Qatar Olympic Committee Steps Up Half Marathon Preparations with 30 Days to Go

DOHA –  The Qatar Olympic Committee is stepping up its administrative, technical, and logistical preparations for the second edition of its annual Half Marathon 2026, set to take place on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, at Lusail Boulevard. Held in conjunction with National Sport Day, the event underscores the QOC’s enduring dedication to spreading sports culture and encouraging an active lifestyle among all members of the community.Alongside the marathon, a diverse range of sports and entertainment activities will take place at the Team Qatar Village in Al Sa'ad Plaza, organized in cooperation with several national sports federations and supported by a distinguished group of partners, including Qatari Diar as the host, ASICS Japan, a global leader in sports equipment, Doha Bank,  the Ministry of Interior, Hamad Medical Corporation, and a team of dedicated volunteers.The race will feature categories that cater to different ages and fitness levels. These include: Children (ages 6–14): 1 km, Youth (ages 15–17): 5 km, General category (ages 19–39): 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km General category (ages 40 and above): 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km, team Qatar category (ages 19–39): 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km, team Qatar category (ages 40 and above): 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km, The event ensures wide participation and a comprehensive sports experience for all age groups.The QOC invites participants of all ages to register online via the official QOC website, according to approved terms and conditions. The committee aims to expand the event’s reach, increasing participation from 6,000 runners in the first edition to 10,000 in 2026, attracting competitors from both inside and outside the country, highlighting the event’s international and competitive nature.On this occasion, Mr. Salah Al-Saadi, Vice Chairman of the Half Marathon Organizing Committee, stated that the QOC is committed to delivering an exceptional experience for all participants and ensuring the long-term sustainability of this annual event, in line with its vision: “To become a Leading Nation in Bringing The World Together Through Sustainable Sport Development.”Mr. Al-Saadi highlighted that the race is one of the flagship community and sports events on the Qatar Olympic Committee’s calendar. It is a groundbreaking initiative that reflects Qatar’s commitment to making physical activity a way of life, bringing families of all ages and fitness levels together in a healthy, uplifting, and positive environment.The organizing committee of the annual Half Marathon is working to deliver a second edition that meets the highest technical standards, ensuring a comprehensive and outstanding sporting experience for participants. The event also aims to promote a culture of physical activity in Qatar and encourage all segments of society to actively engage in sports, in alignment with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. 

Yuling and Yun-Ju emerge winners at WTT Champions Doha

DOHA - Macau’s former World No. 1 Zhu Yuling and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju emerged champions at WTT Champions Doha 2026, as the curtain came down on five days of high intensity table tennis at Lusail Sports Arena on Sunday. Zhu completed a remarkable comeback by lifting the women’s singles trophy, while Lin finally ended a long title drought to claim the men’s crown.Zhu added another inspirational chapter to her comeback story by defeating third seed Chen Xingtong of China 4-2 (5-11, 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, 13-11) in a gripping final .The victory earned Zhu her first winner’s trophy and continued a stunning return to the sport following a four year absence from international competition.Chen set the early tone, imposing herself in the opening game and striking first despite late resistance from Zhu. The second game proved pivotal, with both players locked in explosive backhand exchanges that brought the crowd to life. Zhu saved two game points before levelling the match after Chen sent her finisher into the net at 12-11.Chen responded strongly in the third to regain control, but momentum swung again in the fourth as Zhu forced a decider in what was shaping into a finely balanced contest. The fifth game proved crucial. After seeing her lead reduced, Zhu called a time out and, despite Chen briefly levelling at 8-8, the decision paid off as Zhu reeled off three straight points to move ahead for the first time.The sixth game delivered the final twist. Chen threatened to force a seventh after moving 10-9 ahead, but a fortunate edge of the table brought Zhu back to 10-10. Chen had one last chance to extend the match, but sent the ball long at 12-11, sealing the title for Zhu.Holding her arms aloft, Zhu celebrated a hard earned triumph. “I am feeling relatively calm since I haven’t come out of the match yet. I played two matches today, which is the first time after I came back. It’s a big test for my physical and mental strength,” Zhu said.“I don’t know whether I am already reaching the end of my table tennis career. If I want to carry on, I’d treat every match, every day and every experience as the last one to compete and leave no regrets.”The title marked Zhu’s first appearance in a WTT Champions final and provided the perfect start to her 2026 campaign. For Chen, winner in Yokohama last season, the wait for a second WTT Champions title continues.In the men’s final, Lin Yun-Ju ended a 798 day wait for silverware with a commanding straight games victory over surprise finalist Jang Woojin of South Korea, winning 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 13-11 at Infinity Arena.Lin last lifted a trophy at WTT Champions Frankfurt 2023 and had come close on several occasions since.This time, the 22-year-old showed no intention of letting the opportunity slip, producing a composed and ruthless performance to secure his fourth WTT Series singles title.The triumph adds to Lin’s previous successes at WTT Champions Frankfurt 2023, WTT Contender Zagreb 2022 and WTT Contender Almaty 2023, and signals a timely return to form for the player known as the ‘Silent Assassin’.Attention now turns to WTT Star Contender Doha, which be held at the Lusail Sports Arena from January 13 to 18. 

