Draw held for Ooredoo Qatar Major

Doha: The Premier Padel season is already running very fast. Not even time to conclude – with the finals on Saturday– the Riyadh Season P1 that from Sunday will be played in Doha the Ooredoo Qatar Major, the first of the four tournaments of the highest level included into the calendar of the circuit – unified from this year, like the ranking – under the governance of the International Padel Federation. Compared to the P1 in Riyadh, the men’s draw in Doha (the tournament is played at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex) will see 56 pairs starting in the main draw, eight of them from the qualifiers that began on Saturday and will end on Sunday. Ale Galan and Juan Lebron are the number 1 seed: for them, in the second round, the winners of Ortega/Piotto-Windahl/Marmolejo, the latter having already been defeated in the second round in Riyadh by the number 1 pair on the entry list. Possible clash in the round of 16 with Yanguas/Garrido (10), possible quarter-final with Ruiz/Tello (7), possible semi-final with Stupaczuk/Di Nenno (3), defending champions in Qatar and drawn in the same quarter as Momo Gonzalez and Fede Chingotto (5). At the bottom half, a qualified pair or Rivera/Mercadal for Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutierrez, seeded number 4 and looking for immediate revenge after the opening knockout in Riyadh Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, number 2 in the seeding, will find Zapata/Goenaga or Patiniotis/Dominguez, who defeated Belasteguin/Capra in Riyadh, after a first-round bye reserved for the top eight seeds. The women’s draw, on the other hand, rises from 32 to 48 pairs compared to Riyadh, with the 16 seeds exempted from playing the first round. Number 1 seeds again Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaria, who will debut against Canellas/Navarro Lopez-Barajas or wild cards Carla Fito Fernandez and 15-year-old Amanda Lopez Moral. At the bottom, Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez (2) are expected to take on Varo Ramos/Alonso de Lera or Fassio/Borrero. Many changes in the pairs compared to the season-opening P1: Gemma Triay will play with the very young Claudia Fernandez, as the tournament’s number 3 seed. Debuts against wild cards Al Nabhani/Gallo Frias or Collombon/Ginier Barbier. Marta Ortega and Veronica Virseda’s (4) debut will be against a qualified pair or Castillon/Pilquer. The main draw will start from Sunday with the first round matches. The finals will be played on Friday (March 8).

Cannes Stars triumph in GCL opening leg at Al Shaqab

Doha: Cannes Stars triumphed in the opening round of the 2024 Global Champions League season under the lights at Al Shaqab on Friday. This historic victory not only marks their dominance in the team series but makes history as the first all-female team of six riders to lead the championship race. In a thrilling showdown, the Cannes Stars propelled to victory, led by the stellar performances of Sophie Hinners aboard Iron Dames Singclair, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann with Messi van ‘t Ruytershof, and Sanne Thijssen riding Con Quidam RB. The squad’s impeccable form led them to finish with just four faults after two rounds, clinching the win with a breathtakingly quick performance, two seconds ahead of their closest competitors, Mexico Amigos. An emotional Meyer-Zimmermann said: “I am lost for words. We are just so happy. It was great teamwork. We have a huge team around us. Also this weekend we have the race for the drivers so now we can also give our support to them.” Thijssen added: “This weekend it’s the first time for us competing as a team together for the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames. The team is unbelievably motivated. We support each other and I think today we pushed each other to the limit and that’s how we got this result. I had a good feeling already yesterday with Con Quidam and today we gave it our all. I am looking forward to the following competitions together with the other Iron Dames.” Mexico Amigos, fielded a formidable lineup of Mouda Zeyada on If Looks Could Kill O.H. delivering a flawless double clear across the two rounds, Nadja Peter Steiner with Jappeloup clear in round 2 kept them on just four faults from Mike Kawai riding Saxo de la Cour in round 1. However, it was the Cannes Stars’ electrifying pace that secured their victory. After looking for a double clear all last season Mouda Zeyada was delighted: “I am relatively new to the league, last year being my first year was a learning curve, but the events sure improved my horse a lot, and now look where we are at. Nadja rode incredibly, also on a green horse, Mike also did a great job in the first round,” he said. Last year’s champions, Riesenbeck International clinched the final podium spot, with Christian Kukuk and Philipp Schulze Topphoff executing a strategic horse change between rounds to secure valuable points with a third place as the fastest team on 8 faults. The drama intensified as the two final teams, Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses and Valkenswaard United, both on a clean sheet going into round 2, faced off in a high-stakes battle. With both teams vying for a podium finish, every jump was crucial. The pressure was on as they only had a rail in hand to Cannes Stars but a pole down from both Malin Baryard-Johnsson with H&M Indiana and Olivier Perreau riding Gl Events Dorai d’Aiguilly knocked them off the podium to finish in fourth. In pole position leading after round 1, Valkenswaard United just needed to keep all the fences up, and a win in the first stage of the season was theirs. Marcus Ehning and Stargold delivered the goods with a fast clear. However, a nail-biting turn of events for show jumping legend John Whitaker and Equine America Unick du Francport. Anything can happen in show jumping, and Whitaker proved that on Friday with Equine America Unick du Francport napping early on the course, costing him crucial time and collecting 21 faults overall, relinquishing their lead and ultimately handing the victory to the Cannes Stars. The home team, Doha Falcons took home sixth place after a clear round from Rashid Towaim Ali al-Marri and Concordess Nrw, but an unlucky pole in each round from Wilm Vermeir and Simon Delestre kept the home team off the podium.  

