HH the Amir Attends Opening of Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris (QNA) - HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attended Friday evening the opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024, which was held at the Trocadero Square in the French capital, Paris. HH the Amir also witnessed the sports participating delegations carried on boats on the Seine, including the Qatari delegation participating in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Composed of 14 athletes, the Qatari delegation will compete in five sports, namely athletics, volleyball, shooting, weightlifting and swimming. (QNA)

Paris Olympic Games begin with sprawling opening ceremony on the River Seine

Paris: The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games began yesterday with an official ceremony on the Seine. The opening ceremony, which was held for the first time outside the stadium, began with a video clip of French actor Jamel Debbouze and former French footballer Zinedine Zidane at the Stade de France. 6,800 athletes from 205 countries, transported on 85 boats in front of historical landmarks in the capital, Paris, participated in the opening that lasted three hours and 45 minutes. The ceremony was witnessed by 320,000 spectators from specially built stands on the banks of the river, and about 200,000 from the balconies of neighboring buildings. The first boat included the Greek delegation, which is considered the cradle of ancient and modern games and hosted the first edition of the Olympics in 1896, followed by a boat carrying the Olympic refugee team, before being followed by boats of other delegations at the beginning of a celebration in which the famous American singer Lady Gaga participated. Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim raised the flag of the State of Qatar at the opening ceremony alongside athlete Shahd Mohammed, noting that 14 male and female athletes represent Qatar in this version of the Olympics, participating in five different sports. Champion Mutaz Barshim expressed his happiness to carry the flag of Qatar at the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, stressing that it is a moment for history as this is the first time he is present at the opening ceremony. The Qatari Olympic champion said, in remarks, that the atmosphere was wonderful at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which was held for the first time outside the stadium on the Seine in Paris, where the athletes were on boats, expressing his hope that the Qatari sports mission will be successful in the Olympic Games during its participation in the current session, as everyone is looking forward to achieving the best results and honoring the State of Qatar in this sporting event. The Arab delegations participated in the opening ceremony, where the flags of these countries were carried by Palestine's Wassim Abu Sal (boxing) and Valerie Terzi (swimming), Algeria's Amina Belkadi (judo) and Yasser Triki (athletics), Saudi Arabia's Dunya Abu Taleb (taekwondo) and Ramzi Al-Dahami (equestrian), Kuwait's Suad Al-Faqan (rowing) and Yousef Al-Shamlan (fencing), Bahrain's Amani Al-Obaidli (swimming) and Saud Ghali (swimming), Egypt's Sara Ahmed Samir (weightlifting) and Ahmed Al-Jundi (modern pentathlon), UAE's Omar Abdulaziz Al-Marzouqi (equestrian) and Safia Al-Sayegh (cycling), Iraq's Ali Ammar (weightlifting), Jordan's Rama Abu Al-Rab (taekwondo) and Saleh Al-Sharbaty (taekwondo), Lebanon's Letitia Aoun (taekwondo) and Simon Al-Duwaihi (swimming), Libya's Malak Al-Mukhtar (swimming) and Mohamed Bakra (rowing), Morocco's Ines Laqlalesh (golf) and Yassin Al-Rahmouni (Equestrian), Mauritania's Salam Bouha (Athletics) and Kamel Ould Douh (Swimming), Oman's Mazoon Al-Alawi (Athletics) and Ali Al-Balushi (Athletics), Sudan's Yassin Abdullah (Athletics) and Rana Saadeddin (Swimming), Syria's Omar Hamsho (Equestrian) and Alissar Youssef (Athletics), Tunisia's Salim Al-Jumai (Canoe Slalom) and Khadija Al-Karimi (Rowing), Yemen's Samir Al-Yafei (Athletics), Somalia Hassan Ali Idowu (Athletics), Djibouti's Samia Hassan Nour (Athletics) and Ismail Mohamed (Athletics), and Comoros' Hashim Maroufou (Athletics) and Maisha Saadi (Swimming).

Team Qatar to participate in GCC Youth Basketball Championship in Kuwait

Doha: The Qatari national basketball team will leave for Kuwait on Saturday, to participate in the GCC Youth Basketball Championship under 18 years, which will be held from July 29 to August 2 at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Complex Hall. The championship brings together five teams including Qatar, the host country Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, and Bahrain. The Qatari team will start their journey in the championship by facing Kuwait next Tuesday, then face the Saudi Arabia on July 31, before concluding their matches by facing Bahrain on August 2. The champion and runner-up of this edition of the GCC Championship will qualify for the Asian Cup finals to be held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, from September 2 to 9.   

Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony to be held Friday

Paris: The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be officially launched on Friday with the first ever opening ceremony to be held outside a stadium.  The 26 July celebration will transform the French capital into a stadium and theatre as the traditional parade of athletes takes place in boats along the Seine, passing the most iconic Parisian landmarks. The Seine, the city’s main water artery, will substitute for the traditional track, the quays will become spectator stands, while the setting sun reflecting off famous Parisian landmarks will provide the backdrop for the event. This outdoor concept also makes Paris 2024 the largest Opening Ceremony in terms of audience and geographical coverage. Barshim along with Qatar’s short-distance sprinter Shahad Mohammed will be carrying Qatar’s national flag during the opening ceremony of 2024 Olympics at River Seine. A total of fourteen Qatar athletes will be competing in five disciplines – athletics, volleyball, shooting, weightlifting and swimming at the 2024 Games, which run from 26th July to 11th August. The list of team Qatar athletes includes: Mutaz Essa Barshim, Abderrahman Samba, Abubaker Haydar, Bassem Hemeida, Ismail Dawood, Ammar Ismail, Saif Mohammed, and Shahad Mohammed in athletics; Saeed Abu Sharab and Rashid Saleh Al Athba in shooting; Fares Ibrahim in weightlifting; Cherif  Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in beach volleyball; in addition to Abdulaziz Al Obaidly in swimming.  

Team Qatar stars eye Glory at Paris 2024 Olympics

PARIS – Team Qatar stars, Shahad Mohammed, Bassem Hemeida, Ismail Dawood and Ammar Ismail  arrived on Wednesday at the Olympic Village in French capital city of Paris ahead of their participation in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games. Team Qatar stars all set to produce  high note performance hopefully to seal good results.  Team Qatar will be competing in five sport disciplines , athletics, volleyball, shooting, weightlifting and  swimming  in the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will run from 26th July to 11th August, 2024. The list of team Qatar athletes includes: Mutaz Essa Barshim, Abderrahman Samba, Abubaker Haydar, Bassem Hemeida, Ismail Dawood, Ammar Ismail, Saif Mohammed, and Shahad Mohammed in athletics; Saeed Abu Sharab and Rashid Saleh Al-Athba in shooting; Fares Ibrahim in weightlifting; Sherif Younis and Ahmed Tijan in beach volleyball; in addition to Abdulaziz Al-Obaidly in swimming. In Paris 2024 Olympics, Qatar athletics hopes are big  on  their world  high jump champion  Mutaz Essa Barshim to end  his Olympic fairy tale record  with a great achievement. Barshim will be defending his Olympic title that  he achieved in Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after shared top spot with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi. Barshim has added the Olympic gold medal to his haul after winning  silver medal at London 2012 Olympics and the silver medal of Rio 2016 Olympics.  Team Qatar high jump superstar , Mutaz Barshim will share the honor with Qatar’s short-distance sprinter, Shahad Mohammed in  raising  up  the Qatar’s national flag during  the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics bronze winners, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will take on Italians Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava in their opening Pool A match at the Paris 2024 Games on July 27 to be held at the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower. With outpouring of hope and hard work , team Qatar’s shooters  , Saeed Abu Sharab ,  Rashid Saleh Al-Athba and Qatar’s swimmer Abdulaziz Al-Obaidly are aiming  to push the limits and to bring glory their country.  

Sheikh Joaan meets Qatar athletes at Olympic Village

Paris- His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, visited the Qatari delegation at the Olympic Village in Paris on Thursday, where he met with Team Qatar athletes and urged them to give their best at the 2024 Olympics. His Excellency also toured the Qatari delegation’s building, reviewing the workflow and procedures undertaken by the Qatari administrative delegation. He praised their ongoing efforts to facilitate the participation of Team Qatar during the Olympic Games. Accompanying His Excellency Sheikh Joaan during the visit were HE Dr. Thani Al Kuwari, the Second-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Secretary-General Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain. HE Sheikh Joaan was received by Mohammed Al Musnad, Team Qatar Chef de Mission, Meshaal Al Nasr, President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association; Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association; and members of team Qatar delegation.