Second West Asian Archery Championship kicks off Wednesday in Doha

DOHA–The second West Asian Archery Championship will kick off Wednesday at the Lusail Shooting Complex, bringing together nearly 100 male and female archers from nine countries: Qatar (host), Kuwait, the UAE, Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, and Syria. The competition will continue until November 3.Representing Qatar in the championship are 12 athletes: Ahmed Al-Sada, Suleiman Bou Taimah, Maha Abdelhai, Reem Al-Saee, Sharifa Al-Obaidly, Amina Al-Jarman, Farhan Abdurrah, Abdulaziz Al-Abadi, Hamad Al-Yafei, Omar Larem, Muneera Al-Adsani, and Aisha Al-Saee.The tournament features competitions in both Olympic and Compound Bow categories across individual, team, and mixed team events. The championship will begin with official training sessions for both events on Wednesday, followed by the qualification rounds on Thursday. On Friday, the team and mixed team elimination rounds will take place, while Saturday’s schedule includes individual elimination rounds. The tournament will conclude on Monday, November 3, with the finals in all three categories, followed by the medal ceremony.The Qatari national team has been thoroughly preparing for the championship through intensive training camps abroad and participation in several international tournaments.Mr. Jassim Al-Sulaiti, Secretary-General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, confirmed that all preparations have been completed for Qatar’s hosting of the Second West Asian Archery Championship, emphasizing the country’s readiness to welcome participants.“We are fully prepared to host this important continental event,” Al-Sulaiti said. “Under the leadership of Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al-Nasr, the Association has finalized all logistical and technical arrangements to ensure a successful championship that reflects Qatar’s sporting excellence and provides a fair and competitive environment for all participants.”He added, “Welcoming a large number of elite Asian archers represents a valuable opportunity for our national team to gain experience and enhance their skills. Such exposure will directly contribute to developing archery as a sport in Qatar. We are confident that our athletes will rise to the occasion and deliver outstanding performances.”Al-Sulaiti further noted that around 100 archers from nine nations have already begun training at the Lusail Shooting Complex upon their arrival in Doha, aiming for strong results and podium finishes. He wished all participants success and fair competition amid the world-class sporting atmosphere Qatar is known for.The Qatari Archery Team has achieved remarkable success in recent years, capturing numerous medals at both Arab and Asian levels. Among their highlights are seven medals at the first West Asian Archery Championship in Saudi Arabia, seven medals at the GCC Youth Archery Games in the UAE, 20 medals at the 12th Arab Archery Championship in Tunisia, eight medals at the first Arab Indoor Archery Championship in Iraq, and a fourth-place finish at the Asian Cup in Iraq.

Qatar U-16 Women’s Volleyball Team Set for Asian Championship Campaign in Jordan

DOHA  - The Qatar U-16 Women's Volleyball squad will take part in the 2nd Asian Women's U16 Volleyball Championship, hosted in Amman, Jordan, from Nov. 1 to 8, 2025.The tournament features an elite lineup of Asian national teams that embody the continent's sporting future, in alignment with the Qatar Volleyball Association's (QVA) strategic vision to advance youth divisions and empower women's volleyball by providing rising players with a platform to internalize global experience.This will also help them engage with top-tier continental teams. The initiative reflects a long-term commitment to building a new generation capable of representing Qatar honorably in regional and global tournaments, thereby solidifying the nation's standing on the Asian volleyball stage.The tournament draw placed Team Qatar in Pool C alongside China, Kazakhstan, and South Korea, while Pool A includes hosts Jordan, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, and Hong Kong; Pool B features Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines; and Pool D comprises Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Australia, and India.Qatar will open its preliminary-round campaign against Kazakhstan on Saturday, followed by China on Sunday and South Korea on Monday.The Qatari squad aspires to deliver an honorable performance and gain further expertise in this tournament, which is anticipated to feature strong competition among the participating teams, amid the QVA's persistent support for women's national teams and age-group categories.This stems from its firm belief in the importance of establishing a solid foundation for the sport, one that contributes to a promising future for Qatari volleyball both on the continental and global stages.The Qatar squad includes 12 players, while the coaching staff is spearheaded by Coach Lux Gabrel, with his assistant Nohail Alejandro, alongside team manager Maria Belin and physiotherapist Fatima Al Touzri.Gabrel affirmed that the goal of this participation is to deliver an outstanding performance that reflects the rapid development of Qatari women's volleyball.He noted that the tournament provides a critical opportunity to gain experience and engage with strong Asian teams, which will ultimately enhance the technical level of the players.

