al Shaib described the opening match against Venezuela as a difficult test, particularly as the Qatari players were making their first appearance at a world championship. He noted that the team improved as the match progressed and produced a more competitive display in the third set, which Venezuela narrowly won.“We approach every match in this championship as if it were a final, and we aim to give our best in every encounter, especially as the tournament brings together some of the strongest teams in the world,” Al Shaib said.Looking ahead to the match against France, Al Shaib acknowledged the challenge posed by one of the world’s strong teams and said the technical and administrative staff would work to prepare the players in the best possible way to deliver a strong performance.He added that Qatar’s participation is not solely focused on results, but also on identifying promising players who could progress to the senior national team in the future. He stressed that the championship represents an important opportunity for the players to gain valuable experience at the highest international level.Elsewhere on the opening day, Poland defeated Argentina 3–0, Iran recorded a straight-sets victory over Algeria, Italy beat Romania 3–0, and Türkiye overcame Spain by the same scoreline.