QHA announces Team Qatar squad for 2025 World Handball Championships

DOHA: The Qatar Handball Association (QHA) yesterday named 22-player squad for the upcoming Word Handball Championship to take place in Croatia, Denmark and Norway from January 14 to February 02, 2025.  Qatar squad:  Youssef Benali, Ameen Zakkar, Eldar Memisevic, Abdulrahman Tariq, Mostafa Heiba, Ahmed Madadai, Rafael Capote, Bilal Lepenica, Allaedine Berrached, Ameen Nouraddin, Hamadi Ayad, Wajdi Sanan, Irhad Alihodzic, Anis Zouaoui, Nedal Essa, Amir Nouraldin, Abdulrazaq Murad, Zarko Markovic, Marwan Ali Sassi, Yassine Sami and Ibrahim Ebaid. Qatar handball team have been placed in tough Group C of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship facing reigning Olympic champions France, Austria and Kuwait in the first stage.  Qatar’s matches will take place in Porec, Croatia. The 32 sides, which were divided into four pots of eight teams each, were drawn starting from Pot 4 to Pot 1, with eight groups set for the preliminary round of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, as the top three teams in each group progress to the main round. Group A: Germany, Czechia, Poland, Switzerland Group B: Denmark, Italy, Algeria, Tunisia Group C: France, Austria, Qatar, Kuwait Group D: Hungary, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Guinea Group E: Norway, Portugal, Brazil, United States of America Group F: Sweden, Spain, Japan, Chile Group G: Slovenia, Iceland, Cuba, Cape Verde Group H: Egypt, Croatia, Argentina, Bahrain.  

Chinese Taipei edges out Team Qatar at Asian Junior Handball Championship

Amman: The Qatari handball team suffered a 34-39 defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei on Tuesday  in the game for  9th place to 13th place of the 18th Asian Men's Junior (U21) Handball Championship, which is taking place in Amman, Jordan, and runs until June 25. Tuesday’s defeat was team Qatar’s second  setback in this championship, after losing to China 31-36 and secured two victories against Hong Kong 46-19 and got better of India 50-36. This Asian Men’s Junior U21 Handball Championship is  serving as a qualifier for the 2025 World Championship in Poland.  

HH the Amir Participates in 142nd IOC Session

Paris, (QNA) - HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), participated on Tuesday morning in the 142nd IOC Session under the chairmanship of HE President of the IOC Dr. Thomas Bach and in the presence of members of the Olympic Executive Office, members of the IOC, and heads of international federations and national Olympic committees at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France. HE President of the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani also participated in the meeting. The meeting discussed the topics on its agenda and took appropriate decisions regarding them. The attendees also discussed a number of regional and international sports issues related to the development and organization of Olympic events. (QNA)

Qatar's Youth Volleyball Team to meet Chinese Taipei in Asian Championship

Surabaya (Indonesia): The Qatari youth team will meet the Chinese Taipei team on Tuesday, in their first match in Group B of the 22nd edition of the Asian U-20 Volleyball Championship, which will begin on Tuesday in Indonesia. Group B also includes Iran, the defending champions and China, which won the title in 4 editions. The Qatari national team will play their second match in the group stage against the Chinese national team on July 24 and will conclude their matches by meeting the Iranian national team on the 25th of the same month. 16 teams are participating in the tournament, divided into 4 groups. Group A includes the teams of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia, and Hong Kong, Group C includes the teams of India, Bangladesh, Japan, and Kuwait, and Group D includes the teams of South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. 

Qatar to take on Chinese Taipei in Asian Junior Handball Championship

Amman: The Qatari handball team will take on Chinese Taipei, on Tuesday, in their final match at the placement rounds of the 18th Asian Men's Junior (U-21) Handball Championship, currently held in Amman, Jordan. The tournament will run until Thursday, serving as a qualifier for the 2025 World Championship in Poland. The top four teams will qualify for the 2025 World Championship in Poland. The Qatari national team won the Asian Men's Junior (U-21) Handball Championship five times in 1994, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.   

Abakar finishes third in 400m hurdles

London: Qatar’s high jump Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim made a last-minute withdrawal at yesterday’s London Diamond League, while Ismail Doudai Abakar smashed his lifetime best by almost a second to finish third in 47.72 secs in 400m hurdles. With one eye on the Paris Games, Barshim, who famously shared Tokyo gold with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, decided not to jump due to lack of space on the runway at London Stadium. Later, Barshim – who has struggled with injuries this season – admitted that he did not want to take a risk with Olympics round the corner. “I didn’t jump, unfortunately. I’m disappointed,” Barshim said yesterday. “There was no space; it was a technical mistake I think from the organisers and it was very tight. So, when I tried to set up my run-up to jump, it was impossible. There was no place to do it. “I’ve been jumping officially for about 15 years. This is only the second time in my career that something like this has happened. Of course, I’m frustrated, not only for myself but also for everyone who came out there to support me. I feel bad because I don’t like letting people down. I’m not injured; I wanted to come here and perform at my best. But, as I said, things happen. It’s frustrating, but we move forward. We have the Olympics soon, so I’m looking forward to that,” the 33-year-old. In Barshim’s absence, World indoor champion Hamish Kerr won event with 2.30m jump. Last week, Barshim had won in Heilbronn, Germany with a leap of 2.31 metres, equalling his season’s best as eyes another Olympic podium finish in Paris. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Abakar sprang a surprise with a stunning show. Starting in lane 8, Abakar finished third behind Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos, who was a convincing winner in 47.18. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke produced a season’s best of 47.63 to take second. “That was a huge personal best for me so I am very excited now for Paris,” an elated Abakar said later. “I knew I could do it and now I can go there and I really feel I can get to the final. To take this much off my personal puts me really in the right place for the Olympics.”