Qatar U18 Basketball Team Bow Out of FIBA U18 Asia Cup After Narrow Defeat to Japan

New Delhi:  Qatar’s U18 national basketball team saw their FIBA U18 Asia Cup campaign come to an end after a narrow 80–75 defeat to Japan in the qualification playoff for the quarterfinals in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.Qatar produced one of their strongest performances of the tournament and remained in contention until the closing stages, but Japan prevailed by five points to secure a place in the quarterfinals.Japan made the stronger start and took the opening quarter 20–13. Qatar responded well in the second period, improving defensively and showing greater organization in attack to win the quarter 22–18 and reduce the deficit to three points at halftime.The Qatari team maintained their momentum after the break, taking the third quarter 20–17 as they continued to put pressure on Japan and kept the contest finely balanced heading into the final period.With the match on the line, Japan proved more clinical in the decisive moments, winning the fourth quarter 25–20 to seal an 80–75 victory and advance to the last eight.Qatar captain Abdullah Yassin Mousa delivered an outstanding individual performance, scoring a game-high 46 points, while Kaiman Tsunioka led Japan with 19 points.Qatar reached the qualification playoff after finishing third in Group C with four points. They began their campaign with a 94–69 defeat to Iran and lost 118–66 to China before bouncing back with an emphatic 90–43 victory over Sri Lanka.The national squad featured Abdullah Yassin Mousa, Azzam Mohammed Yaken, Tamim Ashraf Abouissa, Ziad Al Bitar, Moaz Omar Mousa, Ziad Tamer Al Johari, Mohammed Saeed Badri, Mahmoud Tamer Ibrahim, Amer Ibrahim Mousa, Owen Ikina, Youssef Walid Abdelqader, and Shahi Mohammed.The tournament provided Qatar’s young players with valuable continental experience against some of Asia’s leading basketball nations, including Iran, China, and Japan.The team was led by Algerian head coach Mounir Ben Ghalla, assisted by Hashem Zaidan, while Kenan was responsible for physical preparation and Seif Al Din Al Hamandi oversaw medical and rehabilitation duties. The delegation was headed by Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams.The FIBA U18 Asia Cup also serves as a qualifier for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027 in Pardubice, Czech Republic, with the four semifinalists earning qualification for the global tournament. 

Team Qatar Open FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship Campaign with Defeat to Venezuela

Doha: Qatar’s U17 volleyball team began their campaign at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship – Doha 2026 with a 3–0 defeat to Venezuela on Wednesday at Aspire Sports Hall.Venezuela won the Pool A encounter 25–16, 25–16, 25–23, with Qatar producing their strongest performance in a closely contested third set.Team Qatar will face France in their second group-stage match on Friday, August 21, before concluding the preliminary round against Tunisia on Sunday, August 23. All three of Qatar’s matches will be played at the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall.Ismail Al Shaib, Team Manager of Qatar’s U17 national team, said hosting the championship provides the players with an important opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading teams, while noting Qatar’s extensive experience in organizing major international sporting events.Al Shaib described the opening match against Venezuela as a difficult test, particularly as the Qatari players were making their first appearance at a world championship. He noted that the team improved as the match progressed and produced a more competitive display in the third set, which Venezuela narrowly won.“We approach every match in this championship as if it were a final, and we aim to give our best in every encounter, especially as the tournament brings together some of the strongest teams in the world,” Al Shaib said.Looking ahead to the match against France, Al Shaib acknowledged the challenge posed by one of the world’s strong teams and said the technical and administrative staff would work to prepare the players in the best possible way to deliver a strong performance.He added that Qatar’s participation is not solely focused on results, but also on identifying promising players who could progress to the senior national team in the future. He stressed that the championship represents an important opportunity for the players to gain valuable experience at the highest international level.Elsewhere on the opening day, Poland defeated Argentina 3–0, Iran recorded a straight-sets victory over Algeria, Italy beat Romania 3–0, and Türkiye overcame Spain by the same scoreline. 

