Qatar Olympic Committee Creates New Opportunities for Young Athletes at 2026 Youth Games

DOHA – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has announced that the 2026 Youth Games will be held from 18 to 22 November under the slogan “Towards a Sporting Generation and a Promising Future”. The event will welcome a broad range of young male and female sporting talents, highlighting the QOC’s ongoing commitment to developing young athletes and investing in the next generation.The announcement was made at a press conference held by the Organizing Committee at Al Wajba Hall, at the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters. The event was attended by Abdullah Al Athba, Head of the Support Services Committee; Abdullah Al-Abdullah, Head of the Technical Committee; Abdulrahman Al Mulla, Padel Competition Manager; and Masoud Al Athba, Shooting and Archery Competition Manager. Representatives of the event's sponsors and partners were also present, including United Development Company (UDC), Strategic Partner; Beanz, Official Refreshment Partner; The Dome, Padel Venue Sponsor; AlKalive, Official Water Supplier; Naseem Medical Centre, Official Health Care Supplier; and CRAVE, Sponsor of the Games, alongside representatives of media outlets.Mr. Abdullah Al Athba, Head of the Support Services Committee, welcomed and thanked the attendees before presenting the sports program for the Games. The program includes three sports: shooting, archery and padel, targeting boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17. He also highlighted the readiness of the competition venues, including their facilities, equipment and logistical arrangements, as well as the availability of organizational staff and volunteers to assist participants, their families and spectators at The Dome in Qatar Foundation and the Lusail Indoor Shooting Range.Mr. Abdullah Al-Abdullah, Head of the Technical Committee, outlined the technical and officiating framework for the competitions, noting that its implementation will involve close coordination with the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and the Qatar Padel Federation.Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Mulla said the padel competitions aim to build on the sport’s growing popularity and turn young people’s enthusiasm into opportunities to identify promising players and develop future champions. He added that technical support and qualified officiating would help create the right competitive environment for young talent to flourish.Mr Masoud Al-Athba, meanwhile, noted that shooting and archery offer more than sporting competition, helping young people develop discipline, responsibility, concentration and precision. He said the competitions also aim to identify promising Qatari athletes who can build on the country’s record of sporting achievements.According to the latest figures from the Organizing Committee, 338 young people have registered for the Games, comprising 276 boys and 62 girls. A total of 95 participants are registered for the 10-metre recurve archery event, while 177 will compete in the 10-metre air rifle and air pistol events. Padel will feature 33 teams.

QOC Elects H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani as Vice-President and Completes Board Formation

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) held its 2026 Extraordinary General Assembly today, chaired by H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.The meeting finalised the composition of the QOC Board of Directors, alongside a review of the performance of Qatar’s national teams and preparations for upcoming sporting events.The General Assembly elected H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani as Vice-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, while H.E. Mohammed bin Yousuf Al Mana was also appointed Vice-President, following the decision of H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari to step down from his position.The Qatar Olympic Committee expressed its sincere appreciation to H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari for his valuable efforts and contributions during his tenure, and wished him continued success.The General Assembly also reviewed the results of Qatar’s national teams at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, including the medals and achievements secured across various competitions, as well as preparations for Qatar’s participation in upcoming multi-sport events.H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani commended the achievements of Qatari athletes and national teams throughout the year, particularly their performances at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. He also praised the efforts of national sports federations, committees, and technical and administrative teams in preparing athletes and supporting their participation in international competitions.The Qatar Olympic Committee reaffirmed its commitment to developing Qatari sporting talent and expanding opportunities for athletes to compete, further strengthening Qatar’s sporting presence and competitiveness in future events. 

Qatar Announce Squad for Friendlies Against Australia and South Korea

DOHA – The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced the national team squad for its upcoming training camp in Doha during the current FIFA international window.The team will play two friendly matches, facing Australia next Friday at Thani bin Jassim Stadium before taking on South Korea at the same venue on November 17.Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui has named 28 players in the squad, including four goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria, Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada and Shehab El Leithi.The squad also includes Ibrahim Al Hassan, Ahmed Alaa, Ahmed Fathi, Ahmed Al Janahi, Akram Afif, Ayoub Al Alawi, Edmilson Junior, Jassem Gaber, Sultan Al Brake, Tarek Salman, Assim Madibo, Issa Lae, Abdulaziz Hatem, Mohammed Manaei, Homam Al Amin, Almoez Ali, Yousef Abdulrazzaq, Hashem Ali, Hassan Al Haydos, Boualem Khoukhi, Yousef Aymen, Nayel Mason, Karim Boudiaf and Bassam Al Rawi.The two friendlies form part of Qatar's preparations for its upcoming international commitments.

