Historic silver for Team Qatar in Giant Open France 2025 Swimming Championship

Paris: Team Qatar’s swimming standout Ali Sayed delivered a historic performance for Qatar by winning the silver medal in the 100m freestyle at the Giant Open France 2025, currently taking place in Paris at the Olympic Pool (50m) from May 9 to 11.Ali clocked an impressive time of 49.74 seconds, finishing second in a fiercely competitive field of top international swimmers. His performance was widely praised for its combination of speed, focus, and determination, securing Qatar a prestigious spot on the podium in a major international event.This remarkable achievement highlights the continued progress of Qatari swimming and underscores Ali Sayed’s readiness to compete at the highest level, especially with Olympic qualifiers on the horizon. The French Open serves as a key preparatory milestone for upcoming major tournaments, including the Olympic Games qualifiers.President of the Qatar Swimming Association, Mubarak bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, expressed great pride in Ali Sayed’s accomplishment, calling the silver medal a reflection of the association’s strategic efforts to develop national talent.In a statement, Al-Nuaimi said: “We congratulate Ali on this well-deserved achievement. He is a shining example of the strength of Qatari swimming, and this result is a clear indicator of the technical progress we’ve made. We are confident that even greater achievements lie ahead, and we remain fully committed to supporting our athletes in raising Qatar’s flag across the world.”He added that such results stem from long-term planning and extensive preparation programs developed in collaboration with partners at the Qatar Olympic Committee. “Our ambitions are limitless,” he affirmed. “We have our sights set firmly on podium finishes at continental and global championships.” 

All eyes on Qatar-Bahrain final as Arab Handball Cup ends

Kuwait - The Qatar national team will face Bahrain in the final of the 10th Arab Handball Cup, hosted by Kuwait, on Sunday. Qatar qualified for the final after defeating Egypt 25-19 in a thrilling semifinal on Friday. Bahrain overcame a tough fight from hosts Kuwait to make it to the title game.Qatar, who ended the first half with a 13-8 lead, extended it in the second half to win by six goals.Qatar had been the first team to qualify for the last-four stage, after topping Group B with four points. They had defeated Tunisia 31-30 and Saudi Arabia 31-22 to emerge on top of the group.The Tunisian national team defeated Morocco 35-32 in the competition to determine fifth to ninth places. Saudi Arabia got the better of Iraq 25-20.Nine Arab teams are participating in the tournament including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, UAE and Bahrain.

QOC President crowns Al Sadd Qatar Cup Champions

DOHA - (QNA) - HE President of the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned Al Sadd as champions of the Qatar Cup after their victory over Al Duhail via a 4-3 penalty shootout, following a 2–2 draw in regular and extra time, on Saturday at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.Al Sadd's goals came from Brazilian Claudinho, who converted a penalty in the 63rd minute, and Spaniard Rafa Mujica, who scored in the 86th minute.Meanwhile, Al Duhail's Michael Olunga netted in the 48th minute, followed by a goal from Frenchman Benjamin Bourigeaud in the 65th minute, before the match was ultimately decided by penalties.This victory marks Al Sadd's fourth Qatar Cup title, following wins in the 2016–17, 2019–20, and 2020–21 editions, making them the most successful club in the tournament's history.Al Duhail remains second with three titles (2014-15, 2017-18, 2022-23).  

QOC Participates in Executive Board Meeting of GCC Olympic Committees Presidents' Council

Kuwait – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) participated in the 101th Executive Board Meeting of the Presidents of the GCC National Olympic Committees, held today in the State of Kuwait.The QOC delegation was led by Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al-Thani, Director of the Sports Sector, and included Mr. Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala, Director of the Sports Affairs Department. The meeting was also attended by the Secretaries-General of the GCC Olympic Committees.Discussions during the meeting focused on key topics, most notably the third edition of the GCC Beach Games, which was successfully hosted last month in Muscat, Oman. The meeting reviewed a report on the event, highlighting its organization and outcomes.The meeting also addressed items on the agenda, including the upcoming 4th GCC Games – Qatar 2026, the 2nd GCC Youth Games in 2028, the Sports Law and Management Conference, the Unified Platform for Gulf Women's Sports, and the GCC Women's Sports Hackathon Program.The Executive Board approved a number of recommendations, which will be submitted for review at the 37th Meeting of the GCC Olympic Committees Presidents’ Council, scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Attends What Gravity Challenge

Doha – His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, attended part of the competitions of the second edition of What Gravity Challenge, held at the Katara Amphitheater on Friday.The event featured a stellar lineup of world and Olympic high jump champions, including several Olympic medalists such as Shelby McEwen and Hamish Kerr,. For the first time, the championship also welcomed some of the sport’s leading women athletes, including Ukrainian world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Australia’s Eleanor Patterson, and Germany’s Christina Honsel.The event was also attended by H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee; H.E. Dahlan Al Hamad, President of the Asian Athletics Association; Mr. Mohammed Issa Al Fadala, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation; and Dr. Khalid Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village, along with a number of prominent sports figures.

Team Qatar qualify to semifinals of 1st WAVA Beach Volleyball Tour

Doha: Team Qatar has advanced to the semifinals of the 1st West Asia Volleyball Association (WAVA) Beach Volleyball Tour – Men & Women, currently taking place at Al Gharrafa Beach Courts with the participation of 19 teams from seven West Asian countries.In the men’s competition, Qatar 1 duo Mahmoud Essam and Saif Al-Majid secured their place in the semifinals after defeating their compatriots from Qatar 3, Mohammed Al-Sharshani and Mohammed Ehab, in straight sets during the quarterfinals.Meanwhile, Qatar 2 team Mehdi Samoud and Abdullah Nassim exited the tournament following a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Oman’s Mazen Al-Hashemi and Hood Al-Jalboub.In the women’s category, Qatar 1 pairing of Haya Abu Issa and Malak Hashem advanced to the semifinals after beating Qatar 3’s Lujain Mahmoud and Sarah Jabbar in straight sets.However, Qatar 2, featuring Ladan Issa and Aisha Al-Alawi, were eliminated after falling to the Lebanese duo Nour Hamzeh and Sarah Akkari in the same round.Qatar is competing in the tournament with three teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, in a highly competitive atmosphere that reflects the growing development of beach volleyball in the region.