Sheikh Joaan Meets with IOC Member Anant Singh

Doha – His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024, met today with Mr. Anant Singh, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), on the sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024, currently taking place in Doha. The meeting focused on a number of topics of common interest, particularly with regard to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, scheduled to take place in July and August. Additionally, His Excellency Sheikh Joaan attended the final of the women’s high diving competition at the World Aquatics Championships taking place today at the Doha Old Port.

Quadarella regains 1500m freestyle title; Hwang wins in 200m

Doha- Simona Quadarella regained the 1500m freestyle world title in Doha yesterday while the United States dominated the backstroke and Hwang Sun-Woo reached out to grab his first world title Quadarella, a 25-year-old Italian, won her first world title in the longest pool distance in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2019, when the dominant women’s middle-distance swimmer, Katie Ledecky was absent, ill. The American has won every major 800m and 1500m since then, but with Ledecky skipping Doha ahead of the Paris Olympics, Quadarella leapt up to the top step of the podium with a dominating swim. She finished in 15min 46.99sec, 9.63sec ahead of Li Bingjie of China with German Isabel Gose just behind in third. None of the other finalists broke 16 minutes. Hwang, a 20-year-old South Korean, made the most of the absence of world record holder David Popovici to win the men’s 200m freestyle. After losing the lead on the third 50, the South Korean then caught American Luke Hobson in the final metres to win in 1:45.05. Lithuanian Danas Rapsys also finished fast to take second, 0.3sec behind, with Hobson third at 0.51. Claire Curzan, a 19-year-old American, led from the start to win the women’s 100m backstroke in a time of 58.29sec. She was 0.83 ahead of Australian 18-year-old Iona Anderson. Hunter Armstrong immediately followed by taking the men’s race edging his university teammate, Hugo Gonzalez, a Spaniard by 0.2sec. Another 19-year-old, Tang Qianting of China won the closing event of the evening, the women’s 100m breast-stroke by 0.55 sec from Tes Schouten of the Netherlands. Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, previously a freestyle specialist, faded to third on the second 50.  

HH the Amir Participates in National Sport Day

Doha - HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani participated on Tuesday morning in the activities of the National Sport Day. HH the Amir practiced rowing on Bin Ghannam Island on the east coast of the State of Qatar as part of raising awareness of the importance of practicing various types of sport and encouraging the community to pay attention to physical fitness. (QNA)

QOC celebrates National Sport Day

Doha: Team Qatar’s stars and local communities today came together to celebrate National Sport Day, with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) organising activities throughout the country as part of its unwavering commitment to promoting a healthier lifestyle, highlighting the importance of the nation’s sporting culture and well-being. Launched in 2012, National Sport Day is celebrated annually to promote healthy lifestyles. Qatar is the first country in the region, and among the first globally, to host a national holiday every year dedicated to sport. This year witnessed the best National Sport Day yet, with the day celebrated up and down the country. In particular, the QOC gave people the opportunity to play sport with their favourite Team Qatar athletes at a specially created Team Qatar Village. The Team Qatar Village, held in Barahat – Msheireb, was developed in partnership the National Federations to commemorate National Sport Day. The local community was invited to take part in athletics, football, handball, volleyball, basketball, boxing, taekwondo and karate, gymnastic, tennis and para sports. With thousands of people taking part, the Team Qatar Village promoted the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and strengthened the community’s connection with Team Qatar athletes ahead of their participation at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. QOC Secretary General Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain said: “National Sport Day is a fantastic opportunity to engage our community, bring people together and build social and cultural connections. We believe strongly in the power of sport for human development; instilling positive values and encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles. Our Team Qatar athletes inspire us, but they also remind us that sport is not just for the elite athletes: it is for all. We host the National Sport Day in Qatar to celebrate that sport is for all and that as individuals and as a society we are stronger and more united when sport is a part of our lives.” The National Sport Day community activities also saw the second edition of the School Olympic Programme race with 3,000 boys and girls taking part in a running race at the Lusail boulevard. Elementary children ran 1km, children in Middle School ran 2km, and Secondary school children ran 3km. With National Sport Day coinciding with the World Aquatics Championship – Doha 2024, World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam and Doha 2024’s world-famous ambassadors were on hand to meet with fans during the festivities. Yusra Mardini, named in TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2022 after competing for the Olympic Refugee Team at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and triple Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo were among the ambassadors to visit Mshiereb and take part in a meet and greet in Aqua Market.  

Upsets galore as Siniakova shocks Gauff; Noskova beats Sakkari

Doha: Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic pulled off a second-round upset at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Tuesday, ousting No.2 seed and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Tuesday. Ranked No. 42, Siniakova clawed back from 4-0 down in the second set before grabbing a 1-hour and 20-minute victory over Gauff. The Czech collected just her second win in seven meetings with the 19-year-old American. Siniakova, a former WTA Doubles World No.1 who has won seven Grand Slam doubles titles, moves into the Doha Round of 16 in singles for the very first time in her career. Siniakova will face another accomplished American, Danielle Collins, in the Round of 16. Former World No.7 Collins, the 2022 Australian Open finalist, qualified for the main draw this week and has already beaten No.13 seed Veronika Kudermetova and Marie Bouzkova. Siniakova and Collins have split their two previous meetings. Siniakova beat Collins from a set down at 2019 Toronto, but Collins recently avenged that loss in last year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals. “Definitely another tough match, [Collins is] a really aggressive player,” Siniakova said, looking ahead to her next round. “I will try to focus on my game and fight every point, and hopefully it will be a really good game.” Earlier, Linda Noskova has become the first player to win from match point down twice on the Hologic WTA Tour in 2024, saving one en route to upsetting No.7 seed Maria Sakkari 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in the second round. The Czech 19-year-old also saved one match point in the first round of Brisbane, defeating Timea Babos 5-7, 7-6(8), 7-6(2). That was the second consecutive year Noskova had won her season opener from match point down; in 2023, she had saved one in her first Adelaide 1 qualifying round to beat Anna Kalinskaya 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(7). Noskova delivered a brilliant Australian swing this year, going on to reach the Brisbane semifinals and then backing up an upset of World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Australian Open to make her Grand Slam quarter-final debut. Meanwhile, third-seeded Kazakh Elena Rybakina zoomed past Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-1 to take her appointed place in the third round where she will meet Emma Navarro of the US. Navarro scored a creditable win over 2016 Doha champion Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-1, 6-3. No.5 seed Zheng Qinwen battled through three contrasting sets to win her first match as a Top 10 player, defeating Magda Linette 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in 1 hour and 57 minutes to reach the third round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. The 21-year-old was in action for the first time since her maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open last month, and was facing an opponent who had beaten her in their only previous meeting. Linette had been a 7-6(4), 6-4 victor in the first round of Miami 2022. Zheng made an imperious start to the match, but her form evaporated in an error-riddled second set. However, the World No.7 was able to rediscover enough accuracy to regain control in the decider, and extended her perfect record in three-setters this year to 5-0. In the third round, Zheng will face another 2002-born Grand Slam finalist in Leylah Fernandez, who defeated wild card Paula Badosa 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 56 minutes.  

Sheikh Joaan Meets with the President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations

Doha- His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024, met today with the President of Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, Mr. Ricci Bitti on the sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024, currently taking place in Doha. The meeting reviewed the latest developments related to the preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.