QOC President crowns winners of second tour of HH the Father Amir Prix

Doha: HE President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Chairman of the Doha Equestrian Tour Organising Committee, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, crowned the winners of the first three places of the second tour of HH the Father Amir Prix, which concluded Saturday at the indoor and outdoor Longines arenas at Al Shaqab.Scott Brash produced a masterclass performance to clinch the CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix.Nine horse-and-rider combinations progressed to the jump-off, where Brash guided the BWP gelding Hello Jefferson to victory. The British rider stopped the clock at 42.66 seconds to seal the title and collect €97,500.Brash finished just ahead of France’s Megane Moissonnier, who clocked 42.78 seconds aboard the 14-year-old stallion Crooner Tame to claim second place and €65,000. American rider Eve Jobs completed the podium, piloting the 15-year-old Canto Bruno to third in 43.41 seconds, earning €48,750.All five riders in the top group delivered faultless rounds in the jump-off. Thailand’s Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth aboard Maxwin Kinmar Bespoke, while Monaco’s Anastasia Nielsen rounded out the top five with ESI Rocky.“Hello Jefferson is an incredible horse,” Brash said. “He’s 17 now, but he still feels like a young horse. He loves his job, and he’s always jumped well here in Doha in the main arena.”Brash had earlier enjoyed success in the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix, guiding Hello Chadora Lady to victory following a seven-horse jump-off. He edged out Belgium’s Abdel Said on Wathnan Calvaro to take home €31,800. Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann finished third with Iron Dames High Level.Meanwhile, Britain’s Harry Charles claimed the CSI5* 1.50m Special Two-Phase class aboard Bandit. The pair produced a faultless round and stopped the clock at 35.10 seconds to secure top honours.Fellow Briton Millie Allen followed closely in second place on Quick Diamant HR with another double-clear effort in 35.41, while Italy’s Roberto Previtali completed the podium on I’M Special Mess PS in 36.16.Charles said: “Bandit is back at five-star level after nearly a year away, so starting with a win is fantastic. He has plenty more in the tank, and as the tour progresses, I hope to build him up to the bigger classes here in Doha.”At the end of Tour 2, Brash has moved into the overall lead in the CSI4* and CSI5* provisional rankings with 89 points. Karunayadhaj sits second on 66 points, while Jobs has climbed to third on 62. Harry Charles and Anastasia Nielsen are tied on 59, with Moissonnier close behind on 55.Qatari riders dominated the CSI1* Grand Prix 1.30m jump-off, with Hussain Said Haidan clinching top honours after producing a double-clear round aboard D Saucedo in 35.79 seconds. He finished ahead of compatriot Saad Ahmed Al Saad, who stopped the clock at 37.10 seconds on Fashion des Douits, while Nasser Al Ghazali completed an all-Qatari podium with a faultless round on Dexter in 37.11.Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano claimed victory in the CSI3* 1.40m accumulator, guiding Diarouge Blue PS to a winning score of 65 in 46.13 seconds. Turkiye’s Hasan Senturk settled for second on Elzas, also finishing on 65 but in a slightly slower time of 46.79 seconds, while Saudi Arabia’s Khalid al-Hadi placed third aboard Capoen in 48.34.Gaudiano praised his mount’s consistency in the arena. “Diarouge Blue PS jumped very well today. She has already won three classes here, so I’m happy with how she’s feeling in this arena,” he said.France’s Jean Francois Rondoux topped the CSI3* 1.30m faults and time class after steering Inter-Larus to a clear round in 69.13 seconds. Qatari rider Ghanim Nasser Al Qadi finished second on Mukaynis in 70.71, narrowly edging Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Alasaker, who was third aboard Tinto de Nuit Z in 70.72.In the CSI1* 1.15m accumulator, Qatar swept the podium, led by Ali Omar Al Ansari and Nikita Eindeken Z with a winning score of 65 in 43.13 seconds. Abdulla Ahmed Al Khulaifi followed on Quenta van de Corsendonksehoeve, while Abdulla Tamim Al Thani took third aboard Cassandra 352.The CSIY-B and CSIY 1.30m jump-off Group VII series qualifier saw another Qatari success, as Ibrahim Yousuf Al Mahmoud emerged victorious on Vito Blue PS with a double-clear effort in 36.42 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Meshal Al Qahtani placed second on Menke, while Yaqoub Nasser Al Mass finished third for Qatar aboard Hammond J.In the national CSN 1.00m special two-phase class, Iraq’s Mariam Abdulkarim Sabri claimed the top spot on Baina after posting a double-clear round in 35.63 seconds. She was closely followed by Afraa Abdulrahman Al Sulaiti on Molga, with Salman Faisal Al Marri rounding out the podium aboard Goteborg Handyman.In the overall CSI1* standings, Haidan extendd his lead to 40 points after topping both Tour 1 and Tour 2. Saad Ahmed Al Saad is second on 34 points, while Jordan’s Bisher Kayali is third on 19. 

