Team Qatar gear up for crucial World Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan

DOHA - Qatar players take part in team’s training session at Aspire training pitch as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Kyrgyzstan to be played at the Al Thumama Stadium on Thursday.  The national team’s training camp began on Friday, following head coach Marquez Lopez’s announcement of a 27-man squad for the upcoming matches, which also include a crucial encounter against Iran in Mashhad on October 15.  The two-time Asian champions aim to secure maximum points from these fixtures, having previously suffered a loss to the United Arab Emirates and drawn with North Korea in their opening Group A matches.

Competition heats up on day two of WTT Feeder Doha 2024

Doha: The WTT Feeder Doha 2024 tournament saw another day of exciting and intense competition at Lusail Sports Arena. The event, which is part of the World Table Tennis (WTT) series, features 115 players from 40 countries and will run until Sunday, October 6.  Day two of the tournament showcased high-level matches across multiple categories. In the men’s and women’s singles round of 32, 16 male and 16 female players secured their places in the round of 16, scheduled for tomorrow. Among the standout performances, India’s Amalraj Anthony claimed a 3-1 victory over Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck, while Taiwan’s Tseng Tzu-Yu triumphed in a hard-fought 3-2 match against China’s Tang Yiran.  The WTT Feeder Doha 2024 tournament will continue tomorrow, with the men’s and women’s singles round of 16 and quarterfinals, as well as the men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles quarterfinals.   Participants in the tournament are competing across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories for both men and women, with five divisions in total. The prize pool for the event amounts to $22,500.  Hosted by the Qatar Table Tennis Association, this edition marks the second consecutive year of the tournament in Doha. Following the WTT Feeder Doha 2024, Qatar will also host the WTT Youth Star Contender from October 8 to 12, featuring 120 players from 40 countries.  These tournaments serve as vital preparation for the upcoming World Table Tennis Championships (Doha 2025), which will take place next year in Qatar for the second time, following the country’s successful hosting of the event in 2004.  

Elias to face Asal in Qatar Classic final

Doha: World Champion Diego Elias has reached the final of the QTerminals Qatar Classic for the third time after a sensational performance from the Peruvian saw him upset World No.1 Ali Farag at Doha’s Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.    Elias has often come unstuck against Farag and had only won five of their previous 29 matches, with Farag getting the better of him at the CIB Egyptian Open and Paris Squash already this season.   That match in Paris was an epic battle totalling 95 minutes, but Elias was sublime in today’s clash at the Platinum-level tournament as he stormed to an 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 victory after just 40 minutes of action. Elias’s opponent in the final will be World No.2 Mostafa Asal in a repeat of last season’s PSA Men’s World Championship final. They will meet for the 14th time on the PSA Squash Tour, with Asal winning nine of their previous matches.   Asal came from behind to beat Welshman Joel Makin, triumphing by a 5-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 scoreline to extend his winning run to 14 matches. The Egyptian is looking to win three PSA Squash Tour titles in a row for the first time in his career.   A new name will be etched on the women’s trophy tomorrow evening after World No.1 Nour El Sherbini and World No.2 Nouran Gohar booked their spots in the title decider. It will be the ninth major final the pair have contested in 2024, with four wins apiece so far.    El Sherbini booked her spot in the final of this tournament for the third time after she ended World No.3 Hania El Hammamy’s title defence. El Sherbini lost out to El Hammamy in five games in the 2023 title decider, but she avenged that defeat today with a 10-12, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 victory after 83 enthralling minutes. She has now become just the second woman after Malaysian legend Nicol David to reach three successive Qatar Classic finals.  World No.2 Gohar has reached the Qatar Classic final for the first time after she overcame USA’s No.1 Olivia Weaver, coming back from 8-2 down in the third game in the process. Weaver looked on the verge of leading by two games to one, but her rhythm was halted after she caught Gohar on the bridge of the nose with her racket, meaning the Egyptian left the court to get some treatment.   Upon her return to court, the World No.2 promptly won nine of the next 10 points to stop Weaver’s comeback in its tracks. From there, Gohar was never relinquishing her lead again and she pressed on in the fourth game to seal the win.   Gohar will play El Sherbini for the 37th time on the PSA Squash Tour. El Sherbini currently has the better of their head-to-head record, with 24 wins to Gohar’s 12  

