Qatar Beach Volleyball Team one step away from Gold at 3rd Gulf Beach Games

Muscat – Qatar’s beach volleyball stars Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan delivered a stellar performance to propel Team Qatar (A) into the final of the 3rd Gulf Beach Games, following a straight-sets victory over host nation Oman (A) in Wednesday’s semifinal.The dominant Qatari duo outplayed Oman’s Haitham Al-Shereiqi and Noah Al-Jalboubi, securing the win with set scores of 21-14, 21-10. Their impeccable teamwork and precision ensured a smooth passage to the gold medal match.The Gulf Beach Games are currently underway in Muscat, Oman’s capital, and continue until next Friday, featuring over 300 athletes from the six GCC nations competing across multiple disciplines.Team Qatar (A) is now set to face Team Oman (B) in the final today. The Omani pair, Mazen Al-Hashmi and Hood Al-Jalboubi, booked their place in the championship match after a convincing straight-sets win over Team Bahrain (B) in the other semifinal.In equestrian events, Qatar’s tent pegging team claimed sixth place in the sword category, held on Wednesday. Bahrain clinched the gold medal, with Saudi Arabia earning silver and Kuwait taking bronze.The swimming competitions of Muscat 2025 got underway on Wednesday with the 10-kilometer open water race. Oman triumphed in the team category, capturing the gold medal, followed by Saudi Arabia with silver and Bahrain with bronze.Individually, Saudi swimmer Mohammed Al-Zaki took home the gold, while Omani athletes Ayman Al-Qasmi and Nidal Al-Harasi claimed silver and bronze, respectively.Looking ahead, the 5-kilometer race is scheduled for Friday, with Qatar represented by swimmers Tamim Mohammed Al-Humaidah and Mohammed Aziz Ismail, both aiming for podium finishes.Qatar is represented at the 3rd Gulf Beach Games by a strong contingent of 18 athletes, competing in five sports: beach volleyball, athletics, sailing, open water swimming, and equestrian (tent pegging. 

Qatar drawn along with Australia, South Korea and Lebanon for FIBA Asia Cup 2025

Jeddah: Qatar have been drawn along with reigning two-time champions Australia, South Korea and Lebanon in Group A for the 31st FIBA Asia Cup 2025 to be held at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from August 5-17, marking the first time the Gulf state is hosting FIBA’s flagship event in Asia after 1997.The draw ceremony held at Hotel Hilton in Jeddah on Tuesday was attended by prominent Asian basketball figures and representatives of the qualified teams.The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. The other groups are: Group B: Guam, Japan, Syria, Iran; Group C: China, Jordan, India, Saudi Arabia; Group D: Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, Iraq, Philippines.Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary-General of the Qatar Basketball Association, who was also present at the draw ceremony, expressed confidence in Qatar’s ability to perform well, despite being placed in a challenging group. “We have full trust in our players and coaching staff to deliver a strong performance,” he said.Al Kuwari also thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the event, highlighting the nation’s efforts in organizing the tournament.This edition, which marks the first time Saudi Arabia will host the FIBA Asia Cup, holds particular significance for Arab teams, including Qatar, as they aim to showcase the region’s growing basketball talent and compete for the continental title.During the Group Phase, the teams will play against each other in a single-round robin format. The first-placed teams of each group will qualify directly to the Quarter-Finals. The second-and third-placed teams in each group will play in a qualification to the quarter-finals round.The final phase of the competition will proceed from the quarter-finals onwards with a single-elimination format in place.Australia, have yet to lose a game in the Asia Cup and will be looking to maintain their perfect record. 2022 Finalists Lebanon came close to winning it all and will be aiming for their first-ever Asia Cup title. China will try to extend their lead as all-time leader in Asia Cup titles, having already won 16 in the pas 

Qatar Claims Gold and Silver at GCC Beach Games in Oman

Muscat: Qatar earned two medals—one gold and one silver—on Tuesday at the 3rd GCC Beach Games, currently taking place in Muscat, Oman. The event runs through Friday and features over 300 athletes from across the six Gulf nations.Team Qatar star Ali Hamad Al Athba clinched the gold medal in the individual lance event in the Tent Pegging discipline, finishing ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Hussain Assiri, who took silver, and Oman’s Hamad Al Riyami, who claimed bronze.Speaking after his victory, Al Athba credited the Qatar Equestrian Federation for its support and thorough preparation leading up to the event. He expressed hope for more success in the remaining Tent Pegging competitions, including the sword and hanging events.In athletics, high jumper Hamdi Ali secured silver for Qatar with a height of 1.96 meters. Oman’s Fatek Abdul Ghafour won gold with 1.99 meters, while Kuwait’s Khaled Masaad earned bronze with 1.93 meters.Ali described the medal as a strong start to his first-ever appearance at the Beach Games and said it gives him added motivation for the rest of the season.In beach volleyball, Team Qatar 1—comprising Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan—advanced to the quarterfinals after a dominant straight-sets win over Kuwait Team 2 (21–8, 21–5). The pair topped Group 1 and are set to face Saudi Arabia Team 2 in the next round. They had previously defeated Oman Team 3, also in straight sets.Meanwhile, Team Qatar 2—made up of Othman Mohammed and Noor Othman—were eliminated after a straight-sets loss to Saudi Arabia Team 1 (7–21, 9–21). This marked their third consecutive defeat in Group 4, following earlier losses to Oman Team 4 and Bahrain Team 2.In other developments, Qatar’s swimming team arrived in Muscat today ahead of their competition. The squad includes Tamim Mohammed Al Hamayda and Mohammed Aziz Ismail, accompanied by administrative manager Rashid Khalid Al Mohannadi and coach Yuri Vlasakov. They will compete in the 5-kilometer open water race on the final day of the Games this Friday.Qatar is represented at the GCC Beach Games by 18 athletes competing across five sports: beach volleyball, athletics, sailing, open water swimming, and equestrian Tent Pegging.The Gulf Beach Games were first held in Bahrain in 2010, followed by the second edition in Doha in 2015. 