Mohammed Ismail shines with Fifth-Place Finish in 50m Butterfly at Asian Youth Games

MANAMA – Qatar’s swimmer Mohammed Ismail delivered a strong performance at the 3rd Asian Youth Games currently underway in Bahrain, finishing fifth in the 50m butterfly event held on Tuesday. The Games run until October 31, featuring over 5,000 athletes from 45 Asian National Olympic Committees, and serve as a qualifier for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.Ismail clocked a time of 25.17 seconds, while Hussain Shawqi of the UAE claimed the gold medal with 24.73 seconds. James Hei of Hong Kong took the silver with 24.97 seconds, and Gao Si of Chinese Taipei earned the bronze, finishing in 25.05 seconds.In other swimming events, Qatar’s swimmers were unable to qualify for the finals. Ziyad Morsi competed in the 100m freestyle, recording 54.54 seconds, while Hamza Shaalan and Adam Morsi participated in the 200m breaststroke, finishing in 2:25.91 and 2:27.78 minutes respectively.Meanwhile, in table tennis, all Qatari players concluded their participation in the individual competition. Abdulaziz Al-Abdullah reached the Round of 32 after defeating Bahrain’s Ali Mohammed 3–2 (10–12, 11–7, 9–11, 11–7, 13–11), before losing to Hong Kong’s William Man 1–3 (5–11, 4–11, 11–9, 3–11). Issa Al-Haddad exited in the Round of 64, falling to Cambodia’s Sisouchada Lamkimna 1–3 (13–11, 7–11, 5–11, 5–11), while Yousef Al-Abdullah lost to Emmanuel Bacolba of the Philippines in straight sets (7–11, 8–11, 7–11).In badminton, Qatar’s duo Ahmed Al-Malki and Noor Abel were eliminated from the mixed doubles event, losing 0–2 (10–21, 3–21) to Pamudu Randiligama and Nithami Ratnayake of Sri Lanka. Noor Abel also exited the women’s singles after a 0–2 (5–21, 5–21) defeat to Teng Su of Chinese Taipei.Qatar’s delegations continue to compete Wednesday in cycling, swimming, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling.Team Qatar is represented by 67 athletes, male and female across 16 sports, including athletics, badminton, basketball (3x3), equestrian (show jumping), golf, judo, jiu-jitsu, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling, volleyball, beach volleyball, and boxing. Qatar’s female athletes are participating in four sports: athletics, badminton, volleyball, and beach volleyball.So far, Team Qatar has claimed four medals at the Bahrain Games one gold, two silver, and one bronze. The gold medal came from Idrees Abubakar in the 110m hurdles, while Dana Salem captured silver in the women’s 100m sprint, and the equestrian team added another silver in team show jumping. The men’s 3x3 basketball team earned bronze, rounding out Qatar’s current medal tally.Mr. Hussain Al-Sada, Manager of Qatar’s National Swimming Team, praised the athletes’ participation, describing it as an important developmental step.“The objective of our participation in the Asian Youth Games is to give our young swimmers the opportunity to gain valuable experience and enhance their readiness for future competitions,” Al-Sada said.He added that several Qatari swimmers achieved personal best times during the Games, reflecting the positive impact of their intensive training programs.“This event represents a key milestone in the team’s journey,” he emphasized. “The technical staff are focused on improving the performance of our young swimmers and increasing their exposure to strong Asian competitors, which will help prepare a new generation capable of achieving honorable results for Qatar in the future.”

