Team Qatar to face Iraq in semi-finals of Gulf Under-23 Cup

Doha: The Qatari national under-23 football team will face their Iraqi counterparts tomorrow, Sunday, at Aspire Stadium No. 2, in the semi-final of the Gulf Under-23 Cup, which is being hosted by Qatar.Qatar booked their place in the next stage of the tournament after finishing second in Group A with seven points. They opened their campaign with a 3–0 victory over Kuwait, followed by a 1–0 win against Bahrain, before drawing 1–1 with Saudi Arabia in the third round.The Qatari team head into the match aiming to secure victory and claim a place in the final, scheduled for next Tuesday. Portuguese head coach Alido Valy is counting on several players who delivered standout performances during the group stage, notably forwards Mustafa Al-Sayed and Amro Abdel Fattah.Meanwhile, the Iraqi team reached the semi-finals after topping Group B with six points. They defeated Oman 2–0 and overcame the UAE 1–0 in the second round, recovering from a 2–1 defeat to Yemen in the opening round.In the other semi-final, Saudi Arabia will face the UAE at Aspire Stadium No. 1.Saudi Arabia advanced to the semi-finals after finishing top of Group A with seven points, having opened with a 5–0 win over Bahrain, followed by a 1–0 victory against Kuwait, before drawing 1–1 with Qatar in the final group match.The UAE finished second in Group B with six points, after defeating Yemen 3–1 in the opening round and overcoming Oman 2–0, before suffering a 1–0 loss to Iraq in the third and final round. 

Sheikh Joaan crowns winners of T100 Triathlon World Championship

Doha: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, today crowned the winners of the professional races at the T100 Triathlon World Championship, as Doha hosted the final weekend of the series, with the participation of a select group of the world’s top triathlon athletes.In the Men’s Pro T100 race at the final round, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde claimed first place with a time of 3:06:08, ahead of USA's Morgan Pearson, who finished second in 3:07:23, while Belgium’s Marten Van Riel secured third place with a time of 3:08:14, following a highly competitive race marked by strong performances and intense competition through to the final stages.With this result, Hayden Wilde was crowned champion of the 2025 T100 Triathlon World Championship season, accumulating 195 points, while Germany’s Mika Noodt finished second overall with 150 points, and Belgium’s Jelle Geens secured third place with 149 points.In the Women’s Pro T100 race, Britain’s Kate Waugh claimed first place with a time of 3:31:30, followed by her compatriot Georgia Taylor-Brown, who finished second in 3:31:50, while Switzerland’s Julie Derron secured third place with a time of 3:32:31.In the women’s overall standings, Kate Waugh claimed first place with 183 points to be crowned women’s champion of the season, followed by Julie Derron in second place with 163 points, while Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay finished third with 152 points.The medal ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism; Mr. Antonio Arimany, President of World Triathlon; and H.E. Engineer Yasser bin Abdullah Al-Jamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.Hosting the final round of the championship in Doha reflects ongoing efforts to further strengthen Qatar’s position as a global sports and tourism destination, in line with the country’s vision of leveraging sport as a driver of development, promoting sports tourism, and showcasing its world-class organizational capabilities. 

Sheikh Joaan meets with FIBA Secretary General

Mies, Switzerland: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Senior Vice President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, met today with Mr. Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), at the federation’s headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the latest preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 and discussed areas of cooperation to ensure the delivery of an exceptional edition that meets FIBA’s ambitions and reflects Qatar’s readiness to host major global sporting events.Prior to the meeting, H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani toured the FIBA Museum, where he explored its historical collections and learned about its role as a source of inspiration for basketball fans and athletes around the world.This meeting comes as part of a series of regular engagements between the Qatar Olympic Committee and FIBA aimed at strengthening coordination and ensuring the successful delivery of a World Cup edition that Doha aspires to make the best in the tournament’s history. 

Team Qatar Handball to Play Two Friendly Matches Against Saudi Arabia in Preparation for the Asian Championship in Kuwait

Doha: The Qatari national handball team will play two friendly matches against their Saudi counterparts on Monday and Wednesday in Doha, as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January 2026. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.The two matches will provide an important opportunity for the national team’s technical staff, led by Spanish head coach Valero Rivera, to assess the players’ readiness ahead of announcing the final squad that will represent Qatar at the continental championship.The tournament draw placed the Qatari team in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Qatar will open their campaign against Oman on Friday, 16 January, before facing South Korea in their second group match on 20 January.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 playing 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 aiming to retain the Asian title they have won in the past six editions—2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024—and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever finish at the World Championship remains second place at the 2015 edition, which was hosted by Qatar.Qatar claimed the title at the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final.

Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation Signs Cooperation Agreement with Saudi Wrestling Federation to Enhance Sport Development

Doha: The Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation announced today the signing of a joint sports cooperation agreement with the Saudi Wrestling Federation, aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two sides. The signing ceremony took place at the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters.The agreement was signed by H.E. Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani, President of the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, and Mr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Farraj, President of the Saudi Wrestling Federation.The ceremony was attended by Mr. Abdullah Hamad Al-Mesifri, Assistant Secretary of the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, and Mr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi, CEO of the Saudi Wrestling Federation.The agreement aims to expand cooperation between both federations in areas including coaching, refereeing, joint training camps, and the exchange of expertise — all contributing to enhancing the technical and skill levels of Qatari and Saudi wrestlers, and preparing them to compete for podium finishes in regional, Arab, continental, and international championships.This partnership reflects the federations’ shared vision to build effective cooperation channels and open broader horizons for technical and administrative knowledge exchange, supporting the overall development of the sport in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The agreement includes provisions for organizing joint training programs, exchanging expertise among coaches and referees, and coordinating bilateral championships and training camps to boost competition exposure and refine athletes’ skills.H.E. Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani emphasized that the signing of the agreement represents an important step within the federation’s strategy to strengthen regional partnerships and develop technical and administrative systems. He noted that cooperation with the Saudi Wrestling Federation will greatly benefit the sport’s development in both countries, especially in areas related to talent identification and capacity building.For his part, Mr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Farraj praised the strong relations between the two federations, highlighting the valuable opportunities the agreement will provide for developing talent and shaping a new generation of athletes capable of competing at the regional and international levels. He reaffirmed the Saudi federation’s commitment to enhancing this cooperation in a way that serves the sport and its athletes in both nations. 

QOC President attends Olympic Summit

Lausanne: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Senior Vice President of ANOC, participated in the 14th Olympic Summit, held today at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, alongside leaders of the Olympic Movement.Chaired by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the Summit gathered IOC Vice Presidents, Executive Board members, and representatives from national and continental Olympic committees, international federations, and global sports organizations.Discussions centered on final preparations for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as well as opportunities and challenges identified through the IOC’s “Fit for the Future” consultation process. Participants reaffirmed the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to advance the Olympic Movement.His Excellency’s participation in this key event reflects the active role played by the Qatar Olympic Committee in supporting the goals of the Olympic Movement and contributing to shaping future initiatives that promote global sport development.