Saeed Abusharib to begin his campaign at Paris Olympics on Monday

Paris: Team Qatar star Saeed Abu Sharib will begin his campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Monday.  Saeed Abu Sharib bagged 2024 Paris Olympics quota place after winning silver in the men’s trap event at the Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon, South Korea. The other Qatari shooter Rashid Saleh Al Athba secured his place at the Paris 2024 Olympics after claiming bronze medal in the men’s skeet event at the ISSF World Shotgun Championships 2022 in Osijek, Croatia

Qatar to host UAE at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Opening Match of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Doha: The Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced that Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium will host Qatar's opening match against the UAE on September 5th in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The draw for the third round placed Qatar in Group A alongside Iran, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Kyrgyz Republic, and North Korea. Qatar, the 2023 AFC Asian Cup champions, will play their second qualifying match away against North Korea on September 10th. They will then host Kyrgyz Republic on October 10th, followed by an away match against Iran in Tehran on October 15th. Qatar will conclude the first round of group matches by hosting Uzbekistan in Doha on November 14th. Under the leadership of Spanish coach Bartolome Marquez Lopez, Qatar will begin the second round of matches with an away game against the UAE on November 19th. They will then host North Korea on March 20th, 2025, face Kyrgyz Republic on March 25th, host Iran on June 5th, and conclude the third round against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on June 10th. Qatar secured their place in the third and final round of the World Cup qualifiers and also qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia. They topped their group with 16 points from five wins and one draw, with victories over Afghanistan, India, and Kuwait, and a draw with Afghanistan. The top two teams from each of the three groups will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, securing six of the eight direct spots available to the Asian Football Confederation. The teams finishing third and fourth (six teams) will enter the Asian playoff, with matches played in a single round-robin format. The top team from each group will advance to the World Cup. The teams finishing second in the Asian playoff will face each other in a two-legged playoff to determine the team advancing to the intercontinental playoff. (QNA)

Qatar beach volleyball duo aim to keep up winning streak on Monday

Paris: Qatar's beach volleyball team (Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan) are aiming to keep up their winning streak in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 when facing Sweden (David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig) on Monday at the Eiffel Tower Stadium as part of the preliminary round. The team beat Italy (Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava) (2-0) on Saturday, scoring (21-19) in the first set and (21-18) in the second. Younousse and Tijan will play against Australia (Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher) in the third and final match within Pool A.   

Cherif, Ahmed off to a flying start as medal hunt begins

Paris: Qatar’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan began their Paris Olympic campaign on a winning note on Saturday, defeating World No.13 Italian pair of Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava in straight sets (21-19, 21-18) in their opening match. The Pool A match which took place at the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. Cheirf and Tijan, who three years ago clinched the country’s first medal in beach volleyball, will next take on world’s number one men’s pair, Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, in their second Pool A match on Sunday. They will meet Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher in their third and final Pool A match on August 1.

Sheikh Joaan visits UAE’s Olympic House

Paris – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani visited the United Arab Emirates Olympic House on the sidelines of the Paris Games on Saturday.  The QOC president and his accompanying delegation were received by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al-Nuaimi, vice-president of the United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee and Head of the UAE delegation at the Paris 2024 Olympics.  HE Sheikh Joaan toured UAE’s Olympic House, which features a wide range of activities. During his visit, Sheikh Joaan was accompanied by the QOC Second Vice-President Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman Al-Kuwari and the QOC Secretary-General Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also present on the occasion.  

Qatari Swimmer Abdulaziz Al Obaidly Concludes Olympic Campaign

PARIS , (QNA) - Qatari swimmer Abdulaziz Al Obaidly has concluded his participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after competing in the 100m breaststroke heats on Saturday. Al Obaidly recorded a time of 1:04.31 but did not qualify for the next round. In a statement, Al Obaidly expressed satisfaction with his performance against some of the world's best swimmers, emphasizing his determination to improve and reach higher levels in the future. President of the Qatar Swimming Association, Khalil Ibrahim Al Jaber, affirmed that Al Obaidly met expectations in the 100m breaststroke event. He highlighted plans to prepare Qatari swimmers for the 2026 Youth Olympics and the 2028 Olympic Games. Al Jaber regarded Qatar's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics as a significant achievement for the Qatari Swimming Association, reflecting the positive results achieved in recent regional and continental championships. He also noted that the selection of Abdulaziz Al Obaidly and international Qatari referee Jassim Abdullah to represent the swimming delegation at the Olympics is a testament to their capabilities.