Qatari National Handball Team Defeat Saudi Arabia in Friendly

Doha: The Qatari national handball team defeated their Saudi counterparts 31-25 on Wednesday in their second friendly match in preparation for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship, which will be held in Kuwait from January 15-26.The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship in Germany.The Saudi team had won the first friendly match between the two teams two days ago, 26-25.The Qatari team are aiming to reach peak readiness before the Asian Championship, where they have been drawn into Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B consists of Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan; Group C includes Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India; and Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group qualify for the main round, which will consist of eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format.The top two teams from each of these groups will advance to the semifinals, along with the team that qualifies directly for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatari national handball team aim to defend their Asian title, which they won in the last six editions, and qualify for the World Championship for the eleventh time in their history. Their best result in the World Championship was second place in the 2015 edition (Qatar 2015).The Qatari team won the most recent (21st) Asian Men's Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30-24 in the final. 

Saudi Arabia claim AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 title

Doha: Saudi Arabia have been crowned champions of the AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025, after claiming a 2-0 win over Iraq in the final match held at Stadium 974 in Doha on Tuesday.Thetournament took place in Qatar from December 4–16, bringing together rising U-23 football stars from across the region to compete for the prestigious title. This was the first time that the competition was held under the auspices of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF).“The U-23 Gulf Cup is part of a thrilling football season in the country, with Qatar making history by hosting numerous tournaments consecutively. The successful delivery of this tournament once again showcased Qatar’s commitment towards supporting emerging football talents from the region, while uniting fans to celebrate our shared passion for football. Congratulations to all the players who took part, and to Saudi Arabia for clinching the trophy,” said Jassim Sultan al-Rumaihi, AGCFF Secretary General.The AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 featured a total of 14 matches played on state-of-the-art pitches at Aspire Zone, that most recently served as a venue for a historic edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025. Prior to the tournament, Qatar also hosted the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 that saw Saudi Arabia lift the trophy.The AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 is part of an exhilarating football calendar in Qatar, which also includes the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 taking place from 1-18 December, as well as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 on 10, 13, and 17 December, reflecting Qatar’s ongoing capability to host world-class sporting events. 

PSG and France forward Dembele named FIFA men's player of the year in Doha

 Doha: Paris St Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele was named FIFA men's player of the year in Doha on Tuesday with Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati winning the women's award for the third year in a row.Dembele was instrumental in PSG's first Champions League triumph when they beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the final and scored 35 goals last season across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as top scorer.The 28-year-old, who won this year's Ballon d'Or in September, was part of the PSG team which also swept all before them on the domestic front last season and reached the final of the Club World Cup.Bonmati, the Champions League player of the season, also won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third time in a row this year, and helped Barcelona win the domestic treble along with reaching the Champions League final.The 27-year-old also reached the Euro 2025 final with Spain, losing the decider to England on penalties, and Bonmati was named Player of the Tournament.Sarina Wiegman won the best women's coach award for the fifth time after leading England to retain their European Championship title, and Luis Enrique won the men's coach award after taking Paris St Germain to their first Champions League win.The best women's goalkeeper award went to England and Chelsea's Hannah Hampton who played a major role in the Lionesses' Euro 2025 win with her penalty shootout saves and also won the domestic treble with her club.Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, won the men's keeper award for his role in Paris St Germain's treble win.Mexico's Lizbeth Ovalle won the FIFA Marta Award, for the best goal in women's football, for her scorpion kick for Tigres against Guadalajara in March.Santiago Montiel won the Puskas Award for the best men's goal for his overhead strike for Independiente against Independiente Rivadavia during an Argentine Primera match in May.

Qatar handball team lose to Saudi Arabia in a friendly match

Doha: Qatar's national handball team lost to Saudi Arabia 26-25 in their first friendly match on Monday, part of preparations for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship to be held in Kuwait from January 15 to 26. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championship in Germany.The two sides will meet again in a second friendly on Wednesday. Qatar is aiming to reach peak readiness before the Asian competition, where it has been drawn into Group A alongside South Korea and Oman.Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China and Jordan; Group C features Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and India; while Group D consists of Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams split into two groups. The leading two from each group will qualify for the semifinals and secure direct entry to the 2027 World Championship.Qatar is seeking to defend its Asian title, having won the last six editions. The team has appeared in the World Championship ten times, with its best result being a runner-up finish at the 2015 tournament hosted in Doha. 

Doha to host Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 on Tuesday

Doha: The FIFA has announced that Doha will host The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 on Tuesday.The prestigious event will be held on the eve of the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025, which will see Paris Saint-Germain of France face Brazil's Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali World Cup Stadium.During the ceremony, FIFA will unveil the winners of The Best awards for men's and women's players, as well as men's and women's coaches, for the year 2025.The awards will be presented during the FIFA 2025 gala dinner, to be held at the Katara Hall of the Fairmont Hotel in Doha. 

Qatar handball team to face Saudi Arabia in friendly

Doha: The Qatari national handball team will face their Saudi counterparts tomorrow, Monday, at the Al Duhail Sports Hall, in the first friendly match between the two sides as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship. The tournament will be held in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January and also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.The Qatari and Saudi teams are also scheduled to meet in a second friendly match next Wednesday.The Qatari team are aiming to reach peak readiness ahead of the Asian Championship, with the draw placing them in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatari handball team will be seeking to retain the Asian title they have won in the past six editions and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever result at the World Championship remains a runners-up finish at the Qatar 2015 edition.Qatar claimed the title of the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final.