Balanced draw for Qatar at Gulf U-16 Basketball Championship

Balanced draw for Qatar at Gulf U-16 Basketball ChampionshipDoha: The Qatari U-16 national basketball team is set to participate in the Gulf U-16 Basketball Championship, which will take place in Bahrain from July 7 to 12, 2025.A total of six Gulf teams will be involved: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait.This tournament is significant for the teams involved, as it acts as a qualifier for the FIBA Asia U-16 Championship, thereby enhancing the competitive atmosphere among the teams aiming for continental qualification.The draw for the tournament has placed the Qatari team in Group A, where they will compete against the UAE and Kuwait, while Group B consists of Bahrain (hosts), Saudi Arabia, and Oman.According to the established tournament format, the leading two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, culminating in the final match.Qatar will commence their tournament journey against Kuwait on July 7, 2025, followed by a match against the UAE on July 9. The semi-finals are scheduled for July 11, where the top team from Group A will face the runner-up from Group B, and vice versa. The tournament will conclude with the final on July 12.In an unprecedented decision reflecting FIBA Asia’s support for youth teams in the Gulf region, FIBA Asia officially approved granting the Gulf Championship champion a direct ticket to the next FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship, scheduled for September 2025 in Mongolia.This gives this year’s Gulf Championship a highly competitive character and exceptional significance.The decision is part of the AFC’s strategic vision to enhance the presence of Gulf teams on the continental stage and provide sustainable development paths for age groups. It was widely welcomed by the Gulf federations, who viewed it as an encouraging step for players and technical staff.The Qatar national team is preparing for these events with great ambitions, supported by a specialized technical staff and a comprehensive preparation program that includes training camps. This is complemented by significant support from the Qatar Basketball Federation, headed by Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb, who seeks to consolidate the Qatari national team’s position as one of the most prominent emerging forces in Gulf and Asian basketball.The Qatar junior national team hopes to continue its journey of achievements, retain its Gulf title, and secure a ticket to the Asian Cup, confirming the development of Qatari basketball at the age level.

Qatar wins silver in trap at Asian Shotgun Championship

Linfen: Qatar added another medal at the Asian Shotgun Championship in Linfen, China, after clinching silver in the men’s trap team event. The trio of Mohammed al-Rumaihi, Saeed Abu Shareb and Nasser al-Humaidi delivered an impressive performance to finish second behind the Kuwaiti team, while Iran claimed bronze.Al-Rumaihi stood out by setting a new personal best and matching the Asian record, hitting 124 out of 125 targets across five rounds. He registered perfect scores in the first, third, fourth, and fifth rounds and dropped just one target in the second.With this result, Qatar has now secured five medals in the championship. The team’s campaign has already been highlighted by a gold medal in the mixed skeet event, won by Rashid Saleh al-Athba and Reem al-Sharshani. The women’s skeet team — comprising Hajar Mohammed, al-Sharshani, and Aisha al-Ansari — took silver, while the men’s skeet team of al-Athba, Abdulaziz al-Attiyah and Ali al-Ishaq earned bronze. Hajar Mohammed also claimed individual bronze in the women’s skeet competition.The championship concludes today, with Qatar’s shooters aiming to finish strong in the mixed trap event, their final contest of the tournament. 

Qatar fall to Uzbekistan, face playoff path to World Cup

Tashkent: Qatar wrapped up their disappointing qualifying campaign with a 3-0 loss to Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Tuesday, having already fallen out of contention for a direct place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The reigning Asian champions finished fourth in Group A with 13 points and will have to navigate the playoffs, where two additional places at next year's global showpiece are up for grabs in October.Uzbekistan, on the other hand, capped a memorable campaign with a commanding win. Timur Kapadze’s side had already secured their first-ever FIFA World Cup berth and finished in second place with 21 points from 10 matches.A slow first 20 minutes was highlighted by a half-hearted try by Qatar’s Amro Syrag, a looping header by Uzbekistan’s Husniddin Aliqulov and a run down the middle from his captain Eldor Shomurodov, who outran three defenders only to be dispossessed.The game burst into life in the 28th minute when Azizbek Turgunboev evaded two tackles down the right and sent a screamer that rocked the underside of the bar and gave keeper Salah Zakaria no chance at all.Zakaria and the Qatari defence were kept on their toes in the following minutes by the twin strikeforce of Shomurodov and Jaloliddin Masharipov, who combined to make three attempts at goal.The custodian later kept his side in the match when he pulled off a fine save on the stroke of half time from Shomurodov down the right and then held on to a close-range effort by Abbosbek Fayzullaev five minutes into time added on.The hosts started the second half with a fierce strike from Masharipov,, who sprinted down the left and curled his shot wide past the right post.Qatar were constantly kept on the backfoot, with Zakaria making yet another crucial save when he shielded Khojiakbar Alijonov’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box in the 63rd minute.Shomurodov scored their second in the 86th minute when he latched on to a long pass from Jamshid Iskanderov, controlled the ball with his right foot and unleashed a shot with his left that flew past an outstretched Zakaria.Uzbekistan sealed the match in the second minute of stoppage time when Igor Sergeev, who had come on a minute earlier in place of Shomurodov, scored with a close range header. 

