Qatar ice hockey team participate in Hong Kong Invitational Tournament

​DOHA, September 24, 2017- The Qatari Ice Hockey Team participated in Hong Kong invitational tournament and qualified to the semifinals where they lost to Macao national team. Qatar's Ahmad Alobaidli and Qais Al-Natsheh were consistently competitive and showed that they can handle games at an international level.This tournament showed that the future of Qatar ice hockey lies in the junior development.

Draw held for Qatar Classic

DOHA, September 24, 2017-The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will play host to a series of blistering first round fixtures at the 2017 Qatar Classic after the main draw for the World Series tournament was released yesterday.The Qatar Classic, which takes place between October 29 to November 3, is the second World Series tournament of the 2017/18 season and will see Egypt's World No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy take on New Zealand's World No.10 Paul Coll in the pick of the first round fixtures.Defending champion Karim Abdel Gawad joins Coll and ElShorbagy in the bottom half of the draw and has a first round clash with Spain's former World No.5 in store, with Golan memorably getting the better of the reigning World Champion in February's Windy City Open.Gawad is seeded to meet 2009 winner Nick Matthew in the semi-finals but the Englishman's route to the last four is filled with peril.The 37-year-old will be competing at his last ever Qatar Classic after announcing his retirement earlier this week but will have to be at his best to make sure his final appearance in Doha isn't cut short at the second round stage - with Egyptian three-time World Champion Ramy Ashour seeded to meet him there.Ashour, who takes on a qualifier in round one, will return to the scene of his second and third World Championship triumphs, while the man he beat in both finals, two-time Qatar Classic champion Mohamed ElShorbagy, is seeded on the top half of the draw, alongside World No.1 Gregory Gaultier, who he is seeded to meet in the semi-finals.Elsewhere, 2005 winner James Willstrop has a difficult first round clash with Diego Elias to negotiate, while tournament wildcard and local hero Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi is in action against World No.9 Fares Dessouky.The 2017 Qatar Classic has $165,000 up for grabs in prize money - the most in the tournament's history - while players will also compete for points for the World Series Standings as they bid to finish in the top eight at the end of the season, which will enable them to qualify for the lucrative PSA World Series Finals next June.The qualifying stages will be held between October 27-28, while the main draw takes place between October 29 - November 3.

Riders ready for Global Champions Tour in Rome

ROME, September 21, 2017 – The competitions of the penultimate round (14) of the prestigious Global Champions Tour 2017 will get underway on September 24 in Rome.Team Qatar is represented by a number of talented riders including, Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani and Bassem Hassan Mohammed who are keen to honor the country in the prestigious event. Participants are due to compete in several heights including 110-115 Cm, 125-130 cm, 135cm-140 cm and they will compete in five stars classes on Friday.