Team Qatar defeat Oman at GCC Beach Games

Muscat: Team Qatar (1) opened their campaign at the 3rd GCC Beach Games in Muscat with a commanding 2-0 victory over Oman (3) in the beach volleyball competition, which kicked off on Monday. The Games, featuring over 300 athletes from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, will continue until Friday.Qatar’s top duo, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, delivered a dominant performance, winning in straight sets 21-8, 21-5, to secure an impressive start in Group A.They are set to face Kuwait (2) on Tuesday, aiming for a second consecutive win to finish at the top of their group and secure a place in the quarter-finals.Meanwhile, in another match of the same tournament, the second Qatari team, made up of Othman Mohammed and Nour Othman, suffered two early setbacks. They lost their opening match 4-0 to Oman, and then fell 2-0 in straight sets to Bahrain. They will wrap up their preliminary round matches on Tuesday with a crucial game against Saudi Arabia (1). 

Team Qatar take on Oman in beach volleyball opener at GCC Beach Games

Muscat: Beach volleyball action gets underway today at the 3rd GCC Beach Games in Muscat, Oman, with matches running until Friday. The tournament brings together more than 300 athletes from across the six GCC nations.Team Qatar kicks off its campaign with two duos in action. “Qatar 1” — featuring Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan — face off against “Oman 3,” while “Qatar 2,” made up of Othman Mohammed and Noor Othman, will play against both “Oman 4” and “Bahrain 2.”The competition draw split the participating teams into four groups. Group A includes Qatar 1, Kuwait 2, and Oman 3. Group B features Oman 1, Kuwait 1, and UAE 1. Group C includes Oman 2, Saudi Arabia 2, and Bahrain 1, while Group D consists of Qatar 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Bahrain 2, and Oman 4.The top two teams from each group will advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals, with the semifinals, bronze medal match, and final all set for Thursday.Meanwhile, Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, visited the Qatari delegation on Sunday. He met with several athletes, thanked them for their efforts, and expressed pride in their commitment to representing Qatar with honor.Qatar is fielding 18 athletes across five sports at the Games: beach volleyball, athletics, sailing, open water swimming, and equestrian (tent pegging). 

Qatar ranked fourth for 2025 FIBA Asian Cup

Jeddah: The FIBA Asia Regional Office has announced the rankings for the teams set to compete in the 31st edition of the FIBA Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5-17, 2025.This announcement precedes the tournament draw, which is planned for April 8, 2025, in Jeddah.Qatar have been placed fourth among the 16 teams that have qualified for the Asian Cup finals, joining India, Guam, and Iraq in this ranking. Conversely, the host nation, Saudi Arabia, has secured the top position in the first seed, alongside Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.The second seed comprises Iran, Lebanon, China, and the Philippines, while the third seed includes Jordan, South Korea, Syria, and Chinese Taipei.The 16 participating teams will be organised into four groups of four. The winners of each group will progress directly to the quarter-finals, while the teams finishing in second and third place will enter a knockout round.The quarter-final victors will move on to the semifinals, culminating in a grand final to crown the Asian champion.The teams that do not advance will compete in a match for third place.The 16 teams qualifying for this tournament were selected from the top teams in Asia and Oceania through a qualifying process that spanned three windows over a year and a half, utilising a home-and-away format. These teams also qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers for the Asia-Oceania region.Qatar have achieved its 11th qualification for the 31st Asian Cup finals, marking its return after an eight-year hiatus.In the joint Asian qualifiers for the 2025 AFC Asian Cup, which will also be held in Jeddah from August 5-17, and the 2027 FIFA World Cup, Qatar finished second in Group E with 10 points, just behind group leaders Iran, who secured 11 points.Saudi Arabia automatically qualified for the tournament as the host nation, while Australia (the two-time defending champions), Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, and the Philippines earned their spots in Jeddah through their performances in the 2025 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.The final roster of participating teams was finalised after Chinese Taipei, Guam, India, and Iraq emerged as the top four teams from the concluding qualifying round, which took place in two different cities.In Group G, held in Taipei, Chinese Taipei and Guam led the standings, with Chinese Taipei winning both of its matches against Guam and Thailand, while Guam secured one victory against Thailand but lost to Chinese Taipei.Meanwhile, in Group H, hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain, India and Iraq achieved similar success, qualifying with impressive results in the final qualifiers. Basketball enthusiasts throughout Asia are eagerly anticipating the commencement of this significant continental event, recognised as one of the premier FIBA tournaments in the region, particularly due to the participation of several strong teams, all vying for a place on the podium at Jeddah 2025.