Commercial Bank Qatar Masters set to tee off at DGC

Doha: The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters returns to its traditional date as the European Tour’s annual golf tournament will be staged at the Doha Golf Club (DGC) from tomorrow till Sunday. The event will serve as the fifth and final stop if the Middle Eastern swing. The tournament, won towards the end of last season by Sami Valimaki as he went on to earn a PGA Tour card, has a prize fund of $2.5mn, of which $425,000 will go to the winner. Now back to its accustomed slot in the early weeks of the year, the event – an ever-present on the calendar since its inception in 1998 – promises to bring the curtain down on a dramatic stretch in this part of the world. The field is headlined by the presence of four players from the top ten on the Race to Dubai Rankings. The in-form South African Zander Lombard is joined by compatriot and last week’s winner in Bahrain Dylan Frittelli, Rikuya Hoshino and Rasmus Hojgaard who have both enjoyed runner-up finishes so far this season. While Finland’s Valimaki is not back to defend his title this week as he plies his trade at PGA Tour, there are a host of past champions in action this week at Doha Golf Club. In total there are no fewer than eight players who have held aloft the Mother of Pearl Trophy teeing it up. Ewen Ferguson and Antoine Rozner, who won the tournament across back-to-back years in 2022 and 2021 respectively, are joined by Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who has also won the event since the turn of the decade. Before them, Eddie Pepperell and Wang Jeunghun won in 2018 and 2017 respectively, while Ryder Cup player Chris Wood was a winner in 2013 and Alvaro Quiros celebrated success in 2009. South African Darren Fichardt, back on the European Tour after progressing from the Final Stage of Qualifying School last year, is the oldest past champion having won in 2003. At the press conference on Tuesday, Fahad Nasser al-Naimi, Secretary-General of the Qatar Golf Federation, was pleased with the strong field and said the Doha Golf Club was in perfect shape to host the event. “We have eight past champions among a 132-player field, populated by many circuit regulars. I want to extend my gratitude to HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his continuous support to golf and the Qatar Masters. I also want to thank Commercial Bank for their sponsorship and unwavering commitment towards the tournament,” he said. Al-Naimi said Qatar will be represented by Saleh al-Kaabi, with Ali al-Shahrani ruled out due to an injury. Saudi Arabia and Jordan will also have representation in the form of Othman al-Mulla and Shergo al-Kurdi respectively. “The Qatar Masters is one of the most significant sporting events held in Qatar and is highly-rated by the International Federation of Golf due to the participation of prominent global stars. The Qatar Golf Association is committed to organising the event annually, given its significance in the European Tour calendar,” al-Naimi said. Hussein al-Abdullah, EGM, Marketing and Alternative Assets at Commercial Bank, said: “Commercial Bank has created a legacy that empowers possibilities and Qatar Masters bears witness to that. As we step into our 27th year as title sponsor of this event, I can’t help but feel proud of all the milestones we have achieved. Our mission will always centre around building a promising future for Qatar.” He continued: “For us, golf transcends its prestigious image; it serves as a networking platform for individuals sharing a common interest in discussing current events and business opportunities. Through our commitment to advancing technology, Commercial Bank is investing in AI and digital services, ushering in a new era of financial innovation. This event serves as a hub where business professionals and golf enthusiasts converge, fostering connections and conversations in an upscale environment, shedding light on the Bank’s strides in digital offerings.” Since it was founded in 1988, the Qatar Masters has been held at Doha Golf Club on all but two occasions. While the Peter Harradine-designed layout at DGC, part of the first wave of grass golf courses to have been built in the Middle East, measures in at 7,475 yards and features a double green on the par five ninth and 18th holes.  

Team Qatar conclude debut participation in Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024

DOHA – Team Qatar concluded their  impressive participation in the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024 , which  were  held from January 19 to the first of February in the South Korean’s  city of  Gangwon. Team Qatar consisted of  players, Mohammed Hassan Al Naimi and  Al-Dana Ahmed Al Fahad have produced a solid performance in the  Curling event  (Mixed Doubles) in the games , but were unlucky  to reach the knock our stages. Team Qatar have enjoyed a successful experience as a  first Qatari team to represent  the country in  the Winter Youth Olympic Games,  an experience that will help more Qatari athletes to join the team and to step up the podiums in the upcoming editions of Winter Youth Olympic Games. Team Qatar delegation to this winter Olympic event , was consisted  of players, Mohammed Hassan Al Naimi and  Al-Dana Ahmed Al Fahad and headed by  Mr.  Rashid Magid Al Suleiti, President of the Qatar Winter Sports Committee (QWSC) and Hassan Hissam Al -Hebabi, the QWSC Secretary General. Most notably, team Qatar athletes had booked their spots  in the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, after signing off perfect results in World Junior-B Curling Championships 2022 , which held in city of  Lohja, Finland and sealed a top place for West Asia zone.  