Ali Sayed Qualifies for World Aquatics Championships

Canada: Team Qatar swimmer Ali Sayed has officially qualified for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, after clocking the qualifying time in the 100m butterfly during his participation in the Bell Canadian Swimming Trials, held in Canada.Ali Sayed completed the race in 53.54 seconds, surpassing the minimum qualifying standard for the world championships. This achievement adds to the growing record of success for Qatari swimming and reflects the continued development of national swimmers on the international stage.Ali Sayed expressed his great joy at reaching this milestone, attributing the success to hard work and the technical and administrative support he received. He dedicated the achievement to the Qatari swimming community and to the fans who have supported him throughout his journey. 

Rakan Al Harith finishes seventh at Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Jecheon, South Korea: Team Qatar gymnast Rakan Al Harith concluded his campaign at the 12th Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships by securing seventh place in the pommel horse final. The major continental event, hosted in Jecheon, South Korea, featured elite gymnasts from across Asia and the world, including Olympic champions and internationally ranked athletes.Al Harith’s placement among the top eight in Asia is considered a positive result, especially given the intense level of competition and the presence of some of the most decorated athletes from nations with strong gymnastics traditions.He had earlier delivered an outstanding performance in the qualification round, scoring 13.566 points, composed of difficulty and execution scores, affirming his notable progress and underscoring the steady rise of Qatari gymnastics on the continental stage.Qualifying for the final was a milestone in itself for Rakan, marking his first appearance in an Asian final. His advancement, achieved against some of the continent’s and world’s finest athletes, is a testament to both his personal growth and the strength of his performance under pressure.Ali Al Hitmi, President of the Qatar Gymnastics Federation, praised Rakan’s strong showing at the championship. In a media statement, he described the achievement as a significant step in the federation’s journey, reflecting the success of its long-term investment in national talent and technical infrastructure. Al Hitmi highlighted that Qatar’s presence in such a high-profile competition—through a young gymnast securing a spot among Asia’s top eight on the pommel horse—is a source of national pride.Al Hitmi acknowledged that while the goal had shifted to competing for the title after qualifying for the final, finishing in the top eight in a debut appearance is, in itself, an achievement. He expressed hope that this experience would serve as a foundation for further development and greater competitiveness in major regional, continental, and global championships.He concluded by emphasizing that this accomplishment is the result of collective effort, reflecting the overall growth of gymnastics in Qatar and the strong support from the country’s sports leadership. He noted that having a Qatari athlete reach an Asian final of this caliber is a valuable gain for Qatari sport as a whole—and for gymnastics in particular.

Qatar eye strong finish against World Cup-bound Uzbekistan

Tashkent:  Fresh off a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Iran, Qatar will look to carry that momentum into today’s final group stage match against newly-qualified Uzbekistan in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.The match at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent marks another key test for new head coach Julen Lopetegui, who began his tenure with a vital result that secured Qatar’s place in the fourth round of the qualifiers – where an additional two spots to the World Cup will be at stake.With one eye on October’s next phase, the Spaniard has challenged his players to show consistency and character against an Uzbek side riding high after qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup.“We are very excited to face Uzbekistan for the first time,” Lopetegui said in the pre-match press conference on Monday. “It’s an important competitive match and a real test to measure our readiness for what’s to come. Winning tomorrow will be a step toward our next goal — qualifying for the World Cup.”“We are required to continue playing high-quality football and controlling the flow of play. I am confident in the players' ability to do their best and demonstrate the value of the work that preceded the match. Everyone is determined to perform at their best," he added.Lopetegui was quick to acknowledge the strength of the opposition, adding: “We are aware of the strength of tomorrow’s match against Uzbekistan, which is one of the best teams in Asia. We must do our utmost and perform at our best.”Veteran midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem echoed the coach’s sentiments, stressing the importance of the fixture in maintaining momentum. “Our preparations were good following the important win over Iran. Tomorrow’s match will be an important test in our preparation for the next round, so we must take it very seriously,” said Hatem. “Our matches against Uzbekistan are always intense and exciting, and we expect the same tomorrow.”While Qatar prepare for the long road ahead, Uzbekistan are in celebration mode after sealing qualification to the World Cup with a game to spare. A party-like atmosphere is expected at the Bunyodkor Stadium, when Uzbekistan take the field today and the home fans will want their team end the campaign with victory.Last Thursday's qualification was greeted with joy as Uzbekistan ended their long wait to appear on the global stage, with head coach Timur Kapadze applauding his players for getting across the finish line despite the immense pressure."We overcame a lot of pressure. Before the game, fans, sports websites and experts expressed their confidence in our team's victory and expected a good result from us. This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task,” he said."For the next match, we will prepare adequately although several players who have not featured much may be given the chance to play," Kapadze added, with there still being a possibility of Uzbekistan topping the group with a win should Iran lose to North Korea.