Gonzales and Luque win FIP RISE Qatar Tournament title

DOHA – Spanish duo José Luis Gonzalez and Antonio Luque produced solid performance to win the title of  FIP RISE Qatar Tournament, after beating opponents, Portuguese brothers Miguel and Nuno Deus with two sets 6-4 and 6-2  in the final game held at Khalifa International  Tennis & Squash Complex on Monday. This one week long - Tournament was organised by the Qatar Tennis Squash and Badminton Federation (QTSBF)  and brought together 32 teams, represented several countries. In a post-event statement, the QTSBF Secretary General,  Mr. Tareq Zainal,  said the tournament has seen tough competition over the week, amid a widespread international participation from players who always keen to be part of Doha’s Tournament. “ Padel sport  base has been growing rapidly , attracting more local players, for this reason we have to increase the number of  tournaments in a way will to give Qatari players  opportunity to participate and develop their international experience in the game” added Mr. Zainal.  

Curtains come down on Qatar Junior Squash Open Championship

DOHA  - The Qatar Junior Squash Open Championship, organized by the Qatar Squash Federation for Tennis, Squash and Badminton over the course of 10 days and with the participation of 80 Qatari and International players, ended on Monday . The championship competitions were organized in different age groups including under 19, 17, 15, 13 and 11 years old. The results were as follows: In the age group of under 19, the winner was the player Youssif Issam, while the Qatari Salem Al Maliki came second. As for the under 17, the Qatari Khalid Al Hammadi won the first position followed by his compatriot Abdullah Khalifa in the second position. The winner of the under 15 was Ali Awda and his competitor Marwan Hussain in the second position. In the under 13 group, Mohammed Mamoun Khan came first and Omar Faraj second. As for the under 11 group, Kaylin Youhana won the first position while Sultan Abdil Mottalib came second. Executive Director of the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation Saad Al Muhannadi congratulated all the players who won and expressed his hope such success drives them for more success in the future. He also and stressed the eagerness of the federation to pursue the efforts of improving Squash given the growing popularity of the game in Qatar. He added that the fact that the federation organizes a number of open tournaments that allow for broad players participation, contributes to the raising of these competitions' technical levels and improving the Qatari players' performance. Al Muhannadi reaffirmed the federation's commitment to organize a series of local and international tournaments targeting various age groups, adding that the Khalifa Squash Complex Open tournament will be held in the coming December.   

Qatar focused on title defence

Kuala Lumpur: Qatar look well equipped to defend their AFC Asian Cup™ title on home soil as Carlos Queiroz continues with his mission to build a side capable of challenging on the world stage.  Qatar's FIFA World Cup debut last year ended with three defeats and Queiroz, upon his appointment as head coach in February, said his immediate task was to rebuild the team. The experienced tactician's work is already delivering results as after experimenting with players in a series of friendlies, Qatar looked extremely potent in their recent Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Group A matches.   An 8-1 win over Afghanistan at home was followed by a 3-0 defeat of India away as Qatar took their first steps towards qualifying for the FIFA World Cup on merit. More importantly, the likes of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif look to have regained the sharpness that played such a pivotal role in Qatar emerging AFC Asian Cup champions in 2019.    Drawn in Group A, Qatar should face no problems in advancing to the knockout stage with Queiroz adamant that defending the title is their target. (AFC)   