Qatar Esports Federation, Team Mana, and Showdown Set to elevate esports landscape with MoU Signing

Doha: The Qatar Esports Federation (QESF) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Team Mana and Showdown. This event took place on February 6th, 2024, at Store 974. This collaborative effort demonstrates their collective commitment to advancing esports in Qatar. The highlight of this partnership is the establishment of the Qatar eLeague Series, set to launch on February 10th, 2024. This initiative aims to revolutionize the community esports landscape, offering a platform for enthusiasts to showcase their skills and compete at the highest levels.  The MoU reflects the Federation’s dedication to nurturing talent and fostering a supportive environment for aspiring esports athletes. "The establishment of the Qatar eLeague Series is a pivotal step towards realizing QESF's vision and Qatar's National Vision," said Mr. Faisal Khaled, Secretary General of the Qatar Esports Federation. "This initiative will not only promote competitiveness within the esports community but also contribute to the overall growth and development of the industry."  Abdulrahman Al Mana, co-founder of Team Mana added: “We are thrilled to be part of this collaboration, the Qatar eLeague Series presents an incredible opportunity to unite and empower the esports community, and we are honored to contribute to its success."  Commenting on the partnership, Rabah Qunnaby, CEO of Project Infinite Technology, the developer of Showdown said: “We are excited to support the Qatar eLeague Series and contribute to the flourishing esports ecosystem in Qatar. This MoU exemplifies our shared commitment to creating opportunities for growth within our esports community."  Supported by QESF, the Qatar eLeague Series will be hosted on Showdown, a community-builder web platform designed for esports communities. The league will be utilizing the platform’s technology and infrastructure to deliver a seamless experience for players. Team Mana will focus on the management and organization of the tournaments within the league, as well as creating live stream broadcasts for the tournament. As experts in the local esports market, Team Mana is well equipped to connect the Qatari grassroots esports community to the local league.  In addition to launching the Qatar eLeague Series, the collective effort between QESF, Team Mana, and Showdown will prioritize the scheduling of league matches to accommodate school timings, ensuring that young enthusiasts can participate without compromising their education. Moreover, they aim to build local capacity, cultivate local talent, empower local companies, and empower grassroots communities. This inclusive approach of QESF fosters a diverse and vibrant esports community.

China win 2 more diving golds

Doha: China continued to the set pool alight with dominating diving show at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre on Wenesday as Wang Zongyuan and Xie Siyi finished 1-2 in the men’s 3-while Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani captured their third straight gold medal in women’s synchronized springboard. China didn’t enter the first two events of the meet, which comes just five months ahead of the Summer Games, but the country has been nearly unbeatable since then. Other than an 11th-place showing in men’s 1-meter springboard, a non-Olympic event in which China entered only one athlete, the diving superpower has taken gold in the other six disciplines. Most of them have been runaway victories. Meanwhile, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands completed a sweep of the women’s individual open water races by taking gold in the 5-kilometer at Old Doha Port. In a thrilling finish, Logan Fontaine of France claimed the men’s title in the non-Olympic event. In the men’s solo free of artistic swimming, Giorgio Minisini of Italy added a gold medal to the silver he captured in the solo technical event. Xie led the preliminaries and semifinals at Hamad Aquatic Centre, but it was Wang who took control in the final. He ripped off one stellar dive after another on the way to a total score of 538.70, relegating Xie to the silver in 516.10. It was the second gold of the championships for Wang, who teamed with Long Daoyi to capture the synchronized springboard title. Wang and Xie have dominated the springboard in international competition and will head to Paris as huge favorites. Xie was world champion in 2017 and ‘19, and is the reigning Olympic champion as well. But Wang has captured the last two world titles. Osmar Olvera of Mexico grabbed his second medal of the championships, adding to his gold in 1-meter springboards with a bronze at 498.40. No one else was even close to the three medalists. Chen and Chang totaled 323.43 points in the synchro event, leaving Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney of Australia with the silver at 300.45. Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper of Britain claimed bronze at 281.70, edging out the American duo of Krysta Palmer and Alison Gibson by a mere 2.4 points.  

