Qatar Olympic Committee participates in the Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly Meetings

New Delhi - The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) participated in the 44th Elective General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which was held today in the Indian capital, New Delhi. The QOC delegation to the meeting was headed by the First Vice President of the QOC, H.E. Mohamed bin Yousef Al Mana, along with H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al-Kuwari, Second Vice President of the QOC and OCA Vice President for West Asia, H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, QOC Secretary General and Vice President of the OCA for the 2030 Doha Asian Games, Sheikha Asma Bint Thani Al Thani, Director of the Marketing and International Cooperation Sector of the QOC, and Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Sector of the QOC. During the meeting, the final  report of Hangzhou Asian Games was presented and the  topics on the agenda were discussed, aiming to strengthen joint Asian efforts in the field of sports and enhancing the Asian Olympic movement. At the General assembly H.E Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al-Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee was elected as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Vice President for West Asia. Additionally, H.E Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, was appointed as the Olympic Council of Asia Vice President for 2030 Asian Games.  Meanwhile, Sheikha Asma Bint Thani Al Thani, Director of Marketing and International Cooperation Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee, was appointed Vice Chair of the Gender Equality Committee at the Olympic Council of Asia.

Team Qatar to take on Kuwait in Asian Men's Youth Handball Championship

AMMAN  - The Qatar youth handball team is preparing for a crucial match against Kuwait on Monday, in the second game of the second round of the 10th Asian Championship, currently taking place in the Jordanian capital, Amman.  The tournament runs until September 14 and serves as a qualifier for the 2025 Junior World Championship in Slovenia. The Qatar youth handball team secured a victory in their first match last Monday, defeating the UAE with a score of 31-21. However, they lost their second match against Saudi Arabia last Thursday, with a score of 26-43, and also fell to Japan in their third match with a score of 39-20. A total of 13 teams are participating in the tournament, divided into four groups. Group A includes South Korea, Bahrain, and Iraq; Group B includes Jordan, Japan, and India; Group C includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE; and Group D includes Iran, Kuwait, Chinese Taipei, and China.  

Arshad finishes seventh in 800m at Paralympics

DOHA - Qatar’s Ali Arshad finished seventh in the 800m wheelchair race (T34 category) at the Paralympic Games in Paris on Saturday. He clocked a time of 1:41.84 seconds in a high-quality field. World record holder Austin Smeenk of Canada won gold. At his third Paralympics, it was Smeenk’s first career gold medal and second at these Games. He had earlier secured a bronze in the 100m event.  Smeenk clocked 1:39.27 seconds for the win, with Chaiwat Rattana of Thailand taking silver in 1:39.48 and Rheed McCracken of Australia claiming bronze in 1:40.13. Arshad, competing in his maiden Paralympics, had qualified for the final on Friday with a new personal best of 1:40.36 seconds. However, in the final, he could not improve on his performance and had to be content with seventh place. The 20-year-old was pleased with his performance in the 800m, especially after taking sixth place in the 100m earlier this week, noting that the competition was very strong during the race. “Every race I participate in is an opportunity to improve my performance and gain more experience, and this result will motivate me to put in more effort in my next participation so that I can climb the podium.  I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the technical, medical, and administrative teams working at the Qatar Paralympic Federation for their continuous support throughout my career,” Arshad said. Dr Hassan al-Ansari, Secretary-General of the Qatar Federation for People with Special Needs and head of the delegation, expressed his pride in Arshad’s results. Al-Ansari stressed that Arshad had shown great levels during the two races, indicating that he has an innate talent and great potential that qualifies him to achieve more successes in future editions of the Paralympic Games.  He added that Arshad’s achievement of these positive results demonstrates his commitment and insistence on providing the best to raise the flag of Qatar in international forums. “We in the Qatari delegation believe that this experience will enhance Ali Arshad’s self-confidence and push him to work harder to achieve more successes in the future. We will continue to support him and all our athletes in order to achieve more successes,” al-Ansari added. Qatar’s other athlete at the Paralympics, Sarah Masoud, finished ninth in the women’s shot put final on Wednesday. The 2016 Rio Games silver medallist, who threw 5.3m in the event, was disappointed with her performance but vowed to bounce back strongly.  “Of course, I was expecting a better result, but it was a very strong field. I will continue to work hard and will return to competitions stronger after overcoming my shortcomings,” she said after the final.  

Team Qatar duo advance to Arab Beach Volleyball Championship quarterfinals

TUNISIA - Qatar's first beach volleyball team, consisting of the duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, qualified for the quarterfinals of 2024 Arab Beach Volleyball Championship, which is currently being held in  Tunisia. The Qatari duo booked their spot in the last eight stage  on Saturday , after defeating Libyan counterparts, Mohammed Al-Asaikri and Salah El-Deen Abdulmalek 2-0 to lead  the group A. Meanwhile, the second Qatari duo, consisting of  Tarek Abdulhafez and Noor Osthman suffered  a 2-0 defeat  in two games against hosts Tunisia and Morocco in group B.  

Qatar finishes runner-up in Gulf Basketball Championship Final

MANAMA  - The Qatari national team finished runner-up in the 17th Gulf Men's Basketball Championship after losing to Bahrain 68-73 in the final on Saturday. The match results were 19-16, 39-30, 62-46, 73-68 for Bahrain. Team Qatar failed to win the 7 titles in the championship, while the Bahraini team claimed their first title. The Gulf Basketball Championship was launched in 1981, and Kuwait won the first title. The latest edition was held in 2019, when Saudi Arabia won their fourth title.   

Arshad qualifies for 800m final at Paris Paralympics

DOHA - Qatar’s Ali Arshad qualified for the final of the 800m wheelchair race in the T34 category at the Paris Paralympic Games on Friday. At the Stade de France, Arshad set a new personal best in the first round, finishing with a time of 1:40.36 secs. He was placed third in his heat, behind China’s Wang Yang, who set a new Paralympic record with a time of 1:38.57, and Thailand’s Chaiwat Ratana, who came in second with a time of 1:38.61. The final is scheduled for 11am today, where Arshad will aim for his first Paralympic medal after finishing sixth in the 100m wheelchair race last Monday. Arshad has a history of significant achievements, including a bronze medal in the 100m wheelchair race at the Asian Games in Hangzhou 2022 and a fourth-place finish in the 400m wheelchair race at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, earlier this year. He also secured a silver medal in the 100m race and bronze medals in the 200m and 400m races at the 3rd West Asian Paralympic Games in Bahrain 2022. Most recently, at the West Asian Games in Sharjah 2024, he won silver medals in the 400m and 800m races and a bronze in the 100m race. After qualifying for the 800m final, Arshad expressed his happiness at reaching this stage and the opportunity to compete for a Paralympic medal. He attributed his success to the dedication of the technical, medical, and administrative staff supporting the Qatari team. Reflecting on his experience in the 100m race, where he finished sixth, Arshad said, “The 100m race was a big test for me, and although I came in sixth, the experience gave me more confidence and allowed me to improve my strategy. I can now apply what I learned in today’s final.” He added, “The 800m race is a completely different challenge, requiring greater endurance. I’ve worked intensively with my coaching staff to fine-tune the small details that could make a difference at this level of competition. I hope to give my best and win a medal.”