Qatar International Youth Squash Tournament gets underway

Doha: The competitions of Qatar International Youth Squash Tournament will begin at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Monday.  The tournament will feature the participation of 113 players from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore and hosts Qatar. Saad Al Mohannadi, Executive Director of the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation and Tournament Director said, “We are keen to organize this type of tournaments as they will help our players develop their skills and will provide them with an opportunity to compete with players from other squash schools.” Al Mohannadi stressed that the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation will spare no effort to support the Qatari players and wished them all success in this event.  

Team Qatar win Optimist bronze at Youth GCC Games

Abu Dhabi: Qatar youth sailing team claimed the bronze medal of optimist event at the 1st Youth GCC Games in UAE.  Team Qatar squad includes Saud Al-Emadi, Ali Al-Buainain, Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud, Saad Al-Ibrahim and Abdullah Al-Buainain.  On the other hand, Qatar handball team suffered a 17-22 defeat at the hands of UAE while Qatar volleyball team lost to Bahrain on Sunday.  The inaugural edition of the Youth GCC Games brings together 3,500 athletes from the six GCC nations to compete in 25 individual and team sports under the theme of "Our Gulf is One... Our Youth is Promising".  

Qatar, Australia play out goalless draw

Doha: Australia exited the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 yesterday with Tony Vidmar’s side failing once again to find the back of the net as the Olyroos shared a 0-0 draw with group winners Qatar to limp out of the tournament and miss out on a place at the Olympic Games. The Australians had arrived in Doha targeting a second consecutive Olympic qualification after appearing in Tokyo three years ago, but one point from their opening Group A games against Jordan and Indonesia left their hopes hanging by the finest of threads. Needing to win and hope Jordan defeated Indonesia, the result at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium was academic with Indonesia’s 4-1 win ensuring Vidmar’s team could not progress even if a first victory of the competition had been secured. Qatar had already ensured their progress with back-to-back wins to start the tournament and when Mohamed Manai flicked his attempt towards goal in the fourth minute it appeared that Ilidio Vale’s side were in the mood to pick up a third win. Manai went closer still from distance in the 13th minute, curling his effort narrowly over the crossbar. But as the half wore on it was the Australians who looked the more likely to score as they increasingly dictating the tempo and dominated possession. Jacob Italiano powered through midfield from deep before laying possession off to Rhys Youlley, whose low right-foot shot was steered around the post by Ali Korayem. Four minutes later Jacob Farrell’s inviting ball across the six-yard box caught Jordan Courtney-Perkins and Mohamed Toure flat-footed while at the other end Ryan Teague stepped in to dispossess Lotfu Madjer as the home side made a rare foray forward. Italiano then wastefully fired over the bar with two minutes left in the half after Brook’s pass found the winger in space behind the Qatar defence before, in injury time, the captain delivered a cross from the right that Nicolas Milanovic headed across the face of goal. The Australians continued to dominate after the break, Brook bending his effort over the bar while Alexandar Popovic’s defensive header redirected Mahdi Salem al-Mejaba’s shot to safety. Brook again went close soon after, side-footing high over the Qatar goal.As the half wore on the Olyroos continued to be frustrated, never more than when Keegan Jelicic’s 75th minute attempt was pushed onto the post by a diving Korayem. That was as close as Vidmar’s side would come to a goal and the result means Australia head home frustrated.  

