Team Qatar claim gold and bronze at Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea

Seoul: Team Qatar added two more medals—a gold and a bronze—to its tally at the Asian Athletics Championships, currently taking place in Gumi, South Korea, and running until June 1, with the participation of 2,000 athletes from 43 countries.The gold medal came in the men’s 4x400m relay, where the Qatari quartet of Abderrahman Samba, Ammar Ismail, Bassem Mohamed, and Hatem Humaid stormed to victory with a time of 3:03.52 minutes. The Indian team took silver with 3:03.67, while China claimed bronze at 3:03.73.Meanwhile, Zakaria Ibrahim secured bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase, clocking 8:27.12 minutes to finish behind Japan’s Yutaro, who took silver in 8:24.41, and India’s Avinash, who clinched gold with 8:20.92.These results follow Ammar Ismail’s gold medal in the 400m on the opening day, bringing Team Qatar’s total so far to three medals: two gold and one bronze.Qatar’s athletics team is competing in Gumi with a 17-athlete delegation, featuring top talents like Abderrahman Samba, promising pole vaulter Saif Abdulsalam—Asia’s Best U20 Male Athlete—alongside Bassem Hemeida, the defending champion in the 400m hurdles, as well as Ammar Ismail, Ashraf Hussein, and Salah Younes.

Qatar's Ibrahim wins 400m gold at Asian Athletics Championships

Gumi: Ammar Ismail Ibrahim delivered a sensational performance to win Qatar’s first gold medal at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea Wednesday.The 28-year-old sprinter clocked 45.33 seconds to clinch the men’s 400m title, ahead of Japan’s Kentaro Sato (45.50) and Sri Lanka’s Kalinga Kumarage (45.55). Fellow Qatari Ashraf Hussen M Osman finished seventh in the same race.Elsewhere, Oumar Doudai Abakar set a national record in the 110m hurdles heats to reach the final, while Asraf Amgad Elseify placed fifth in the men’s hammer throw with a 69.82m effort. 

QOC Secretary General meets with Oman NOC Secretary General

Doha: H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), met today with Mr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Bamkhallaf, Secretary General of the Oman Olympic Committee and President of the Oman Table Tennis Association, who is currently visiting Doha.  During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation between the Qatari and Omani Olympic Committees and explored ways to enhance it in the coming period, in a manner that supports the progress of joint GCC sports initiatives and promotes the exchange of expertise in sports administration and development programs.  The two parties emphasized the importance of continued cooperation among GCC Olympic Committees to further support athletes and strengthen the institutional foundations of sport in the region, in alignment with the aspirations of the Olympic Movement.The Omani official praised Qatar’s outstanding organizational success in hosting the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships – Doha 2025, stating that this achievement reflects Qatar’s leading position on the global sports map and its ability to deliver a comprehensive model for hosting major international events. 

QOC Secretary General meets with President of the Albanian National Olympic Committee

Doha: H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, met today with Mr. Fidel Ylli, President of the Albanian National Olympic Committee, who is currently visiting Doha.The meeting reviewed aspects of sports cooperation between the QOC and its Albanian counterpart and explored ways to strengthen this collaboration in the coming period. The discussion also touched on recent developments within the Olympic Movement. 

Sheikh Joaan and Francesco Ricci Bitti Meet in Doha to Exchange Perspectives on Sport Governance

Doha - On the sidelines of the ITTF Summit and Annual General Meeting in Doha, H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), met with Francesco Ricci Bitti, Honorary Life President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and former President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) for a strategic discussion on sport governance and international tennis development.The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on the evolving landscape of international sport governance, particularly in the context of the ASOIF governance framework. Mr. Ricci Bitti, who has played a central role in shaping and advancing these standards globally, shared his experience leading governance reform across Olympic federations. The discussion reflected Qatar’s efforts to align its national sporting bodies with internationally recognised principles of integrity, transparency, and autonomy.Sheikh Joaan underlined the importance of strong, credible governance structures as the foundation for the sustainability and legitimacy of sport organisations. He also emphasised the QOC’s commitment to ongoing institutional development and its readiness to contribute to wider global efforts to strengthen governance at all levels of the sport ecosystem.The meeting also addressed the future of international tennis. As Honorary President of the ITF, Mr. Ricci Bitti remains closely engaged with the sport’s global development. The conversation touched on pathways for growth, including in emerging markets, and the role of national and regional institutions in supporting both elite performance and broader participation. Sheikh Joaan reaffirmed Qatar’s long-term engagement with tennis, both through its professional events and its support for youth development and regional cooperation.Mr. Ricci Bitti will be formally named an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee on June 24 in recognition of his decades of service to the Olympic Movement. Sheikh Joaan extended his congratulations, acknowledging Mr. Ricci Bitti’s enduring influence on the evolution of international sport and his contributions to institutional excellence.

Sheikh Joaan crowns Al Duhail as Amir Handball Cup Champions

Doha: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), crowned team Al Duhail as champions of H.H. the Amir Handball Cup for the 2024–2025 season, following their 29-27 victory over Al Arabi in the final held today at Duhail Arena.Sheikh Joaan presented the championship trophy and gold medals to Al Duhail players , and silver medals Al Arabi players.  He also honored the match referees and officials.The final was attended by H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the QOC; Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Shaabi, President of the Qatar Handball Association; Badr Al Dhiyab, Vice President of the International Handball Federation for Asia, as well as several Gulf federation presidents and sports leaders.This marks the fifth Amir Cup title for Al Duhail, while Al Sadd holds the all-time record with eight titles.