Elias beats Momen to set up enticing semis with Farag

Reigning World Champion Diego Elias earned his place in the semi-finals of the 2024 QTerminals Qatar Classic after getting the better of former World Champion Tarek Momen at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Thursday. Elias, the 2021 Qatar Classic winner, has struggled against Momen in the past, winning just five of their previous 18 matches on the PSA Squash Tour. It was their second meeting of the season after Momen had retired injured during their match at September’s CIB Egyptian Open, and Elias came through to seal an 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4 victory in Qatar today. Elias will play World No 1 Ali Farag for a place in the final, two weeks after their epic 95-minute battle in the last four of Paris Squash. Earlier, World No 9 Joel Makin reached the semi-finals in Qatar for the third time after battling past Egypt’s Fares Dessouky to set up a match with either Mostafa Asal or Karim Abdel Gawad. The World No 17 made a fast start as he took a 4-1 lead, but Makin soon reeled him in, taking 10 of the next 11 points on offer to go ahead. The second game saw Makin double his lead, but Dessouky came alive in the third. He began to hunt the front corners more often and used his impressive racket skills to halve the deficit. Makin remained calm though and went toe-to-toe with Dessouky as he ground out an 11-8 win in the fourth to earn his spot in the last four. Ali Farag navigated a tricky quarter-final against Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller in the day’s first men’s match winning 14-12, 11-5, 11-6. Farag, a Qatar Classic champion in 2018, 2020 and 2023, almost fell victim to an explosive first game from Mueller, who was appearing in his first Platinum quarter-final in over two years. After Farag took the second game, there was no let up for Mueller as he continued to be moved into all four corners of the court, and the pressure soon told as the No.1 seed closed out the win to avoid a giant-killing. He will play Elias next. World No 2 Mostafa Asal made it 13 wins on the bounce after he defeated former World No 1 Karim Abdel Gawad in the last quarter-final match winning 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7. Weaver wins 5-game thrillerOlivia Weaver battled through to semi-finals of the QTerminals Qatar Classic for the first time with a fighting win over Belgium’s Nele Coll. Weaver hadn’t beaten Coll in their five previous matches, but managed to outlast her today in a thrilling 72-minute clash to earn an 11-8, 2-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6 victory. World Champion Nouran Gohar got the better of World Junior Champion Amina Orfi to reach the semi-finals of QTerminals Qatar Classic for the first time. Gohar, who at 27 is 10 years Orfi’s senior, started the better of the two as she varied the pace of her hitting and always put Orfi under pressure, particularly in the back corners. After taking the opening game, an improved Orfi started to push Gohar back a bit, but Gohar still had the edge in the accuracy department to double her advantage.  

SOP to begin on October 8

Doha: The 18th edition of the School Olympic Program (SOP) is set to begin in Doha on October 8, 2024. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) headquarters, attended by the Chairman and members of the Organising Committee. H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Chairman of the SOP Organising Committee, stressed that the previous edition included 18 sports for boys and 16 sports for girls. He also praised the Qatar Olympic Committee, under the leadership of H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, for its pivotal role in supporting the program's success. Sheikh Khalifa emphasized that the SOP has become a key platform for identifying talented athletes in the country. 

ITTF officials inspect Lusail Hall ahead of 2025 Qatar TT Worlds

Doha: The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) officials on Thursday inspected the Lusail Sports Hall which will stage the Qatar World Table Tennis Championships in May 2025.   On the other hand, Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, the Qatar Table Tennis Association, and the ITTF signed a tripartite agreement on Thursday under which Aspetar will provide comprehensive medical and sports medicine services for the World Table Tennis Championships, to be held in Qatar in May 2025.   The agreement was signed on behalf of Aspetar by Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Operating Officer; Khalil Al Mohannadi, President of the Qatar Table Tennis Association; and Dr. Alaa Meshref, Deputy President of the International Table Tennis Federation, in the presence of ITTF Secretary-General Raul Calin, QTTA Secretary-General Mohammed Al Saleh, and Aspetar officials. This cooperation reflects Aspetar’s ongoing commitment to supporting major sporting events and ensuring the safety of athletes worldwide.   In addition to providing medical support services for the championship, Aspetar will also host the 17th ITTF Scientific Congress in Doha, a major event that will bring together leading experts in sports science to discuss the latest developments and practices in sports medicine.   Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Operating Officer at Aspetar, said, “We at Aspetar are proud to partner with the International Table Tennis Federation to provide world-class medical care for the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships. Our team of distinguished experts is committed to providing the highest level of care to all participants, from athletes to spectators. We are confident that our expertise will contribute to the success of this prestigious event.   “Aspetar’s cooperation with the International Federation also extends to the scientific aspect, where Aspetar and its partners will organise a scientific conference on the sidelines of the tournament, aiming to add scientific value and share expertise in the latest scientific developments in the field of sports medicine and sports science.”   For his part, Khalil Al Mohannadi, President of the Qatar Table Tennis Association, said, “Aspetar, with its exceptional facilities and global expertise, has been an invaluable partner in our various tournaments. Qatar has become a hub for sporting excellence. We are delighted to welcome the world to Doha for the Table Tennis World Championships. The ITTF’s confidence in our ability to host a successful event is truly inspiring.”   Dr. Alaa Meshref, Deputy President of the International Federation, expressed his happiness with this partnership, saying, “Aspetar has a well-earned reputation as a leading hospital in the field of sports medicine, and we are excited to benefit from its expertise in ensuring the health and safety of our athletes. Through our cooperation with Aspetar, we demonstrate our commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants.”   The 2025 World Table Tennis Championships will be held in Doha from May 17 to 25, 2025, at the modern Lusail Sports Arena. This prestigious event will feature the world’s best table tennis players competing for the ultimate prize in the sport.