Chia-Hung sails into horizontal bar final at Doha World Cup

Doha: Tang Chia-Hung of Chinese Taipei topped the qualification in men’s Horizontal Bar at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Doha at the Women’s Sports Committee Hall on Thursday. The 27-year-old has been in great form recently after he picked up gold medals in Cairo and Cottbus events with his new routine. Chia-Hung will be hoping he can repeat the same performance in the final, which will give him one of the two tickets on offer for the Paris Olympic Games. The Doha event the final Olympic qualification tournament for apparatus specialists and will determine 20 newly-minted Olympians heading for Paris 2024. The two gymnasts with the highest points score on each apparatus capture a ticket to the Games, with the best three rankings points scores counting toward the final total. A maximum of one place per apparatus can be secured by the same nation. Known as the ‘King of Cat for his rendition of the Yamawaki move, which involves a backward giant swing, a half turn, a front flip over the bar, and a regrasp, Chia-Hung tore his Achilles tendon in February 2023 during a simulated competition. The injury prevented him from competing for about seven months, causing him to miss the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Belgium and the Hangzhou Asian Games. But Chia-Hung has recovered and is back to his best and looks set to book his berth for Paris games. Lithuania’s Tokyo 2020 Olympian Robert Tvorogal also kept his Olympic chances alive as made it to the final after finishing sixth in the qualifications on Thursday. Kazakstan’s Milad Karimi, one of the favourites to win a medal here, accumulated 14.466 points to finish second behind Chia-Hung. Cyrpus’ Marios Georgiou, Arthur Barajas (Colombia), Isaac Nunez (Mexico), 2019 World champion Arthur Mariano (Brazil) and compatriot Caio Souza also made it to the eight-man finals. In the parallel bars, Uzbekistan’s Rasulijon Abdurakhimov and local favourite and former world champion Carlos Yulo of the Philippines qualified for the final along with Karim and Yuan-Hsi Hung of Chinese Taipei. Brazilian duo Diogo Soares and Caio Souza and Italian duo Lay Gianni and Nocolo Mozzato also secured berths among the top-eight finishers. Armenia’s Artur Davtyan and Yulo made it to the finals in the vault event. Davtyan had a perfect landing on both his turns to accumulate 15.116 points, followed by Yulo’s 14.966. Others to qualify were Audrys Nin Reyes (Dominica), James Bacueti (Australia), Noccolo Vannucchi (Italy), Chen Chun NG (Malaysia), Aurel Benovic (Croatia) and Yahor Sharamkou. Both Benovic and Bacueti are still in the race for an Olympic berth.  

Al-Mannai’s last-gasp strike sends Qatar into quarters

Doha: Qatar sealed their place in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup knockout stage in dramatic fashion with a last-gasp 2-1 victory against Jordan at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday. Both teams looked set to share the spoils in their second Group A encounter until Mohamed al-Mannai headed in a free-kick deep in the 13th minute of added time, with VAR confirming the goal after a review to see Qatar become the first side to qualify from the group stage. Determined to claim their first win after opening their campaign with a stalemate against Australia, Jordan put their hosts under pressure from the start and Baker Kalbouneh had a sight of goal after just 90 seconds, only to see his low shot saved. Sief Darwish then had a shot blocked before Moustafa Mashal registered Qatar’s first effort on target on 21 minutes when he met Khaled Ali’s pass with a header but it was easily held by Ahmad Juaidi. While the Jordanians saw more of the ball, they lacked a cutting edge upfront and were made to pay in the 40th minute as they fell behind. Saifeldeen Hassan started a flowing move from left-back and after surging into the centre of the pitch, he picked out Ali on the right. The winger, in turn, released an overlapping Abdulla al-Yazidi and the right-back’s attempted cross ended up in the far corner instead to break the deadlock. Conceding the goal only served to spur on Jordan and they were rewarded for a bright start to the second half when, following a VAR review, Amer Jamous was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. Aref Haitham stepped up and coolly sent Yousef Abdullah to the right and the penalty into the bottom left corner for the equaliser in the 52nd minute. The home side tried to hit back immediately two minutes later and Juaidi had to be alert to tip over a fierce strike from distance by Hassan. A good opportunity was spurned by Haitham late on after he raced clear down the left but that miss was to be severely punished as the game moved into added time. Substitutes Jassem al-Sharshani and al-Mannai combined to devastating effect after Qatar earned a free-kick on the right, with the former’s inviting delivery met by a thumping header from his team-mate to clinch all three points as Jordan were left stunned. Teguh goal helps Indonesia stun Australia Komang Teguh’s first half header earned tournament debutants Indonesia a 1-0 win over Australia at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Group A to reignite his nation’s challenge for a place in the quarter-finals. Ernando Ari Sutaryadi saved Mohamed Toure’s 25th minute penalty before Komang’s close range header 20 minutes later allowed Shin Tae-yong’s team to pick up their first win of the campaign after an opening 2-0 loss against hosts Qatar. The result leaves Australia on one point from two games having drawn with Jordan in their first match of the competition and Tony Vidmar’s side needs to win against the Qataris in the final round of group matches on Sunday to have any chance of progressing. Playing in front of a raucous band of Indonesian fans, Shin’s side threatened as early as the second minute, Jeam Kelly’s rising shot deflected wide after Rafael Struick’s pull back had found the Persik forward with time to take aim. As the half entered the final minute the Indonesians took the lead. Witan Sulaeman’s corner was nodded by Kelly to Nathan Tjoe-A-On on the edge of the area and his mishit shot was headed beyond Beach by Komang from six yards out. Ernando denied Toure again seven minutes after the interval with a stop low to his right while Jacob Italiano’s attempt was deflected wide for a corner as the Australians steadily increased the pressure. Toure thumped his shot over the bar from the edge of the area with 15 minutes remaining and Vidmar introduced FIFA World Cup forward Garang Kuol in a late effort to find a way through, but the Indonesians held on.

