Team Qatar lose to Japan in 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers

Tokyo: The Qatar men's national basketball team suffered a 123-70 defeat against Japan in Tokyo on Monday during the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.The quarter-by-quarter breakdown favored the hosts: 29-11, 24-23, 40-11, and 30-25.With the victory, Japan brought their points total to 14 in Group F, while Qatar sit at 12 points. Group F also features China, Lebanon, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, with fierce competition underway for advancement to the next stage.Qatar is participating in the qualifiers as the host nation for the 2027 World Cup, securing an automatic berth in the tournament. While its match outcomes count in the standings, Qatar is excluded from the final group ranking. Under the tournament format, the top three teams from each group advance alongside the best fourth-place finisher. Qatar's participation aims to build competitiveness and gain valuable experience against the continent's top squads as part of its preparations for the global showcase.Qatar continues its second-round campaign by hosting South Korea in Doha on November 26, followed by a rematch against Japan in Doha on November 29.

Team Qatar to Compete in West Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship in Jordan

Doha: Qatar’s women’s national volleyball team will compete in the third edition of the West Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, to be held in Amman, Jordan, from September 3 to 7, with Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon taking part.The Qatari delegation will depart for Amman on Tuesday ahead of the championship, where Team Qatar will be aiming to achieve positive results, challenge for the title and secure qualification for the 2027 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship.Qatar will open their campaign against hosts Jordan on Thursday, September 3, at 6:00 PM in the second match of the opening day, following the Lebanon-Iraq encounter at 4:00 PM.In the second round on Saturday, September 5, Qatar will face Iraq at 4:00 PM, before Jordan take on Lebanon at 6:00 PM.Team Qatar will conclude their campaign against Lebanon on Monday, September 7, at 4:00 PM, while Jordan face Iraq at 6:00 PM in the final match of the championship.The tournament will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team playing three matches. The team with the most victories at the end of the competition will be crowned champions, while the winners will also secure direct qualification for the 2027 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, scheduled for June next year.The Qatari delegation includes the technical, administrative and medical staff, along with 12 players. The team are led by Argentine head coach Lucas Carolo, assisted by Nahuel Alejandro, with Nicolas Vazquez serving as fitness coach, Fatima Al Asaad as physiotherapist and Ghadeer Issam as team administrator.Qatar’s squad comprises Dana Saber, Somaya Yahya, Ladan Al Waleed, Tasneem Yasser, Lamis Abdulrahman, Al Mayassa Diab, Bendaa Fatima Ibrahim, Damla Yagmur, Maryam Ammar, Nelly Amr, Lujain Mahmoud and Shadia Yasser.The West Asian Volleyball Association previously conducted the championship draw virtually from Doha in the presence of Mohammed Salem Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the West Asian Volleyball Association; Yousef Ahmed Kanoo, Treasurer of the Association; Pascale Al Kassouf of Lebanon, Chair of the Championship Control Committee; and representatives of the participating national federations.The participating teams and delegations are scheduled to arrive in Amman on Tuesday, with preliminary team formalities taking place on Wednesday ahead of the start of competition on Thursday. The delegations will depart Jordan on September 8.

Qatar Basketball Team Continue Preparations for Japan Clash in World Cup Qualifiers

Tokyo: Qatar’s national basketball team are continuing their intensive preparations for Monday’s highly anticipated clash against hosts Japan in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.Upon arriving in Tokyo, the Qatari side underwent a light recovery session under Turkish head coach Hakan Demir, aimed at helping the players recover while avoiding injuries or excessive physical strain ahead of the match against Japan.During their final training session, the coaching staff will focus on addressing the errors that emerged in the match against China, improving the players’ technical and physical readiness, and working on a number of tactical aspects ahead of the encounter.Qatar will be looking to secure a positive result and bounce back from their 83-57 defeat to China.Japan, meanwhile, will be aiming to build on their impressive performance against Saudi Arabia, having recorded a convincing 106-78 victory.The Qatar-Japan encounter carries significant importance in Group F, which also includes China, Lebanon, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.Results from the opening round of the window saw Japan maintain their position among the leading teams in the group, while Qatar will be looking to improve their standing in the second round.Although Qatar have already secured their place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 as hosts, the qualifiers represent an important part of the national team’s preparation programme. The matches provide the coaching staff with valuable opportunities to compete against Asia’s leading teams and assess the squad ahead of the global showpiece in Doha.

