Qatar to take on Saudi Arabia in West Asian Volleyball Championship Opener

Doha: The Qatari men’s volleyball team is gearing up to launch their campaign in the inaugural West Asian Volleyball Championship, with their opening match set against Saudi Arabia on July 19. The tournament will run from July 17 to 27 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.Qatar’s group stage schedule continues with a clash against Oman on July 20, followed by a final group match against Kuwait on July 21.According to the official draw, Team Qatar competes in Group B, which includes Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. Meanwhile, Group A comprises host nation Bahrain, along with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon.This debut edition of the championship marks a significant step by the West Asian Volleyball Association (WAVA) to boost volleyball across the region. The tournament is designed to foster healthy competition, enhance the sport’s technical standards, and establish a consistent, competitive framework for national teams in West Asia. 

Qatar’s Cherif and Ahmed win first Gstaad gold

Gstaad: Qatari Olympic medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan secured their second title in three Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour events this season on Sunday, triumphing at the prestigious Elite tournament held in Gstaad.The Asians topped the podium at the Swiss Alps for the first time in their careers and had by their sides second-placed Swedish Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson and third-placed Dutch Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot.In order to take gold in Gstaad, Cherif and Ahmed prevailed in two close sets (21-19, 22-20) over Hölting Nilsson and Andersson, stopping a big late push from the Swedish, who came back from a 20-15 deficit to avoid five matches points and level the score at 20 in the second set before Ahmed scored twice in a row to confirm the Qatari victory.“They had been playing very well since the tournament started,” Cherif said. “So we were ready for everything. Their comeback in the second set was crazy, but we knew they were able to do it. There are no easy matches at this level and you need to expect anything.”Cherif and Ahmed had somewhat of a late start to the 2025 season after taking bronze at last year’s Beach Pro Tour Finals, as the two didn’t appear in a Beach Pro Tour event until May, when they took gold at the Xiamen Challenge. After that, they played in the Ostrava Elite, in June, finishing fifth.It took the Qatari Olympians seven attempts to claim the golden cowbells in Gstaad as they first played together in the Swiss village back in 2018.“We need to thank the fans here in Gstaad,” Cherif added. “Since 2021, every time we play here, it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the net, they always support us.”Boermans and de Groot take bronzeIn the bronze medal match, Boermans and de Groot overcame Brazilian Olympians André Loyola and George Wanderley in the tie-breaker (21-23, 21-17, 15-10), finishing third. The Dutch played together in Gstaad for just the second time and had taken gold in the first one, back in 2021.The bronze cowbells also serve as a birthday present for de Groot, who celebrated his 25th birthday on the sand in the Swiss Alps.“Of course, I would prefer to play in the final, but to be able to compete on Sunday, on my birthday, it’s really special,” de Groot said. “The venue is incredible here, and to win bronze against a really strong Brazilian team is amazing.”After Gstaad, the next Elite event on the Beach Pro Tour schedule is the one in Montréal, Canada, from August 13-17. 

Qatar Olympic Committee kicks off Inaugural Team Qatar Summer Camp

Doha – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has launched  today, the  inaugural edition of the “Team Qatar Summer Program 2025”, tailored for the sons and daughters of QOC employees. Organized by the Sports Events Department, the program runs from 6 to 16 July and targets children aged 8 to 12 years.This initiative reflects the QOC’s commitment to promoting physical well-being, fostering emotional and mental balance, developing cognitive and behavioural skills, encouraging healthy habits and positive conduct, and identifying and nurturing young athletic talents.The opening day featured 25 boys competing in "The snipers" event at the Qatar Shooting & Archery Association. The girls’ edition of the event is scheduled for 13 July at the same venue.The program also includes a field trip for boys to the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum on 7 July, while the girls' visit will take place on 14 July.Additional highlights include the "the Little Rider" equestrian activity for boys on 8 July and for girls on 15 July at the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation, followed by the “Defend Yourself” activity on 9 July for boys and 16 July for girls, to be held at Aspire Dome.On this occasion, Ms. Najlaa Alkhayareen, Program Director, stated that the "Team Qatar Summer Program" aligns with the QOC’s strategic vision to promote Olympic education, integrate sport with learning and culture, uphold noble Olympic values, and position sport as a catalyst for peace, development, and sustainability.She emphasized that the program would enhance children's skills in shooting, equestrianism, and self-defence, while instilling the principles of Olympic spirit, and providing a safe, engaging, and well-structured environment for discovering their athletic passions.This initiative stands as a practical embodiment of the Qatar Olympic Committee’s dedication to nurturing a conscious sporting generation rooted in Olympic and athletic values, in line with a national vision that seeks to embed sports culture as a way of life. 