Qatar paddlers bag 20 medals at West Asian TT in Amman

Doha: Qatar claimed as many as 20 medals, including four gold, two silver and 14 bronze, at the West Asian Table Tennis Championships in Amman, Jordan.Hosted by the Jordanian Table Tennis Federation at the Sports Palace in Al Hussein Youth City, Amman, the eight-day tournament saw wide participation from players of Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain and the UAE.Abdulaziz Nasser Abdullah, Mohammed Abdulwahab and Abdullah Abdulwahab, Ahmed Al Qarni and Rawad Al Nasser, and the under-19 men’s team secured Qatar’s gold medals across singles, doubles and team events.Sultan Al Kuwari and the under-13 girls’ doubles pair of Serena Sheikh and Dana Al Kaabi won silver.Qatar also claimed 14 bronze medals across singles, doubles and team events.The results reflected the strong performances of the national teams across all age categories.Qatar Table Tennis Federation President Hamad Ahmed Al Hammadi praised the players for their performances and competitive spirit, saying the medal haul reflected the federation’s efforts to develop the sport and nurture young talent.“We are proud of what our players achieved at this championship not only because of the number of medals we won but also because of the high technical and competitive levels they demonstrated.“Their excellent spirit and keenness to represent Qatar in the best possible way, raised the Qatari flag high at this sporting event,” he said. 

Team Qatar Defeat Saudi Arabia in Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship Opener

Amman: Qatar’s U19 handball team defeated Saudi Arabia 30–22 in their opening Group B match at the Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship, currently taking place in the Jordanian capital, Amman, until August 31.Team Qatar produced a strong performance in their opening encounter to secure their first two points of the tournament and strengthen their chances of competing for the continental title.Qatar will face Kuwait on Friday in their second group-stage match before taking on Iran on Sunday. They will conclude the group stage against Syria on August 24.The Qatari team will be looking to build on their positive start and deliver strong performances in the remaining matches as they seek to continue Qatar handball’s strong presence on the Asian stage. 

Team Qatar’s Seifeldin Mohamed Sets New National Pole Vault Record at Sopot Athletics Meeting

Warsaw: Qatar national athletics team member Seifeldin Mohamed set a new national record in the pole vault at the Sopot athletics meeting in Poland on Friday.Seifeldin, who was named Asia’s Best U23 Athlete for 2025 by the Asian Athletics Association, cleared 5.90 metres, continuing his impressive run of breaking personal records and setting new marks at the Gulf and West Asian levels.Two weeks earlier, Seifeldin cleared 5.83 metres at an athletics meeting in Jockgrim, Germany, setting a new record and surpassing his previous best of 5.62 metres, achieved at the Arab Athletics Championships in Algeria last year.Seifeldin is among the Team Qatar athletes set to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan next month. 

Team Qatar to Face Saudi Arabia in Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship Opener

Amman:  Qatar’s U19 handball team will face Saudi Arabia on Thursday in their opening Group B match at the Asian Men’s U19 Handball Championship, which will be held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, from August 20 to 31.The tournament draw placed Qatar in Group B alongside Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, and Syria.Team Qatar will be aiming to start their campaign with a victory before facing Kuwait on Friday in their second group match. They will then take on Iran on Sunday before concluding the group stage against Syria on August 24.Head coach Khaled Hassan has selected an 18-player squad for the championship, comprising Rami Mahrous Azzouz, Youssef Ahmed, Youssef Emad Hussein, Alan Mohammed Al Mubarak, Moaz Hisham Mahfouz, Mohammed Abdelkhaleq Farhat, Abdullah Salah Hassan, Suhail Faisal Abubakr, Mohammed Hisham Khalil, Ahmed Mohammed Shaker, Moamen Abdo, Omar Tarek Fathi, Amanallah Al Farshishi, Ahmed Anas Khalil, Ahmed Tamer, Youssef Al Sayed Hussein, Abkar Mohammed Taher, and Yassin Abdulrahman.Qatar will be looking to deliver strong performances and compete for the continental title while continuing the strong presence of Qatari handball at regional and international competitions.