Inaugural Al Shaqab International League ends on spectacular note

DOHA - The first leg of the inaugural Al Shaqab International League ended on a spectacular note as Mohammed Saeed Haidan won the Open Class on Saturday. The showjumping event – which is Organised by Al Shaqab, a member of the Qatar Foundation, – saw a huge turnout from the young and female riders as well as established riders. The main attraction at the Indoor Arena of Al Shaqab on Saturday was the Intro Classes, where many young riders put on a terrific display as they gained valuable experience for tougher competitions ahead. As many as 128 young riders competed in the Intro Classes with Alqaqaa Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Mohammed Faisal Al Marri and Alya Ahmad Al Khater emerging as winners in their respective categories. In the last event of the day, CSI1* Open Class, Haidan was last to begin his round with nine-year-old bay Obama. But the pair were quickly off the blocks as they registered a flawless round for a winning time of 41.58 seconds. Hamad Towaim Ali Al Marri finished runner-up for the second consecutive day with Baron Z H in a time of 45.82 secs. Mohammed Jabor Al Naimi took the last podium spot with Bonhomme D Orval in 39.52 secs. The Al Shaqab International League has been launched to provide a platform for the upcoming riders of all ages and backgrounds to hone their skills and graduate to international level. The event has given a strong emphasis on promoting opportunities for female and junior riders. Results: CSI1* | Open Class | Table A, Competition over two rounds, Art. 273.4.3b | 130 cm 1. Mohammed Saeed Haidan; Horse: Obama; Times: 75.45 & 41.58 secs; 2. Hamad Towaim Ali Al Marri; Baron Z H; 77.44 & 45.82 secs; 3. Mohammed Jabor Al Naimi; Bonhomme D Orval; 73.03 & 39.52 secs. Youth Champions: 1. Khalifa Abdulla Al Khaldi; Horse: Graffiti De Lully CH; 2. Faris Saad A H Al Qahtani; Hero 3. Saad Ahmed AL Saad; Irschi Junior Champions (FEI Group 7 Final Qualifier) 1. Ibrahim Yousuf AI Mahmoud; Horse: Numero Uno - T; 2. Sultan Salem AI Naemi; Goliat; 3. Abdulla Khalid AI Julandani; Jalieny Diamant Z Future Champions (FEI Group 7 Final Qualifier) 1. Hadi Nasser Al Shahwani; Horse: Beyonce; 2. Ahmad Ali Al Jaber; Diamond Legacy; 3. Amer Hamad Al Mansoori; Levant Van De Veldhoek Intro Classes Results: Intro 3: 1. Mohammed Faisal Al Marri; Horse: Soul Rebel; 2. Jana Sas; Godette; 3. Abdulla Saleh Al Obaidly; Pablo Van De Gagel Intro 2: 1. Alqaqaa Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; Horse: Grietje W.S; 2. Ibrahim Khalid Al Mesleh; Astro; 3. Ebrahim Khalil Al Ameen; Astro  