Three Golfers share opening round lead of WAGR Qatar Open Amateur

DOHA - Australia’s Andrew Ikstrums, Olivier van Lelyveld of the Netherlands and Englishman E Calum Fitzgerald shared a joint one-shot lead in the opening round of the 2024 WAGR Qatar Open Amateur Golf Championship at the Doha Golf Club on Thursday. On a challenging day, the trio returned with cards of two-over-par 74 followed by Pakistan’s Omar Khalid Hussain, who is one stroke behind the leaders and will look to stay in the hunt for the title to be decided on Friday. Trailing the leaders by two shots, Bahrain’s Yousif Ali Janahi, Scotland’s Paul Stewart, Canada’s Rob Skinner and England’s Chris Hughes are also in contention for the title after the first round. Qatar’s Saleh al-Kaabi, who was not at his best on Thursday, shot five-over par 77 as he followed the quartet. Around 100 golfers representing 30 countries are taking part in the tournament, which is in its 38th edition. The winner of the tournament will seal the coveted berth for the prestigious Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. The event is one of the oldest golf competitions having launched back in 1983. It attracts the world’s best amateur golfers who showcase their skills at the picturesque venue. Welshman Joe Jones, who won the last year’s title, is not taking part in the 2024 edition.  

Athletics competitions at Youth GCC Games to kick off on Wednesday

Doha: The athletics competitions at the 1st Youth GCC Games will begin in Dubai on Wednesday. The inaugural edition of the games is held in the United Arab Emirates from April 16 to May 2, 2024. Qatar’s Saleh Al Sahouti and Mohamed Ghanim Al Kuwari will participate in 100m event. Qatar is participating in 22 different team and individual sports including Handball, Basketball 3x3, Volleyball, Athletics, Boxing, Jujitsu, Archery, Judo, Swimming, Karate, Esports, Golf, Badminton, Cycling, Sailing, Table Tennis, Fencing, Triathlon, Equestrian, Chess, and Para Athletics. 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"  

