Samba, Bassem and Ismail sizzle on way to 400m hurdles semis at worlds

TOKYO - Qatar enjoyed a landmark day in Tokyo as three of its 400m hurdlers advanced to the semi-finals on day three of the World Athletics Championships - Tokyo 2025, while Seif Mohamed earned a creditable top-10 finish in the pole vault.Abderrahman Samba, the Asian record holder and former World Championships bronze medalist, was in imperious form topping the entire field of 44 athletes with a commanding 48.03-second run in his heat at the National Stadium on Monday.Teammate Bassem Hemeida added to Qatar’s success by winning his own heat in 48.43 seconds, edging out Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos.The Paris Olympic bronze medalist and ex-world champion had to settle for second, finishing five-hundredths of a second behind the Qatari star.Youngster Ismail Doudai Abakar, only 21, provided another highlight when he clocked 48.34 seconds in a heat that featured Norway’s world-record holder Karsten Warholm.In a surprise outcome, Brazil’s Matheus Lima took the win, but Abakar crossed the line ahead of Warholm to secure his place in the next round.With all three through, Qatar will have a strong presence in Tuesday’s semi-finals, fueling hopes of a historic medal run in the 400m hurdles.Meanwhile, Qatar’s rising pole vault talent Seif Heneida Mohamed wrapped up his World Championships campaign with a commendable top-10 finish in the final.The 20-year-old cleared 5.75m to secure ninth place against the world’s best. The event was once again ruled by Sweden’s pole vault phenomenon Armand Mondo Duplantis, who raised the bar even higher by resetting the world record for an extraordinary 14th time, soaring to 6.30m.Earlier, Qatar’s Omar Doudai Abakar came last in his heat in the men’s 110 metres hurdles, clocking a time of 14.03 secs.

Poland defeat Qatar 3-0 to Advance to World Championship Knockout Stage

Manila - Poland secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Qatar in their second match at the Men’s Volleyball World Championship, held in the Philippines, earning a place in the knockout stage.With set scores of 25–21, 25–14, and 25–19 on Monday, the reigning Nations League champions and Olympic silver medalists demonstrated their dominance throughout the match. They will next face the Netherlands on Wednesday in a decisive clash for the top spot in Group B.After a closely contested opening set, the Polish team took control with disciplined defense and clinical attacking, effectively exploiting Qatar’s mistakes. Standout performances came from Norbert Huber and Kamil Semeniuk, the latter contributing 13 points to the win.

Qatar’s Ismail into 400m semis with season’s best at worlds

Tokyo - Qatar’s Ammar Ismail delivered a memorable run in the men’s 400m to punch his ticket to the semi-finals of the event at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.The reigning Asian champion Ismail’s powerful finish in the heats saw him clock a new personal best time of 44.63 seconds. The run also marked a new season-best for Asia.His effort earned him the 16th rank among the 24 athletes who advanced to the next round.The Qatari athlete is set to compete in the first semi-final on Monday at 3:35pm Doha Time. The action continues for Team Qatar later, with five athletes poised to take the stage.In the men’s 400 metres hurdles, former worlds bronze medalist and current Asian record holder Abderrahman Samba will be joined by Asian champion Bassem Hemeida and Ismail Doudai Abakar. The heats are scheduled to begin at 1:35 PM Doha Time.Pole vaulter Seif Mohamed, who on Saturday set a new national record, will compete in the medal round at 1:49pm.Finally, Omar Doudai Abakar will take on the men’s 110 metres hurdles heats at 2:23pm, aiming to finish among the top 24 to advance to the semi-finals.

Qatar Impresses with Strong Performances at 2025 Arab Table Tennis Championships

RABAT – Team Qatar has delivered an impressive performance at the ongoing 2025 Arab Table Tennis Championships, currently taking place in Morocco and continuing through September 18. The tournament features broad participation across all age categories, including team, singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events.In the Under-11 category, Qatar advanced to the final of the team competition after a commanding 3-0 victory over Kuwait in the semifinals. They are now set to face Bahrain, who qualified by defeating Syria.In the Under-15 boys' division, Qatar posted a string of dominant wins, starting with a 3-0 win over Kuwait, followed by consecutive 3-0 victories over Libya and Morocco, showcasing the depth and skill of the young Qatari squad.The men’s national team also made a strong statement, securing two hard-fought wins. They swept Morocco 3-0 in their opening match and then edged past Saudi Arabia with a 3-2 win in a tightly contested encounter.On the women’s side, the Qatari team continued the winning momentum with a 3-1 victory over Kuwait, followed by a convincing 3-0 triumph over Morocco, underlining their rising stature in regional competition.Meanwhile, in the Under-17 category, Qatar began its campaign with a confident 3-0 win over Libya, setting a strong tone for the remainder of the tournament.These results reflect Qatar’s growing strength in table tennis across all age groups and reaffirm the efforts of the Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) in nurturing young talent and preparing national teams for regional and international success.

Qatar Set for Tough Group B Test Against Defending Champions Poland

MANILA – Qatar will face a major test on Monday as they take on world No. 1 and reigning champions Poland in their second group-stage match at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, currently being held in the Philippines.Qatar will be looking to bounce back after a 3–1 loss to the Netherlands in their opening Group B match. Despite the defeat, the team showed determination, narrowly winning one set 28–26. The remaining sets went to the Dutch with scores of 25–18, 25–23, and 25–23.Placed in one of the tournament’s most competitive groups, Qatar is up against top-ranked teams including Poland, the Netherlands, and Romania.Their final group-stage match will be on Wednesday against Romania—a crucial fixture that could determine their chances of advancing.This is Qatar’s second appearance at the World Championship, following their debut in 2022 when the event was co-hosted by Poland and Slovenia.The top two teams from each group will move on to the knockout stage. The Round of 16 is set for September 20–23, with quarterfinals on September 24–25, semifinals on September 27, and the final and bronze medal matches on September 28.

Qatar men to start Arab Gulf Padel Championship campaign against Oman

DOHA – Team Qatar  will start their Arab Gulf Padel Championship campaign against Oman at the Padel  in Aspire Zone Monday.The draw ceremony of the championship, which is being organized by the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation (QTSPBF), was held Sunday in the presence of the participating teams representatives.Saudi Arabia will take on the UAE while Bahrain will meet Kuwait. The five-day tournament will be held in three categories – men’s, women’s and juniors and conclude on September 19.In the women’s section, Bahraini will start against Oman Monday. The Saudi Arabia women will meet Kuwait, while in the third match of the opening day, Qatar women will play against the UAE.In a statement issued Sunday, QTSPBF Secretary General Tariq Zainal said the tournament will be a platform for strong competition and will reflect the significant development witnessed by padel in the region.