FIVB Designates Al Gharafa Centre as International Beach Volleyball Excellence Hub

Doha: The FIVB has approved the Al Gharafa Beach Volleyball Training Centre in Doha as an International Centre of Excellence for Beach Volleyball, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) Saturday at the Qatar Olympic Academy in Al Gharafa.With this designation, the Centre joins the FIVB's network of International Centres of Excellence, in a step that strengthens Qatar's position as a global hub for athlete and coach development, knowledge interchange and raising standards in the sport.The Centre will provide an international platform for high-performance preparation, athlete and youth development, coach education, technical cooperation, international training camps and knowledge interchange, capitalizing on its facilities, which include five beach volleyball courts, alongside recovery and athlete support services and access to sophisticated technical and high-performance personnel.This designation is the culmination of the remarkable development of beach volleyball in Qatar in recent years, reflected in incredible results on the international stage, alongside Doha's hosting of some of the sport's biggest international beach volleyball events, including stages and finals of the Beach Volleyball World Tour.QVA President and President of the Qatar and West Asia Volleyball Federations Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari said beach volleyball is highly cherished in Qatar, noting that QVA has worked to advance the sport and welcomed some of the world's leading players, culminating in the historic achievement of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.Al Kuwari highlighted that Doha eyes to strengthen its stature as a global  destination for athletes and coaches from across the region and the world by providing an environment for training, preparation and knowledge interchange at the highest level, stressing that this partnership demonstrates Qatar's unwavering commitment to developing the sports sector and strengthening its international presence, into line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.Cherif Younousse, a member of the FIVB Athletes' Commission, said the new Centre offers the opportunity to turn the feats achieved by Qatar's beach volleyball into a legacy that benefits athletes from around the globe, stressing the importance of providing an environment that enables athletes and coaches to interchange knowledge and improve at the highest level.FIVB President Fabio Azevedo said the importance of the Centre lies in making the knowledge, experience and high-performance environment that Qatar has built in beach volleyball available to a substantial number of athletes, coaches and National Federations around the world.He added that the International Centres of Excellence network aims to provide wider opportunities for high-performance preparation and knowledge and experience exchange, contributing to elevating standards in the sport and creating more opportunities for athletes and coaches.The designation comes under the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032, particularly its plan to expand the International Centres of Excellence network and accelerate the global development of beach volleyball.This also marks Qatar's preparations to host a number of major sporting events, including the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup 2029 and the Asian Games 2030.

Qatar U-19 Handball Team Face Bahrain in Asian Championship Final on Monday

Amman: Qatar’s U-19 handball team will face Bahrain on Monday in the final of the Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship, currently being held in Jordan.Qatar secured their place in the final after defeating South Korea 32-28 in the semifinals, while Bahrain advanced to the title match following a 26-23 victory over Iran.The Qatari side have produced an impressive campaign and remain unbeaten in the championship. They finished the group stage with a perfect eight points after recording four consecutive victories, defeating Saudi Arabia 30-22, Kuwait 30-19, Iran 24-22 and Syria 42-29.In the quarterfinals, Qatar produced a commanding performance to defeat tournament hosts Jordan 33-13 before overcoming South Korea in the semifinals to book their place in the final.Qatar will now be aiming to crown their unbeaten campaign by lifting the Asian title, having already secured qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship for the seventh time in their history.

Qatar's Hemeida wins 400m hurdles in Bellinzona

Bellinzona: Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida won the men’s 400m hurdles at the Bellinzona Athletics Meeting in Switzerland on Sunday, delivering an impressive performance against a strong international field.Hemeida clocked a season-best 47.56 seconds to secure victory and break the 48-second barrier for the first time this season. His latest performance also marked a significant improvement on his previous season-best of 48.17 seconds, recorded last week at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in Switzerland.The Bellinzona victory highlights Hemeida’s steady progress as he continues his preparations for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, next month. His participation in international competitions across the Diamond League, Gold and Silver categories forms part of the Qatar Athletics Federation’s programme to provide national team athletes with high-level competition and valuable preparation ahead of the continental Games.In addition to the 400m hurdles, Hemeida is also a member of Qatar’s 4x400m relay team, making him an important part of the national squad as it builds towards the Asian Games.