Yulo and Kaylia steal steal final day show

Doha: Former world champion Carlos Yulo of the Philippines won a gold and silver each at the 16th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Doha, which concluded at the Ladies Sports Hall on Saturday. Yulo secured the gold in the parallel bars final after earlier having had to settle for silver in the vault event. Yulo, who had already clinched a place for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scored 15.200 to finish ahead of Chinese Taipei’s Hung Yuan-Hsi (14.966) and Brazil’s Caio Souza (14.566) for the gold in the parallel bars. Earlier, he also won the silver in the men’s vault final after scoring 15.066, finishing just behind 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Artur Davtyan of Armenia, who finished with a score of 15.166. Yahor Sharamkou (14.749) came third World championships medallist Kaylia Nemour of Algeria took gold in the floor exercise, where she posted a score of 13.700. Britain’s Ruby Evans was second (13.300) while Spain’s Laura Casabuena was third (13.233). Anna Lashchevska of the Ukraine grabbed women’s Balance Beam gold. Though Nemour led the standings from the start, it was Lashchevska’s heroics on the beam that saw her clinch the title with 13.533 points. Neymour, who had also won the women’s uneven bar event on Friday, picked up silver (13.400) followed by Chiara Barzasi of Italy (12.900). In the horizontal bar final, Chinese Taipei’s Tang Chia-Hung soared to the top of the standings with a 15.133 final score. Lithuania’s Robert Tvorogal was the silver-medal winner at 14.700. Brazil’s Arthur Nory grabbed the bronze medal with a 14.533 after repeating his exercise after his grip broke. Twenty gymnasts qualified for the Paris Olympics after the final leg of the World Cup in Doha. Two gymnasts per apparatus – so a total of eight women’s artistic gymnasts and 12 men’s – earned berths for their nation through the series. Only one country can secure a spot per apparatus, with a maximum of three overall per National Olympic Committee. But those gymnasts are not eligible if their team has already secured a quota via the 2023 or 2024 World Championships, or if they have already obtained a quota spot for their nation as an individual.  

Team Qatar keep impressive run at Youth GCC Games

DOHA – Team Qatar claimed five medals, including  two gold, two sliver and bronze on Saturday competitions at the  inaugural Youth GCC Games 2024, which is organized by UAE from April 16 to  second o May in Dubai.   Qatar team produced impressive  performance on Saturday to win a gold  medal and two sliver medals  in chess  event and their  teammates in athletics competition  rounded the corner to win one gold and  bronze. In U-14  class , Hamad Al Kawari claimed gold medal in Rapid Chess event  as  his teammates, Ibraheem Al Janaahi clinched the silver medal in the same class , while  Willian Al-Qassabi seized the silver medal in Women’s U-14 class. In Athletics competition, team Qatar  clinched  two medals  in triple jump after Rakan Rashidi seized the gold medal , while the bronze medal in the same class went to his teammate Hamza Hashem.  Following  that  high note performance and  good results on Saturday, team Qatar raised up a perfect tally of  19 medals, including, 8 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze.  

Jordan’s al-Saud wins pommel horse gold

Doha: Jordan’s Ahmed Abu al-Saud lived up to his reputation on the pommel horse after he won the gold at the 16th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Doha at the Ladies Indoor Hall on Friday. The 28-year-old amassed 15.500 points on Friday to top the final, with world champion Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland finishing third (15.233). Al-Saud had won the Asian Championships gold in Doha two years ago. He also became the first gymnast from Jordan to win a medal (silver) at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool. He followed it up with bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. The 24-year-old McClenaghan is a double world champion on pommel horse after having won gold at the 2022 and 2023 editions, but al-Saud had the last laugh on Friday. Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Taipei (15.400) took the silver. In the men’s rings finals, Armenia’s Vahagn Davtyan finished on top ahead of Nikita Simonov (Azerbaijan) and Samir Ait Said (France). Karimi Milad of Kazakhstan won the Floor Exercise final after accumulating 14.766 points. Luke Whitehouse of Great Britain took silver (14.566), Dmitriy Patanin also of Kazakhstan came third (14.500). Panama’s Karla Navas won the women’s Vault gold in a field that also featured eight-time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina. Navas walked away with gold after an impressive effort of 13.850 points, though she was closely challenged by North Korea’s reigning Asian champion An Chang-ok (13.833). Bulgaria’s 17-year-old Valentina Georgieva (13.466), who has already secured her berth for the Paris Olympic Games, finished third. The women’s uneven bar was clinched by Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour. The 17-year-old registered 15.336 points with 7 in Difficulty and 8.366 in execution to pip her nearest rivals that also included Levi Ruivivar of the Philippines and Alena Tsitavets. Kaylia had become the first African gymnast to win a medal at the 2023 World Championships where she won a silver on the uneven bars. As many as 95 male and 55 female gymnasts representing 55 countries are taking part in the event, which will conclude on Saturday.