Syria edges out team Qatar in AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Riyadh – Qatar’s U-23 national team suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat to Syria in their second Group B match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, played Saturday at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The group also features Japan and the United Arab Emirates.The decisive moment came late in the match, when Syria captain Mahmoud Al-Aswad converted a penalty in the 85th minute. Just two minutes earlier, Qatar were reduced to ten men after Ayoub Al-Alawi received a red card following a VAR review.With this result, Qatar remain without points after two consecutive losses, while Syria collected their first three points to sit third in the group. The UAE occupy second place on the same points, with a superior goal difference, while Japan lead the standings with six points.Qatar had opened their campaign with a 2–0 defeat to the UAE and will now face group leaders Japan on Tuesday in the third and final round. On the same day, Syria will meet the UAE in the other Group B encounter.The match began in a balanced manner, with Qatar gradually asserting control through possession and territorial dominance. However, Syria’s disciplined defensive organization limited clear chances during the opening ten minutes.In the 13th minute, Qatar came close to breaking the deadlock from a set piece on the edge of the penalty area, but Abdulaziz Mohammed’s direct effort was blocked by the Syrian defense. Chances followed at both ends, including a crucial defensive intervention by Ayoub Al-Alawi in the 22nd minute to deny a dangerous Syrian move.Qatar continued to probe, with Nabil Irfan delivering a cross in the 26th minute that flashed across the face of goal, while a corner kick in the 30th minute was safely claimed by the Syrian goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Mohammed Khaled nearly broke through on goal after an impressive run from midfield, only to be fouled by Abdulrahman Al-Arja, who received a yellow card.Despite several promising moments, neither side managed to convert their opportunities, and the first half ended goalless.The second half followed a similar pattern, with both teams sharing possession and producing few clear-cut chances. Qatar threatened in the 70th minute through a well-worked move involving Mohammed Khaled and Rashed Abdulaziz, but the Syrian defense once again stood firm.Syria responded with a swift counterattack in the 75th minute, when Mohammed Al-Mustafa broke free but fired his shot narrowly wide of the left post.The turning point arrived in the 83rd minute, as VAR intervention awarded Syria a penalty and resulted in a red card for Ayoub Al-Alawi for a foul on Al-Mustafa. Mahmoud Al-Aswad calmly dispatched the spot kick two minutes later to give Syria the lead.Qatar pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages, coming agonizingly close in the 87th minute when Mustafa Al-Sayed’s powerful header from a cross drifted just wide of the right post. However, the numerical disadvantage and Syria’s deep defensive block prevented Al-Annabi from finding a way back.The match ended 1–0 in Syria’s favor, sealing a hard-fought victory and leaving Qatar with everything to play for in their final group match. 

