Younousse and Tijan to face Brazilian duo in Beach Pro Tour Quarterfinals

Joao Pessoa: Qatar’s beach volleyball stars, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, are set to face Brazil’s Arthur and Adrelson in the quarterfinals of the Beach Pro Tour – Elite 16 tournament on Sunday.  The tournament is being held in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, with the Qatari duo aiming for a spot in the semifinals. Younousse and Tijan advanced to the last eight as the leaders of Group D, finishing with 5 points after securing two wins and one loss. The Qatari team is competing in this tournament following a strong showing at the Arab Beach Volleyball Championship and the Paris Olympics.  As former World No. 1 players, they are eager to make their mark once again on the international stage.  

Team Qatar Squad Announced Ahead of AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers

Doha: The Qatar Football Association announced today the squad for the Qatar U-17 national team as they prepare for the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, which will take place from April 3 to 20 in Saudi Arabia. Qatar will compete in Group F alongside Japan (four-time champions and titleholders), Mongolia, and Nepal. The Qatari team will kick off their qualifiers campaign against Mongolia on October 23 at Aspire Academy Field 7, aiming for their 12th qualification to the continental finals. In another Group F match, Japan will face Nepal at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium. Head coach Ahmed Madoni has called up 23 players, including; Ahmed Saber (Al-Arabi), Bakri Mohamed, Abdulrahman Khaled (Al-Rayyan), Tamim Al-Qadi, Sultan Majed, Karam Hadi, Mohamed Jihad, Omar Abdulaziz, Ward Osama, Sheikh Ndaw, Faisal Saeed (Al-Sadd), Saud Khamis, Malik Majed, Mohannad Jamil, Mohamed Akram, Yazan Hani, Adam Riad (Al-Duhail), Youssef Salman (Al-Markhiya), Zaid Faisal, Emmanuel Francis (Al-Gharafa), Saif Al-Din Ahmed (Qatar SC), Salman Anwar (Umm Salal), and Abdulaziz Younes (Al-Ahli). The 43 participating teams in the qualifiers are divided into 10 groups, with seven groups consisting of four teams and three groups consisting of five teams. The qualifiers will take place from October 19 to 27. The winners of each of the 10 groups, along with the top five second-placed teams, will qualify for the finals, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia

QOC organizes a workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Enhancing Efficiency and Innovation

Doha - The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), organized a one-day training workshop titled "Artificial Intelligence and Enhancing Efficiency and Innovation" for employees at Lusail Hall on Thursday. More than 80 trainees from various QOC departments, sections, and units, along with employees from sports federations, participated in the workshop. Dr. Ayman Al-Khalifa, a trainer and technical supervisor at MCIT, explained to the trainees the concept of artificial intelligence, its stages of development, types, technologies, applications, and its pros and cons at both the personal and institutional levels. He also conducted a series of practical exercises for the participants. Dr. Ayman Al-Khalifa emphasized that artificial intelligence involves tools and programs capable of simulating human cognition in performing tasks and responsibilities, highlighting its potential to boost employee productivity. This training workshop aligns with the QOC’s strategic goal of "creating an ideal environment to attract, develop, and retain the best talents and expertise" and aims to develop QOC employees by engaging them in various training programs, whether general or specialized.  

Qatar’s Dana Khalifa clinches singles and doubles titles

Doha: Qatar’s Dana Khalifa starred at the fourth edition of the Qatar Asian Tennis Championship (under 14 years), securing titles in both the girls’ singles and doubles categories. The tournament, held at the Qatar Tennis Federation’s courts, featured around 100 male and female competitors.  Khalifa claimed the singles title by defeating Kazakhstan’s Sofia Churkina in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. In the girls’ doubles final, she teamed up with Lithuanian partner Ona Kildesit to triumph over the Kazakh duo of Vlada Chakushina and Sofia Churkina, dominating the match with a decisive 6-1, 6-0 victory.  In the boys’ singles, India’s Hirish Patel emerged victorious, winning against Romania’s David Raducan with a flawless score of 6-0, 6-0.  Tariq Zainal, Secretary-General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel, and Badminton Federation, expressed pride in Dana Khalifa’s achievements. “We are immensely proud of Dana Khalifa for winning both the singles and doubles titles in this tournament, which gathered the top junior players from Asia. We look forward to seeing more of our players on regional and international podiums,” he stated during the award ceremony.  Zainal emphasised that these results signify a notable success for Qatari tennis and serve as motivation to continue enhancing the skills of both male and female players. He assured that the federation will spare no effort in providing robust support to its national teams  

Al Athba secures fourth spot at ISSF World Cup Finals

New Delhi: Qatari Olympian Rashid Saleh Al Athba showcased an impressive performance in the Men’s Skeet event at the ISSF World Cup Finals in New Delhi, India, finishing just short of a podium finish yesterday. Despite advancing to the star-studded final after a grueling shoot-off of 22 targets with Italy’s Tammaro Cassandro, Al Athba was unable to maintain the same momentum from the qualifying round and missed the medals by one shot. Al Athba scored 34 out of 40 as he finished fourth behind India’s Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, who clinched the bronze. Meanwhile, Cassandro and his compatriot Gabriele Rossetti demonstrated exceptional shooting. However, Cassandro – the Paris Olympics silver winner prevailed in the gold medal clash, missing only three targets out of 60, while Rosetti missed four, settling for a score of 56 to secure the silver medal. Interestingly, Paris Games gold medallist Connor Prince of the US, and bronze winner Lee Meng-yuan of Chinese Taipei, both failed to qualify for the final round yesterday. The ISSF World Cup Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun Finals are open only to recent medalists at the Olympic Games or World Championship, ISSF World Cup Final title holders, and top eight performers in World Cup events throughout the year.

QOC organizes a heath awareness event for employees

DOHA -The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), represented by the Human Resources and Administrative Affairs Department, in collaboration with Al Koot Insurance & Reinsurance Company, organized a health awareness event for employees  at the QOC Headquarter on Wednesday. The event offered employees medical check-ups and consultations in a range of specialties, including internal medicine, general practice, dentistry, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, dermatology, nutrition, ENT (ear, nose, and throat), and physiotherapy, all under the guidance of experienced medical professionals and specialists. The event saw strong participation from officials and employees across the QOC's departments, sections, and units, as well as representatives from various sports federations. This initiative underscores the QOC 's commitment to promoting awareness of public health, disease prevention, and encouraging healthier lifestyles among its employees.