Qatar’s Al Kaabi and Al Shahrani share one-point lead

Doha: Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi and Ali Abdullah Al Shahrani shared one-point lead in race for the senior individual title on the opening day of GCC Golf Championship 2024 – Qatar on Thursday. As golfers struggled in gutsy wind at the Doha Golf Club, the Qatari pair returned with identical four-over-par 76 to take one-point lead over Bahrain’s Khalifa Duaij Alkaabi. UAE’s Thomas Nesbitt, Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Attieh and Bahrain’s Ali Mohamed Alkowari finished the day on joined fifth. Meanwhile, Bahrain led the GCC Team Championship after the first day following an aggregate of 235 followed by the UAE (239), Saudi Arabia (239) and defending champions Qatar (240). In the Junior Individual Category, UAE’s Rayan Ahmed secured opening day’s lead with a card of 75 while Oman’s Ayman Ghaleb (76) and UAE’s Mohammad Skaik (79) were second and third respectively. The UAE dominated the Junior Team Championship, registering a total of 154, leading second-placed Oman by 14 strokes, while Bahrain were third with a combined score of 184.

Alrajhi emerges victorious with Ventago on opening day

Doha: Abdulrahman Alrajhi led a 1-2 for Saudi Arabia on the opening leg of the Global Champions Tour at the glittering Al Shaqab on Thursday. With 32 of the world’s best riders and horses in action in the CSI5* 1.45m speed class, Alrajhi trumped his countryman Abdullah Alsharbatly to claim the day one honours. Alrajhi aboard the head-turning 11-year-old Ventago stormed into the lead in 59: 28 seconds. In a nail-biting finish, he edged out his Alsharbatly and the spirited Dancing Wolf O.L by a mere 0.20 seconds, proving that every fraction of a second counts in the world of show jumping. Speaking after his victory, Alrajhi said: “It is always special to win a Global Champions Tour class and even more special in Doha, especially in front of this crowd. Such an amazing facility in Al Shaqab. Honestly, I must say Ventago is on fire, he is such a great horse and I am very happy to have him and I think he made it with almost zero effort... it felt like he was just playing with the class and he won it!” A beaming Alrajhi went on to add: “The class suited him, and of course, we had one of the best course designers in the world, Uliano Vezzani. It is a nice class to win without putting in an extreme effort, and I am thrilled with this preparation for the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha this Saturday.” Adding to the international flair of the event, the Flying Frenchman, Olivier Perreau, clinched the third spot with Bresil de Carnaval Santa Rosa in 61:98 seconds, launching his week with style and finesse. With a total of 15 clear rounds, the competition was nothing short of exhilarating. Mouda Zeyada on Katia and Ines Joly aboard the vibrant Faylinn de Fondcombe rounded off the top five, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats. Notably, both Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Nadja Peter Steiner opted for a steady round, collecting time faults strategically to conserve their horse power for the high-stakes challenges ahead, hinting at the thrilling battles yet to come. After an extraordinary first day, the GCL Championship race will kick off today. GCL Doha promises an adrenaline-fuelled spectacle with two back-to-back rounds of top-tier team show jumping, setting the stage for an epic showdown of talent, teamwork, and triumph.  