Han stuns top seed Manyu to enter WTT Champions semis

Doha: Germany’s Ying Han recorded one of the greatest wins of her career, knocking out top seed Wang Manyu over seven games (11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6) to reach the semis of the WTT Champions Doha 2026 at the Lusail Sports Arena Saturday.Han went into the tie as the World No 22, and had never progressed past the quarter-final at a WTT Champions event. Wang is the current World No 2 and only recently defended her WTT Finals title. “Of course, I am extremely pleased with my performance because I have never beaten her before; the best I ever did was win one game against her. My goal today was to win two games, and when I won the third game, I started to get a little bit of belief. And then I just wanted to give it my all for every point,” said Ying HanThis match was Han’s third quarter-final at this level, but the win was not just a giant killing. Edging Wang over seven games means Han has become the oldest player to reach a WTT Champions semis, aged 42 years and 256 days old.In today’s semis, Han will again have to pull off a historic upset by beating No. 6 seed Zhu Yuling of Macau if she hopes to move one step closer to the title. The last time Han met Zhu was also here in Doha back in 2016. Today’s match will be the first WTT clash between the pair.Yuling, the the former World No 1, downed Wang Yidi 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 to progress to the semi-final. Zhu, who celebrates her 31st birthday Saturday, has been in fantastic form all week at Lusail Sports Arena, having not gone behind once in her first three matches and having only dropped a total of four games.“I cherished every moment throughout the entire match because I don’t get too many opportunities to compete with highly skilled players like Wang Yidi. I’d treat it as an intense training for myself. Today, I performed at my best at every moment and settled into the first game fast,” said YulingIn the all-Chinese women’s semi-final, third seed Chen Xingtong will take on second seed Man Kuai. The men’s singles will contested between China’s top seed Lin Shidong and South Korea’s Jan Woojin, while Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto will face Chinese Taipie’s Lin Yun-Ju.In the quarters, top seed Shidong overcame Liang Jingkun, while Woojin beat Truls Moregard. Harimoto also advanced with a win over Felix Lebrun and Yun-Ju delivered a flawless performance to defeat Sora Matushima. 

Board of Directors of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee holds its first meeting

Doha: The Board of Directors of the Organising Committee for the 21st Asian Games – Doha 2030 held its first meeting today, chaired by H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Organising Committee’s Board. The meeting comes as part of the ongoing preparations to host this major continental sporting event in the State of Qatar.During the meeting, H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Member of the Board of Directors of the Organising Committee for the Doha 2030 Asian Games, reviewed the main master plan for the Games and its key pillars, and highlighted the latest updates related to the organisational and preparatory aspects, supporting the integrated preparation process for this major continental sporting event.The Board also appointed Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Al Buainain as Chief Executive Officer of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee. In his new role, he will play a central part in overseeing the executive operations of the Organising Committee and ensuring the effective implementation of approved plans and strategies, in line with the highest organisational standards and the objectives set for delivering this major continental sporting event.The meeting also addressed ways to enhance coordination and integration among relevant stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, with the aim of unifying efforts and ensuring close cooperation to deliver a successful edition of the Games that reflects Qatar’s standing and organisational capabilities in hosting major continental and international sporting events.Discussions further covered several themes related to the sustainable legacy of the Games, optimal utilisation of existing sports infrastructure, and leveraging accumulated national expertise in organising major championships. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of adopting best practices in innovation, sustainability, and governance.The first meeting of the Organising Committee’s Board of Directors marks a key foundational step in the preparations for the Doha 2030 Asian Games, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, and reinforces the country’s leading role and growing influence in the development of sport across the Asian continent.