Morocco Leads Men's and Women's Events at Arab Golf Championships

DOHA – Moroccan golfers continued their impressive performances at the 45th Arab Men's and Women's Golf Championships, taking the lead in both individual competitions and securing the women's team title on the third day of action at Doha Golf Club.The women's individual competition produced a thrilling finish, with Morocco's Maria Harrouch and Rim Imni tied with the UAE's Intissar Rish at four under par, each recording 215 strokes. A playoff was required to decide the medal positions, with Harrouch emerging victorious to win gold, followed by Imni with silver and Rish with bronze.Qatar's Nada Mir finished 12th at 28 over par, while Mouza Al Thani came 19th at 72 over par.Morocco also secured the women's team gold medal with an overall score of 425 strokes, 13 under par. The UAE claimed silver with 433 strokes, five under par, while Tunisia took bronze with 485 strokes, 47 over par.In the men's individual standings, Morocco's Rida Al Hali remained at the top after completing the round with 206 strokes, 10 under par. The UAE's Jonathan Selfrage occupied second place with 210 strokes, six under par, while compatriot Sam Mullaney ranked third with 211 strokes, five under par.Qatar's Saleh Al Kaabi produced a strong performance to climb to fourth place with 213 strokes, three under par. His teammate Daniel Sokolov shared sixth place with Morocco's Hugo Trometer, with both recording 215 strokes, one under par. Ali Al Shahrani finished 16th at 14 over par, while Fahad Mir ranked 34th at 29 over par.

Serbia’s Aleksandra Stojadinovic Claims Women’s 50m Rifle Gold

DOHA -  Serbia's Aleksandra Stojadinovic won gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions individual event on the seventh day of the Doha 2026 World Shooting Championships, a qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.Held at the Lusail Shooting Complex until November 13, the championships feature around 1,100 shooters from 91 countries.South Korea's Oh Se-hee won silver with 357.7 points, while Japan's Misaki Nobata took bronze with 348.2 points. All three secured Olympic quota places for their respective National Olympic Committees.The latest results brought the total number of Olympic quota places awarded at the championships to 24.Monday also featured women's 25m pistol individual and team qualification rounds, with finals scheduled for Tuesday, while training began for the men's and women's trap events.Qatar's Al Adaam team is represented in the trap competition by Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Angelo Scalzoni, Nasser Al Humaidi, Ray Bassil, Kholoud Al Khalaf and Meitha Al Binali.

European and Chinese Shooters Shine on Day Six of Doha 2026

DOHA - Competition continued for the sixth consecutive day at the ISSF World Shooting Championships Doha 2026, which also serve as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The championships are being held at the Lusail Shooting Complex and run until November 13, bringing together around 1,100 male and female shooters from 91 countries, including some of the world's leading Olympic and world champions.The day's competitions saw European and Chinese shooters dominate the finals of the 25m Standard Pistol events for men and women, in both individual and team categories, as well as the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.In the men's 25m Standard Pistol individual event, the final witnessed a closely contested battle, with narrow margins separating the leading shooters. France's Kevin Chapon claimed the gold medal with 578 points, followed by Ukraine's Pavlo Korostylov, who took silver with 576 points. Latvia's Lauris Strautmanis finished third with 574 points to secure bronze.In the men's team event, Latvia claimed gold with a combined score of 1,703 points. Korea took silver with 1,700 points, while Ukraine secured bronze with 1,697 points.In the women's individual 25m Standard Pistol event, China's Xiao Jia Ruixuan claimed gold with 569 points. Hungary's Veronika Major took silver with 568 points, while China's Zhang Yu secured bronze with 567 points.China also made history in the women's team 25m Standard Pistol event, setting a new world record of 1,698 points to claim the gold medal. India finished second with 1,682 points to take silver, while Hungary secured bronze with 1,676 points.In the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, Norway claimed gold with a total of 1,764 points. Switzerland finished second with 1,761 points to take silver, while the Czech Republic secured bronze with 1,759 points.The championships will resume tomorrow with the return of Olympic qualification quota places on offer in the women's individual 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. The programme will also feature the women's individual 25m Pistol competition, alongside the start of training sessions for the men's and women's Trap events, in which shooters will compete over 50 targets.Jassim Shaheen Al Sulaiti, Secretary-General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and Championship Director, praised the outstanding performances and record-breaking achievements delivered by shooters across the various events at the championships, which conclude next Friday.Speaking today, Al Sulaiti said the competition had been intense from the outset, with some of the world's leading shooters battling for Olympic qualification places at Los Angeles 2028. This high level of competition has been reflected in the results recorded at the Lusail Shooting Complex, where margins between competitors have become increasingly narrow.He noted that the championships had provided shooters with an ideal environment to showcase their technical abilities and perform at their best. Al Sulaiti added that the event's organizational success would not have been possible without the close coordination among all working committees and the tremendous efforts made by everyone involved.He said the repeated praise received by the Organizing Committee from International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) officials, heads of delegations and Olympic champions was a source of pride and recognition, while also placing greater responsibility on the organizers.Al Sulaiti concluded by expressing his hope that the remaining competitions would maintain their high levels of excitement and competitiveness, producing further world records. He also wished all participating shooters success in the remainder of the championships.For his part, Mohammed Abdulmohsen, Chairman of the Pistol and Rifle Committee at the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, said the men's and women's pistol and rifle competitions had showcased outstanding performances from shooters representing both Asia and Europe, as they competed for podium places and Olympic qualification quota places for the 2028 Games.