Qatar’s Dawoud bags 110m hurdles gold at U-20 Asian Championship

Dubai: Qatar’s Omar Dawoud won gold in the 110m hurdles at the U-20 Asian Athletics Championship in Dubai on Friday. The tournament is held in the United Arab Emirates until April 27, 2024 with participation of 850 athletes from 34 nations. The new medal brings Qatar's tally to 4 medals including 3 gold medals and one silver medal.    

Al Jabir elected World Aquatics Member

Bangkok: President of the Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) Khaleel Ibrahim Al Jabir was elected as vice-president of the Asia Aquatics, member of the Asia Aquatics executive office and member of the World Aquatics for the period 2024-2029. This came during the meeting of the Asia Aquatics Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. Also, the meeting elected the Asia Aquatics executive office for the period 2024-2029, during which Kuwait's Sheikh Khalid Badr Mohammed Al-Sabah was elected as president of Asia Aquatics for a new term. For his part, Khalil Al Jabir affirmed that he and his colleagues will develop the Asia Aquatics and support the national federations in Asia. He thanked the Asia Aquatics members for their confidence granted to him.   

Skeet competitions at ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship begin

Doha: The Skeet Shooting competitions within ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship 2024 for shotgun for the 2024 Summer Olympics (Paris 2024) kicked off on Friday at Lusail Shooting Range. The qualification championship will conclude on Sunday with a record-breaking participation in the ISSF history with the number of male and female shooters reaching 433 representing 82 countries. The Friday's competitions were strong and impressive, with the participation of 207 shooters from both genders, 136 males and 71 females, competing to shoot 50 saucers during two rounds, with 25 saucers in each round. The US shooter Dania Vizzi ranked first with 49 saucers, alongside the Italian shooter Diana Bakosi. The championship technical director Abdullah Al Hammadi hailed the powerful competitions between Skeet shooters in the first day of the contest, highlighting that the global shooters performed well to have record-breaking numbers. Speaking to Qatar News Agency, Al Hammadi said the first round was powerful with over 20 male shooters and 10 female shooters winning the full mark with 25 saucers and hoped for the same pace of strong competitions for the Trap contest that witnessed numerous record-breaking achievements.   

Hosts Qatar go down fighting against Japan in extra time

Doha: Extra-time goals from Mao Hosoya and Kotaro Uchino ensured Japan squeezed past 10-man Qatar and into the semi-finals of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 with a 4-2 win over IlidioVale’s side at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday. Hosoya slipped the ball under substitute goalkeeper Ali Korayem to break Qatar’s resistance 11 minutes into extra-time and Uchino added the fourth with seven minutes left as Go Oiwa’s side moved a step closer to claiming the title. “The red card was the turning point as it was very difficult to play with 10 players,” Qatar coach Ilidio Vale said after the match. “I want to congratulate the players for their high fighting spirit. We are dejected to miss a chance for qualifying for Olympicsbut I am sure the team and Qatar football have a great future ahead,” he added. Fuki Yamada had given Japan a second minute lead before Ahmed al-Rawi levelled with a superb header 22 minutes later, the Qataris then shrugging off Yousef Abdullah’s 41st minute red card to go in front four minutes into the second half through Jassem Gaber. But Seiji Kimura’s 67th minute header restored parity while Hosoya and Uchino struck late to take their nation into the last four as the Japanese seek to maintain their record of qualifying for every Olympic Games since 1996. Japan’s late show came in contrast to their rapid start, the Samurai Blue taking the lead on their first foray forward. Qatar gifted Oiwa’s team the opener after Hiroki Sekine’s hopeful long ball saw Saif Eldeen Hassan under-hit his pass and Yamada collected possession to smash a left foot shot into the top corner of Abdullah’s goal. Japan were in control, with Rihito Yamamoto and Joel Fujita dictating the tempo and Kuryu Matsuki busy, the FC Tokyo playmaker thumping his attempt from outside the area over the crossbar. However, the Qataris steadily asserted themselves and, in the 24th minute, Vale’s team pulled level. The ball found its way to Abdulla al-Yazidi on the right after Kein Sato fell in an attempt to cut out possession and the Qatari’s centre was met unchallenged by al-Rawi, who bulleted his header home. Hosoya should have restored Japan’s lead seven minutes before the break, shooting wide on the stretch from close range after Matsuki’s incisive ball across the face of goal. Moments later Abdullah was seeing red, dismissed after referee Hanna Hattab consulted the pitchside monitor following a clash with Hosoya, the Qatari guilty of lashing out at the Japan striker as he leapt to clear a high ball. Qatar refused to be despondent despite being down a man and, four minutes after the restart, the home side went in front. Moustafa Meshal’s pinpoint free-kick delivery landed squarely on the head of Gaber and he made no mistake. With a quarter of regular time remaining, though, the Japanese were level when Kimura nodded home Yamamoto’s in-swinging corner from close range to set up a finish that saw Sato force replacement goalkeeper Ali Korayem into a save while Shota Fujio headed over. Oiwa’s side were unable to find a way through again in regulation time, but in the 101st minute Hosoya was fed by Ryotaro Araki and he slid his shot under Korayemwhile Uchino tapped in after the goalkeeper parried Sota Kawasaki’s shot to break home hearts.  

Team Qatar continue sparkling performance at Youth GCC Games

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Team Qatar athletes kept their high note performance to win a  gold and two bronze medals at  the inaugural  Youth GCC Games on Wednesday,  which is hosted by UAE from April 16  to second of May. Qatar team  produced a solid performance to secure 1.25m height  and claimed the  men’s gold medal in  the show jumping, following a  tough competitions against Saudi Arabia  team.  Qatar’s show jumping squad consists  of Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, Khalifa Abdalla Al Khalidi, Ghanem Nasser Al-Qadi, and Saad Ahmed Al Saad. On the same path of victory , athletes  Mohammed Al-Faqeeh seized the bronze medal in the men’s boxing event 57kg and his teammate Yousef Al-Saieed  took the second boxing  bronze in the men’s 60kg.  

Qatar’s equestrian team wins gold at GCC Youth Games

Abu Dhabi: The Qatar equestrian team won gold in showjumping at the First GCC Youth Games in UAE on Thursday with flawless and fastest show in the Special Two Phases class.  The team comprising Sheikh Mohamed bin Jassim al-Thani, Khalifa Abdullah al-Khalidi, Ghanem Nasser al-Qadi and Saad Ahmed al-Saad clocked an aggregate of perfect 195.31 seconds.  Saudi Arabia secured the silver medal with a time of 188.63 seconds. “It’s a great achievement and we are looking forward to win more accolades for Qatar,” rider al-Saad said.