Draw Places Qatar Men’s Volleyball Team on Top of Group A at Islamic Solidarity Games

Riyadh – The draw for the men’s volleyball competition at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games, to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 21, placed Team Qatar at the top of Group A, alongside Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.Group B includes Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Libya.Team Qatar will begin its campaign against Bahrain on November 8, before facing Saudi Arabia on November 10.The Qatari side aims to deliver strong performances throughout the tournament, reaffirming the progress of Qatari volleyball and its growing presence at both regional and international levels.The national delegation will depart for Saudi Arabia on November 2, headed by Saeed Jumaa Al-Hitmi, a member of the Qatar Volleyball Association’s Board of Directors.The squad includes Ali Abdullah (team manager), Camilo Soto (head coach), and the players Bilal Abu Nabut, Mubarak Al-Kuwari, Naji Mahmoud, Othman Abdulwahid, Mehdi Smoud, Mohammed Al-Waleed, Yousef Al-Yafei, Abdulrahman Bakri, Abdullah Naseem, Ibrahim Jumaa, Yousef Ghulaf, and Abdullah Hassanain.

Doha to open 2026 Wanda Diamond League Season as Calendar Confirmed

Doha: The 2026 Diamond League season will begin in Doha on May 8 and finish at the two-day series final in Brussels on September 4-5.The world’s greatest athletes will return to the global stage next year as they embark on another continent-crossing Wanda Diamond League campaign in 2026.The 2026 season calendar has now been published and can be viewed on the Diamond League website.Following another record-breaking year in 2025, many of the sport’s biggest names will be hoping to make history once again as athletics’ premier one-day series returns for its 17th season.As in previous years, athletes will compete for points at 14 meetings as they bid to qualify for the series final in Brussels and a shot at the iconic Diamond Trophy.The 2026 Road to the Final will begin in Asia, with Doha hosting the season opener on May 8 before back-to-back Chinese meetings in Shanghai and Xiamen.The African leg of the series will take place in Rabat on May 31, before the first European meeting of the season in Rome the following week.After stops in Stockholm, Oslo and Paris, the world’s biggest stars will head to Eugene on the US west coast for a meeting which has seen five world records in the past three seasons alone.The series then returns to Europe for meetings in Monaco and London, before the Road to the Final enters the home straight in August.Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich will be the last stops before the world’s biggest stars assemble in Brussels for the Wanda Diamond League Final on September 4-5.With meetings on four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.In 2025, it welcomed 400,000 spectators to some of the planet’s most iconic arenas and was broadcast on television in 170 different countries.It also reached an online fanbase of five million social media followers worldwide, notching up more than one billion impressions and more than 900 million video views across all platforms.In 2026, that global reach will only grow as the sport’s biggest names return to Diamond League action.Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis will be out to claim a sixth successive Diamond League title in 2026, as he looks to improve on his latest world record of 6.30m.US sprint star Noah Lyles became the most successful track athlete in Diamond League history with his sixth series title in 2025, and now has the chance to equal or even surpass the overall record of seven Diamond Trophies.For newly crowned world champions such as the USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, the 2026 Diamond League offers the chance to confirm their top-dog status in a season-long struggle for one of the sport’s biggest prizes.With no Olympic Games or World Championships, the Diamond Trophy will be one of the biggest global titles up for grabs in 2026.The full dates for the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season are as follows:May 8 – DohaMay 16 – ShanghaiMay 23 – XiamenMay 31 – RabatJune 4 – RomeJune 7 – StockholmJune 10 – OsloJune 26 – ParisJuly 4 – EugeneJuly 10 – MonacoJuly 18 – LondonAugust 21 – LausanneAugust 23 – SilesiaAugust 27 – ZurichSeptember 4-5 – Final in Brussels 

Islamic Solidarity Games draw places Qatar Handball Team at Top of Group A

Riyadh: The draw for the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games handball competition, to be held in Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 21, placed Team Qatar, the defending champions, at the top of Group A.Group A also includes Iran, the UAE, and the Maldives, while Group B features Saudi Arabia (host nation), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq.Handball is one of the most prominent and competitive events at the Islamic Solidarity Games, with a strong lineup of elite Arab and Asian national teams. The draw produced two balanced groups, setting the stage for intense regional matchups.The Games will be held in Riyadh, bringing together more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries, who will compete across 23 sports, including the introduction of camel racing and esports for the first time in the event’s history — reflecting the growing diversity and evolution of the Games.The group draw presents a promising path for Team Qatar, one of the top contenders for the gold medal. Despite Iran’s notable strength and record in Asian competitions, Qatar’s technical superiority, tactical discipline, and determination to defend its title give the team a strong edge as they aim to retain the championship they won in the previous edition.