Stage set for Artistic Gymnastics World Cup

Doha: The end of a long Olympic qualification for apparatus specialists is in sight at this weekend’s Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, which will determine 20 newly-minted Olympians heading for Paris Games 2024. Throughout the series, which has included stops in Cairo, Cottbus, and Baku, hopefuls not yet qualified for Paris have earned Olympic qualification ranking points based on their placements on each apparatus. The two gymnasts with the highest points score on each apparatus book a ticket to the Games, with the best three rankings points scores counting toward the final total. A maximum of one place per apparatus can be secured by the same nation. It is that last detail — room for a gymnast to drop their worst performance — that changes the Olympic qualification dynamic and makes Doha leg such a pivotal competition. Seven gymnasts, including Tokyo Olympic Uneven Bars champion Nina Derwael (Belgium) and 2019 Junior World Floor Exercise champion Ryu Sunghyun (South Korea), have mathematically secured their Olympic tickets. At the end of the weekend, 13 more will join them — and competition for each place is stiff. Heading into a monumental weekend for Gymnastics, here is how things stand. Men’s Floor Exercise Five men are contending for the second spot in Doha. The leader among them is Yahor Sharamkou (Belarus), which is astonishing considering that his 50 points come from two World Cups only. After winning Floor Exercise in Baku, another high quality performance will put him over the top, though Benjamin Osberger (France), Aurel Benovic (Croatia), Yuri Guimaraes (Brazil), and Diorges Escobar (Cuba) are all still in the race too. Pommel Horse Two men who are registered for Doha are still swinging in what has been one of the most closely-fought contests for Olympic qualification. Two-time World medallist and Cairo champion Ahmad Abu al-Soud (Jordan) is guaranteed a ticket to Paris, but the second berth is still up in the air between Nariman Kurbanov (Kazakhstan) and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Lee Chih-Kai (Chinese Taipei). Still Rings Eight years after breaking his leg vaulting during qualification at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Samir Ait Said (France) is this close to heading to his home Games. He has been the most consistent through the qualification events, but he needs another big performance if he is going to get across the finish line in the top two. The biggest threats come from Nikita Simonov (Azerbaijan), Vahagn Davtyan (Armenia), and Arthur Avetisyan (Armenia). Cairo champion Ryong Jong-il (North Korea) started the series strong and faded, but he too could get a spot if he were to win and others did not improve their positions. Men’s Vault Among the tightest of the Olympic races, six men are vying for the two places. Only two of them — leader Mahdi Olfati (Iran) and Shek Wei Hung (Hong Kong) — have achieved the maximum 30 ranking points, and Shek has done it twice. Both will be looking over their shoulders in Doha at Tseng Wei-Sheng (Chinese Taipei), who has only done two World Cups but had excellent results at both, and James Bacueti (Australia) who stands the best chance of grabbing a spot should either of the top two fold. Benovic and Trinh Hai Khang (Vietnam) are still in the running as well. Parallel Bars World Junior Parallel Bars champion Angel Barajas (Colombia) is ahead of seasoned teammate Jossimar Calvo (Colombia), but only one of the Colombians can go through. That’s good news for Rasuljon Abdurakhimov (Uzbekistan) and Cameron-Lie Bernard (France), both of whom are within striking distance of the top two. Horizontal Bar Tang Chia-Hung (Chinese Taipei) won in in Cairo and Cottbus with his new routine that put him over the top. Right behind him is Robert Tvorogal (Lithuania), determined to avenge his disappointment from Tokyo. Trailing at a distance are Barajas and 2019 World champion Arthur Mariano (Brazil). Women’s Vault This one at least is simple: An Chang Ok (North Korea) and Valentina Georgieva (Bulgaria) have mathematically gathered enough points to qualify to the Olympics. Uneven Bars Eleven gymnasts could mathematically qualify for the Uneven Bars places. Among those with the most to gain is Georgia-Rose Brown (New Zealand), who leads with 50 points despite not having scored in Baku. Jennifer Williams (Sweden), who left Cottbus without Olympic qualification points, is presently tied with Vanesa Masova (Czech Republic) with 48 points, just two shy of Brown’s 50. Nathalie Westlund (Sweden) also stands to make big gains. Balance Beam With Derwael having gathered the maximum of 90 points with her three World Cup victories, there is one spot left on Balance Beam and eight gymnasts could grab it. Competition is tight between Williams, Ting Hua-Tien (Chinese Taipei) and Laura Casabuena (Spain), all of whom are within 13 points of each other. Women’s Floor Exercise Topping the Floor Exercise ranking after three events, Charlize Moerz (Austria) already has mathematically secured her spot. This leaves the second space between Casabuena, Emma Malabuyo (Philippines) and Sevgi Kayisoglu (Turkey). Malabuyo leads in the standings, but her 69 points is based on three competitions; Casabuena’s and Kayidoglu’s totals are based only on two. Ready to host the event, says al-Hitmi Ali al-Hitmi, Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee, said all things are in place for the tournament start: “We are happy to host the major tournament for the 16th time in a row, and there is great work from all the committees participating in the organisation to produce the current version in the best possible way.” He added: “During this championship and the championships previously hosted by Qatar, we seek to spread the culture of gymnastics, and this is the goal that the federation has been working toward since its establishment in 2001.”  

Youth GCC Games to begin on Tuesday

Abu Dhabi: Qatar's Taekwondo team will begin their campaign at  the 1st Youth GCC Games on Tuesday. The games will be held in the United Arab Emirates from April 16 to May 2, 2024.   Taekwondo competitions at the games will feature the participation of 152 athletes.  Team Qatar will be represented by Abdulrahman Al Ali, Ajlan Al Kuwari, Saad Al Sulaiti, and Noor Mohamed.  Qatar will participate in 22 different team and individual sports including Handball, Basketball 3x3, Volleyball, Athletics, Boxing, Jujitsu, Archery, Judo, Swimming, Karate, Esports, Golf, Badminton, Cycling, Sailing, Table Tennis, Fencing, Triathlon, Equestrian, Chess and Para Athletics.  The inaugural edition of the Youth GCC Games will bring 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".