Stage set for Ooredoo Qatar Major Premier Padel

Doha, Qatar: Premier Padel, the leading official professional padel tour, today announced its eagerly anticipated 2024 calendar.  The 2024 season will see 25 tournaments spanning 18 countries in 5 continents taking place throughout the year, demonstrating Premier Padel’s ongoing commitment to reach new markets, grow the game globally and inspire more people to participate.   The season will begin on 26 February 2024 with the Riyadh P1, taking place as part of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, and will be immediately followed by the Qatar Major.  The tour will then move to Mexico and Venezuela in South America before coming to Brussels and Andalusia in April and May.  Following this, the tour returns to South America – including Premier Padel’s first visit to Paraguay and Chile.  The tour then swings back to Europe in June and July, before a mid-season break in August. The season resumes in Europe and the Middle East – including new Premier Padel locations Rotterdam, Dusseldorf, Sweden, Dubai, and Kuwait City, with further tournaments planned for new locations, before the Milan P1 closes the main part of the season, as it has done for the past two years. The 2024 calendar will conclude with the first-ever edition of the Premier Padel Tour Finals which will take place in Barcelona on 18-22 December 2024 and will see the top-ranked pairs battle it out for the final trophy of the 2024 Premier Padel season.  Since launching in 2022, Premier Padel has become one of the fastest growing tours in world sport. Over 500 male players from around the world competed in Premier Padel tournaments in its first year, playing in some of the most iconic venues in sports history including at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris.  Over 110 leading professional female players joined Premier Padel in March 2023.  Premier Padel has secured multi-year broadcast agreements that cover 180+ countries reaching over 150 million households, while the first two Premier Padel seasons attracted almost 25 million views on YouTube.  In August 2023, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) together with the International Padel Federation (FIP), backed by the Professional Padel Association (PPA) and the International Padel Players Association (IPPA), announced that an historic agreement had been reached with Damm, the owner of Setpoint Events which organises the World Padel Tour (WPT), for QSI to acquire WPT to create a single global professional padel tour – called Premier Padel – in 2024 under the governance of FIP. The 2024 Premier Padel Calendar will be the first season of the newly unified tour.   Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of Premier Padel, said: “We are delighted to announce our much-anticipated 2024 calendar. This year will be the first season of the newly unified Premier Padel tour, which will take the sport to the next level – both for the players, who we place at the heart of our tour, but also the whole padel ecosystem. We are looking forward to seeing Premier Padel excite and inspire fans in our fantastic established locations, but also emerging markets around the world as we look to grow the sport in every way. 2024 will be a landmark year for Premier Padel as we proudly continue to build one of the most exciting tours in global sport.” Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation, said: “The 2024 season marks the beginning of a new era for Premier Padel as the tour expands to 25 tournaments held across 5 continents – and truly becomes padel’s first global professional tour. Together with our National Federations, we are pleased to see the sport grow audiences and participants all around the world, as the tour visits new cities and countries inspiring the next generation. At the International Padel Federation, we are proud to be creating an amazing legacy and building a fantastic future for our sport, with the players at the centre of shaping the tour. We look forward to 2024 being the most exciting season yet, for Premier Padel and also the sport of padel.” The Board of Directors of the Professional Padel Association (PPA), said: “The players are excited to play in the newly unified and expanded Premier Padel tour. We are looking forward to returning to cities where we have strong support and large fanbases, as well as visiting new locations, as we continue to work with Premier Padel to elevate padel to greater international prominence.” The Board of the International Padel Players Association (IPPA), said: “After a successful first season as part of the Premier Padel tour, the IPPA, the female players’ association, is looking forward to a greater second season that is expanding to much more tournaments around the globe. We are delighted with Premier Padel’s commitment to building a successful sporting event for all and look forward to strengthening our relationship to continue contributing to the growth of padel, also for women, worldwide. We are all excited about the 2024 season.”  

World Aquatics Masters Championships continue in style

Doha: It has been a history-making week at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha with the first-ever Men’s solo events in artistic swimming. The inaugural Men’s Technical and Men’s Solo artistic swimming events at the World Aquatics Masters Championships have wrapped up, with four new world champions crowned at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. Spain’s Tony Marin Giron (30-39 years), Japan’s Atsushi Abe (40-49 years), Germany’s Johannes Andrees (50-59 years), and France’s Christian Bordeleau (70-79 years) are the first-ever winners of the men’s events in their respective age-groups with all four claiming the honours across the technical and solo competitions. Marin Giron’s first world masters title is the culmination of an intense period of training, working on new routines and technical elements. “I really wanted to show all the work we’ve done in the pool these last few months, and all the skills that can be done in this sport,” Marin Giron told World Aquatics. While Giron only started the sport as an adult and is competing at his first international competition, Japan’s Abe is a veteran of the sport with two World Aquatics Championships medals to his name. Abe won bronze in the Mixed Duet and Mixed Technical at Gwangju 2019 in what was his final senior international competition as a 36 year-old before joining ‘Cirque du Soliel’. Abe also competed in the inaugural Mixed Duet events at Kazan 2015, and placed fourth in both the Mixed Duet and Mixed Technical events at Budapest 2017. The oldest swimmer in the field, new masters world champion Christian Bordeleau, was cheered on by the large French contingent and was delighted to be part of a history-making event in Doha.  “There were four of us... four male solos to start writing a new page in the history of world artistic swimming,” said Bordeleau. On the other hand LO Jeffrey of Great Britain claimed the gold medal of 50m Freestyle Men (25-29) on Thursday while ORTIZ-CANAVATE OZEKI of United states of America took the gold medal of 30-34 years category.