Feng and Peter irresistible in Doha World Cup Final 25m pistol events

China’s 21-year-old Sixuan Feng and Germany’s 23-year-old Florian Peter proved unstoppable in thewomen’s 25m pistol and men’s 25m rapid fire pistol respectively at the Doha World Cup Final. Feng, 21 and ranked fourth in the world, had finished four points clear in qualifying with a total of 590 at the world-class Lusail Sports Arena. She produced a similar effect in the final as she totalled 37 points, six clear of Germany’s world champion and world No.1 Doreen Vennekamp, with her 19-year-old compatriot Zhao Nan taking bronze. Vennekamp, 28, had reached the concluding batch of five shots trailing her Chinese rival by two points, and it proved too much of a stretch as she missed all five to take a silver as opposed to a golden trophy with a final score of 31, shaking her head with a rueful smile. Hungary’s Veronika Major was the unlucky athlete to exit in fourth place. Peter, the top qualifier, made a stupendous start in the men’s final, getting halfway to beating the world record of 39 out of 40 set by China’s Li Yuehong in winning world gold in Baku in August as he scored with his first 20 shots. He was never headed from start to finish. Given the requirements of the discipline – with just four seconds allowed for each batch of five shots, which had to score at least 9.7 points to register as a hit – it was a tremendous performance. But the amiable German, who took bronze in Baku, was not able to maintain perfection, dropping a shot in his fifth sequence and two more in the next to reach 27 out of 30. A second successive five out of five brought Li level with the German on 27, but Peter – who made regular entries in his notebook between each batch of shots – responded ideally to score a maximum on his penultimate phase, while Li faltered with three misses. Peter thus carried a lead of three into the final sequence, and scored the three he required to secure victory with a total of 35, with Li concluding the event with a score of four to reach 33. After scoring only two in his sixth sequence of shots to total 23 out of 30, India’s 21-year-old Anish Anish looked likely to be the unlucky fourth-placed shooter as the Czech Republic’s Matej Rampula, a superior qualifier, required only to score one hit to his tally of 22. To his dismay, however, Rampula, who had shot so consistently up to this point, failed to score a single shot and made an unhappy exit, leaving the Indian to celebrate becoming the first man from his country to finish in the top three in this event in a World Cup Final. Earlier France’s world No.2 Clement Bessaguet, who has won two world silvers in the past two years, made an unexpectedly earlier exit as he finished fifth out of the six finalists. Asked by ISSF TV about what he was noting down between his shooting sequences, Peter replied: “The scores, the timing of the first, and little notes like when I am too slow on the first shot or too hot on the trigger. “So it helps me to analyse the series so I can do it better in the next series. “It helps me to stay focused and not be distracted by the surroundings – so a double benefit for me.” On the question of whether his hopes were beginning to rise for a world record when he reached the halfway point without blemish, he added: “To be honest I didn’t expect too much from the World Cup Final because I just started training rapid fire pistol again one week ago. After the World Championship I had a two-month break and some altitude training so I was just starting over again. “So I am happily surprised by the result of this competition! “Now I will keep on training and preparing for the qualification competitions for the Olympic Games.” Li commented graciously – and in English: “Actually I did everything well but Peter did a very good job, so for today it was OK.” Anish was exuberant after his bronze. “I was winning junior medals a lot, but this has been a really great year for me, “ he said.  “I won a first World Cup medal and recently won a quota place for the Paris 2024 Olympics and now here its a first medal in the World Cup Final. “It’s a huge achievement for me, I am really happy, really blessed with the support I am getting from my federation and coaches. “I feel this is just the beginning, I am progressing and learning from the senior shooters and the coaches and I am really aiming high for the coming years. “Our whole national team in shooting is doing great, winning medals in the World Championship and World Cups. I am also contributing to it now so I am really happy. It’s the first ever Indian medal in the World Cup final in rapid fire.”  

Al Shaqab International League kicks off

Doha: The inaugural Al Shaqab International League kicked off with a promising showcase of Qatar’s future equestrian stars, as both young and female riders exhibited their abundant talent yesterday. Hosted by Al Shaqab, a member of the Qatar Foundation, the showjumping event has been introduced to serve as a crucial platform for riders of all ages and backgrounds, offering them an opportunity to refine their skills and progress to the international stage. With a strong emphasis on promoting inclusivity, the Al Shaqab International League particularly focuses on providing opportunities for female and junior riders. The Indoor Arena of Al Shaqab witnessed intense competition among young participants, each vying for top honours. The Open Class had the largest representation with 27 combinations making up the quality field, which was held over two rounds on a height of 125cm-130cm. In the end, it was Rashid Towaim Al Marri who bagged the CSI1* class with his nine-year-old mare Van Gallettana Z, as the pair registered a fastest second round time of 28.25 secs. Following in second spot was Hamad Towaim Ali Al Marri, who timed 29.96 secs with Baron Z H. The third place went to Mohammed Abdulla S H Juma, who partnered Hurry Up to come in 29.99 secs. Earlier, in the Ladies Class – the opening event of the first edition of the Al Shaqab International League – talented teenager Haya Khalid Al Hitmi reigned supreme with veteran mare Dusty. The duo timed 27.66 secs. Maryam Jassim Al Suwaidi was second with Khaleesi in 28.45 secs, while Maryam Ahmad Al Boinin came third on The Toymaker in 29.36 secs. The Future Champions class was won by Hadi Nasser Al Shahwani with another veteran mare Beyonce. Khalid Nasser Al Khater (Actograna SZ) and Ahmad Ali Al Jaber (Diamond Legacy) finished second and third respectively. Suhaim Hamad Al Yafei emerged on top with Indie SKB in the Junior Champions category. Sheikh Mohammed Jassim A J Al Thani was second with Serendipity, while Mohammed Eisa Al Bukhari led BCO Come on Boy Z to third place.