Hairane adds another gold to Qatar’s haul in Ashgabat

Ashgabat, September 21, 2017-Qatar athletes put up a great combined effort on the fourth day of the track and field events to collect one gold, one silver, one bronze and a creditable fourth place finish on Wednesday at Ashgabat 2017, the 5th Indoor Athletics & Martial Arts Games.The gold was claimed by Qatar's 800m specialist Jamal Hairane, who did himself and the country proud as he ran with great vigour to pip the challengers at the post.The 26-year-old Qatari, who trailed for the better part of the race, came up with a spirited burst in the end to finish first in 1:49.33secs, ahead of Sri Lankan Herath Ekanayaka (1:49.45) and Iranian Moradi Amir, who took the bronze medal with a time of 1:49.51secs.An elated Hairane said,"I am really happy to come here and win the race. The atmosphere was very good, the people are friendly and the facilities really good. During the race, I did everything my coach had told me to so I want to thank him."On winning the gold after a silver at the 2017 Asian Championships, and bronze at the 2014 Asian Games, the athlete said,"I have done it at last. I have got silver and a bronze. Now I have them all, so I am very, very happy to have won the gold medal."On his tactic of finishing strongly in the final 100 metre stretch, Hairane termed it as his strength."That is my strength normally. In the semi-final, I led from the front and I wasn't happy. I did not feel comfortable, so in the final I went back to what I know best. Now everybody knows what my strength is."Abdalelah Haroun, who had collected the men's 400m gold on Tuesday, once again returned to action, this time to anchor the men's 4x400m team to a silver medal. The Qatar quartret, which clocked 3:12.58secs, was edged by Pakistan (3:11.40). The bronze went to Thailand, who finished in 3:21.21secs.The two bronze medals for Qatar came in the triple jump and taekwondo.In the men's triple jump, Qatar's Ahmed Rashid Al Mannai leapt a best 15.99m. The gold was won by India's Arpinder Singh, who touched 16.21m, while Thailand's Pratchaya Tepparak (16.12) got silver.Adding to the track athletes' delight was Qatar's taekwondo contender Ali al Araimi Juma, who though lost to Iran's Nazemi Erfan 15-28 (Round scores 3-3, 5-9, 7-16; Points Earned 10-20; Penalty 5-8) but got a bronze for making it to the semi-finals.Ali had earlier defeated Korean Seyoung Kim 17-14 (3-0, 6-4, 8-10) in the quarter-final.Speaking of his effort, Ali said,"I'm really happy about my fight today even if I didn't win. I did my best. I'm happy to win the bronze. I need to train more and I need more competition and with time I will get there."On receiving a blow on his face, he said,"I took a hit to the face and it hurts a little but that's okay, it's a part of the game. It happens."Qatar's Mohamat Allamine Hamdi, however, didn't have the rub of luck as he missed the podium by a whisker finishing fourth in the men's high jump. The 20-year-old scaled 2.18m, a shade behind Sri Lankan Manjula Wijesekara who jumped 2.21 to win the bronze medal.On the other hand, world champions Qatar made their debut in the 3x3 basketball at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games with a 21-11 rout of Samoa in Ashgabat on Wednesday.Playmaker Abdulrahman Saad and veteran Tanguy Ngombo scored most of the Qatar points in the dominant victory. Saad collected seven off 13 shots, while Tanguy's six contained a two-pointer.Erfan Ali Saeed and Nedim Muslic backed the teammates well, recording four each. Muslic was impressive in his brief entry to the court as he sank two two-pointers to the delight of his team.For Samoa, Ezra Tufuga was the leading contributor with a game-high 8, including two shots beyond the arc.After Thursday's rest day, Qatar will take on Afghanistan and Jordan to complete the Pool C engagements. Afghanistan defeated Jordan 17-11 in another match to rise to the second place in the pool.The 36th OCA General Assembly was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 5th Indoor and Martial Arts Games.The meeting was chaired by the OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad and was attended by HE Dr. Thani Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee who led the Qatari delegation in the meeting. In attendance also were Khaleel Al Jaber, Director of the QOC Sport Affairs Department and Jassim Al Buenain, the QOC Deputy Secretary General.

HH the Emir meets IOC President

NEW YORK, USA, September 21, 2017 – His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met on Wednesday morning HE Thomas Bach, the IOC President and his accompanying delegation at the Headquarters of Qatar's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meetings .The meeting discussed the methods of boosting the cooperation between State of Qatar and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).The meeting was attended by the members of the official delegation accompanying His Highness the Emir.

Al Arabi, Al Khor in Arab Handball semi-final

Oujda, Morocco, September 21, 2017- Qatar's Al Arabi and Al Khor entered the semi-finals of the 33rd Arab Handball Championship being held in the Moroccan city of Oujda. Today, Arabi will take on Saudi side Al Safa, while Al Khor will face Tunisia's CS Sakiet Ezzit.Al Arabi advanced to the semi-final after defeating Al Safa, Al Khor, Mouloudia Oujda and Widad Smara while losing only one game against defending champions Tunisian side CS Sakiet Ezzit. Al Khor qualified for the semis after beating Mouloudia Oujda and Widad Smara.Al Arabi are looking to renew their superiority over Al Safa, after defeating them it the first round. And they will look to repeat that performance in the semis.