Qatar edge IR Iran in thriller to book final spot

Doha: Qatar moved within one match of retaining their AFC Asian Cup™ title after emerging 3-2 victors against Islamic Republic of Iran in their Qatar 2023 semi-final at the Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday. Almoez Ali, the 2019 Most Valuable Player and top scorer, struck the winner eight minutes before the end in a thrilling last four tie which saw the Maroons snap a six-game losing run against Team Melli to set up a final meeting with Jordan. Both teams made two changes each to their starting lineups, Iran’s Ardeshir Ghalehnoy reinstating Ehsan Hajisafi and Mehdi Taremi while Marquez Lopes gave starts to Yusuf Abdurisag and Homam Ahmed. It was Team Melli who got off to a spectacular start, Sardar Azmoun capitalising on Qatar’s inability to deal with a throw-in to hook an acrobatic effort past a stranded Meshaal Barsham in the fourth minute. Qatar, however, did not trail for long, drawing level 13 minutes later with Akram Afif’s cutback setting up Jassem Gaber for a shot that took a deflection off Saeid Ezatohali, looped over Alireza Beiranvand and settled in the back of the net. Iran continued to dominate possession with Qatar relying on counter attacks, and it almost paid off for the hosts in the 32nd minute when Afif pounced on a loose back pass to surge unchallenged but hit his shot straight at a grateful Beiranvand. The Al Sadd SC star, however, was not to be denied two minutes before the end of the first half when after receiving a pass from Ahmed Fathy on the left, he took a couple of steps before unleashing a powerful drive for his fifth goal of the tournament. Iran were quick to assert control when the second half got underway and needed only six minutes to restore parity, a VAR review determining Ezatohali’s shot had hit Fathy’s hands. Jahanbakhsh calmly slotted home from the penalty spot for his second goal of the tournament.   Qatar’s response was almost immediate, but for the heroics of Beiranvand who pulled off a smart save near his post to deny Abdurisag with Shojae Khalilzadeh then making a goal-line clearance of Pedro Miguel’s header from the subsequent corner. Having had to rely on counter attacks for glimpses at goal, Qatar burst into life in the 82nd minute when Abdulaziz Hatem laid the ball to an unmarked Ali, who had ample time to pick his spot before slotting home, the goal taking his overall tally to 11 as he moved into second place in the all-time topscorers list. Thirteen minutes of additional time gave Iran hope, but a surging Afif run was checked by Khalilzadeh, with a VAR review replacing an initial yellow card to red   Even then, Iran twice came close to drawing level, Jahanbakhsh's attempt hitting the left upright and Barsham getting his palm to a goalmouth scramble as Qatar held on for victory.  

Hongchan and Yuxi give China another diving world championships

Doha: The Chinese divers continued to rule the pool as Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi gave China another diving gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships, cruising to victory in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform at the Hamad Aquatic Centre on Tuesday. The result was never in doubt for the Chinese stars, who teamed up to capture their third straight world title in the event after finishing 1-2 in the 10-meter individual event a day earlier at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha. In artistic swimming, China also romped to victory in the team technical event, while Jacqueline Simoneau gave Canada its first world championship since 1991 in the sport formerly known as synchronized swimming with a gold in women’s solo free. Quan and Chen led comfortably after every round, setting the tone with a near-perfect opening dive, barely rippling the water as they went in side by side. They finished with 362.22 points, receiving several perfect 10s along the way. They were far ahead of silver medalists Jo Jin Mi and Kim Mi Rae of North Korea at 320.70, while the bronze went to Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson of Britain with 299.34. The Chinese have won 13 straight world titles in women’s synchronized platform since settling for silver when the event made its debut at the 1998 championships in Perth, Australia. Quan and Chen will be overwhelming favorites for the gold at the Paris Olympics this summer. The Chinese women have never lost a synchronized competition off the big tower since it was added to the Summer Games program in 2000. The 27-year-old Simoneau topped the solo free field with 264.8207 points, while Greece’s Evangelia Platanioti settled for silver at 253.2833. It was a reversal of their positions in the solo technical event, which had Platanioti taking the gold ahead of Simoneau. The bronze went to Vasilina Khandoshka of Belarus, who is competing in Doha as a neutral athlete under sanctions imposed against Russia and her native country over the invasion of Ukraine. She finished with 245.1042. Russia, a long-time powerhouse in artistic swimming, declined to compete as neutral individuals in Doha. The victory by Simoneau was Canada’s first since Sylvie Fréchette won the solo event at the 1991 worlds in Perth. China added to its triumph in acrobatic team with gold-winning marks of 299.8712 in team technical. Spain claimed the silver at 275.8925, edging bronze medalist Japan’s 275.8787. The United States just missed out on its second medal of the meet, finishing fourth. China has won four gold medals each in diving and artistic swimming through the first five days of the championships in Doha, the first to be held in Middle East. The eight golds are as many as every other country combined, though the US and Australia are expected to make a big move up the medal table when swimming begins on Sunday.