Younousse and Tijan reach Gstaad Elite final

Gstaad: Qatari Olympic medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan stormed into the final of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite event in Gstaad, Switzerland on Saturday. The duo will take on reigning U-22 European champions Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson of Sweden in the title clash today.The 30-year-olds Younousse and Tijan will try to win their first title in Gstaad after taking silver back in 2021. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists are playing in just their third tournament in the season, and they won gold in the Xiamen Challenge in May.Saturday, the two, who have four victories in five matches in Gstaad, overcame two Dutch teams to make it to the final in the Swiss Alps. First, in the quarter-finals, Younousse and Tijan downed fellow Olympic medalist Alexander Brouwer and partner Steven van de Velde in the tie-breaker (22-20, 21-23, 15-13). Then, in the semis, they swept to a 21-16, 21-18 win over Dutchmen Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot, the team that topped them in the Gstaad final back in 2021.“I think our mindset helped us a lot today,” Cherif said after their semi-final victory. “We knew that today was a day to win or to die, so we gave everything we had in every play, but also tried to enjoy it because we hadn’t been in the final here in Gstaad at this beautiful stadium in a while. But everyone wants the golden cowbells, and the job is not finished, so we need to keep the focus for the final.”Meanwhile, Nilsson and Andersson continued to win for a fourth-straight day in Gstaad. Today, the Swedes will try to crown what’s already an extraordinary campaign in Gstaad with their first gold in a Beach Pro Tour Elite event.The 20-year-old Nilsson and the 19-year-old Andersson started their campaign in the event on Wednesday’s qualifier and won six of their seven matches in the tournament to get to the final.Saturday, they got the better of the two teams that represented Brazil at last year’s Paris Olympics, sweeping (21-16, 21-19) Evandro Gonçalves and Arthur Lanci in the quartersand beating André and George also in two sets (21-15, 21-18) in the semis.“We definitely didn’t expect to make it this far here in Gstaad this week,” Andersson said. “Last week we were playing in Poland (at the Warmia Mazury Challenge) and we weren’t even sure if we were going to be able to play here because we were on the reserve list. This is very unexpected and very fun.”Competing on the Beach Pro Tour since 2024, the Swedish have already won five medals – gold at the Rakvere Futures, the Chennai Challenge and the Nuvali Challenge in 2024 and the Malmo Futures in 2025 and bronze in the Brno Futures in 2024. 

Qatar to play friendlies against India in Doha

Doha: The Qatar national basketball team will be playing two friendly matches against in Doha as part of their training camp from July 8 to 14, following the successful completion of the initial phase in Turkey.The Qatar team is preparing for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Finals. The team’s training camp is a crucial component of Qatar Basketball Federation’s extensive preparation plan, designed to ensure that the Qatar national team achieves both physical and technical readiness, allowing the players to participate in the continental tournament in optimal condition.The training camp will feature both morning and evening training sessions at the Al Gharafa Club Gymnasium, along with two friendly matches against India. The first match is set for Friday, July 11, at 7pm, while the second match will take place on Sunday, July 13, at the same time, both at the Al Gharafa Indoor Gymnasium.The Qatar team,’s technical camp is being held under the supervision of Turkish coach Hakan Demir. Qatar’s preparation program includes an overseas camp in South Korea from July 16 to 21. This phase will feature several significant friendly matches against formidable Asian teams.Subsequently, the team will participate in an international friendly tournament hosted by Qatar at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall from July 25 to August 1, which will involve the national teams of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Japan. This will mark the conclusion of the preparations for the continental finals. The 2025 FIBA Asia Cup draw has placed the Qatar in Group A, alongside Lebanon, South Korea, and Australia. 

Team Qatar Riders Deliver Outstanding Performances at Longines Global Champions Tour in Monaco

Monaco: Qatari equestrians continued to shine on the international stage as Mohammed Khalifa Al Baker secured an impressive second-place finish in the 145cm Grand Prix class at the Monaco leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour. Riding Hannah Zoe, Al Baker completed the course in 37.67 seconds, just behind Russian rider Kristina Klebanova, who claimed first place with a time of 36.19 seconds aboard Diamanda 4.South African rider Nicolo van der Westhuizen rounded out the podium, finishing third with a time of 38.99 seconds on Stawita Ps.The top three riders received substantial prize money for their performances: Klebanova earned €6,250, Al Baker took home €5,000, and Van der Westhuizen received €3,750.Earlier in the competition, Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al-Thani achieved a second-place finish in the 140cm International Class riding Marco Monet, while Ghanem Al Qadi continued his strong form with a third-place result in the same class aboard Casal des Forets.These results further affirm Qatar’s growing presence and competitive strength in elite international show jumping events.