Stage set for 2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour

DOHA – The Qatar Handball Association has completed all organisational and administrative arrangements to host stage 4 – the final stage of  2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour  from 3rd to 4th of  November  at Al-Gharafa Beach Venue. The two day event will  see four men’s and four women’s national teams from six countries, playing a total of 16 games (eight each in the men’s and women’s competitions). Teams in each competition will battle it out to be crowned the ‘2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour Champions’, with Brazil and Tunisia fielding teams in both the men’s and women’s events, joined by Qatar and Denmark in the men’s competition and Poland and the People’s Republic of China in the women’s competition. Four continents will be showcased in Qatar, with South America, Europe, Asia and Africa all represented at the Al-Gharafa Beach Venue, one of the venues which hosted beach handball at the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games.  

Team Qatar finish second at Arab Swimming Championship standings

ABU DHABI : Qatar swimming team claimed the runner-up place  in the overall standings of  2023   Arab Swimming Championship, which was concluded   in  UAE’s capital city of Abu Dhabi on Monday. Team Qatar concluded its campaign  in the event on high note by  winning three medals. Team  Qatar  won the gold medal in the men’s 4x 100 free style, Mahammed Mahmoud took the silver medal in the 100m free style as his teammate  Abdullah Al Khalidi claimed the silver medal in  the Men’s breaststroke 200m Team Qatar signed off the campaign with a tally of  15 medals, including 5 gold,  6 sliver and  4 bronze to settle  in the second place behind leaders Algeria. The event brought together 140 swimmers from 16 countries including; Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, Morocco, and Iraq.  

Qatar shooter Sharib secures Paris Olympics quota

Changwon: Qatar’s Saeed Abu Sharib bagged 2024 Paris Olympics quota place after winning silver in the men’s trap individual event at the Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon, South Korea, on Monday.  The Qatari marksman hit a total of 43 targets out of 50 to finish behind China’s Qi Ying 47/50 but a second podium finish was enough for Abu Sharib to book his place at the Paris Games.  Iran’s Seyed Babak Yeganeh Rohollahi claimed the bronze with a score of 32. In the men’s trap for team, Qatar trio of Saeed Abu Sharid, Mohamed al-Rumaihi and Rashid al-Athba won gold with a total score of 344, ahead of India’s team of Zoravar Singh, Prithviraj Tondaiman and Kynan Chenai (341). The bronze went to Iran – Seyed Babak Rohollahi, Mohamed Hossein and Mohamed Beyranvand (340).  

Al-Tamimi climbs up PSA World Tour Finals rankings

Doha: Qatar’s World No 16 Abdulla Mohamed al-Tamimi has climbed 13 places in the PSA World Tour Finals leaderboard after claiming victory at the QSF 4 2023 Bronze-level event, while the women’s rankings remain unchanged this week. Al-Tamimi, who is now up to a season-high position of 10th in the men’s leaderboard, captured his second title of the season in Doha after an impressive run of victories over Dimitri Steinmann, Victor Crouin, and Tarek Momen. The 28-year-old and Momen treated spectators to a five-game thriller in the title decider at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, with al-Tamimi eventually edging the match 7-11, 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10 after 72 minutes of action. Elsewhere in the PSA World Tour Finals leaderboard, Momen has closed the gap to Paul Coll in the battle for third spot, while QSF 4 2023 semi-finalist Crouin, has risen two places up to 12th. As a result of this movement, Egypt’s Youssef Soliman, Swiss No.1 Nicolas Mueller and Frenchman Baptiste Masotti have all dropped two places each. The PSA World Tour Finals are set to take place in June 2024, with the event including both a men’s and women’s tournament, featuring eight players in each. All Platinum title winners from the 2023-24 season – which are currently El Sherbini, El Hammamy, men’s World No.1 Ali Farag and Coll – automatically qualify alongside the reigning PSA World Champions. Any remaining places are allocated to the highest-ranked players on the PSA World Tour Finals Leaderboard, with points available at all PSA World Tour events throughout the 2023-24 season.  

Team Qatar shooting champions return home to a warm welcome

Doha: The delegation of Qatar's shooting national team returned home to a warm welcome on Sunday after shinning at the Asian Shooting Championship in Changwon, South Korea.  Qatar’s Rashid Saleh Al Athba also claimed the gold medal of Men's skeet event then he teamed up with Reem Al Sharshani to secure the bronze medal in Skeet Mixed Team event.  Director of Al Ramii Sport Club Ahmed Al Kuwari lauded the achievement made by team Qatar stars at the Asian Shooting Championship held in South Korea.   Al Kuwari who wished all success for team Qatar shooter in the next Olympic qualification tournament to be held in Kuwait.  

Campillo leads Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

Doha: Jorge Campillo led by one shot before the third round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters was suspended because of fading light on Saturday, with the former champion having just the 18th hole left to play. The 2020 winner had to return to the course early on day three to finish off his second round, carding four birdies in eight holes to sign for a 65. And the Spaniard continued his fine form in round three, making six birdies and no bogeys in his first 17 holes to get to 16 under par before the hooter sounded at 4.47pm. Finn Sami Valimaki was his nearest challenger on 15 under after finishing his third-round 67 with a birdie at the 18th in near-darkness. Scottish Ryder Cup star Robert MacIntyre was a single shot further back with two holes of his round still to go. His countryman Scott Jamieson was among those another stroke back after firing eight birdies in his final ten holes on Saturday to give his chances of keeping his DP World Tour card an enormous boost.  Jamieson started the week 119th on the Race to Dubai Rankings, needing a good result to squeeze into the top 116. “Off to a slow start again, much like the second round, but Richie, my caddie, was brilliant,” said Jamieson. “He was like ‘look, you’ve got to keep going’ and, sure enough, I holed a nice putt (from 30 feet) on nine and started feeling a little better about myself.” Campillo started the day four shots off the lead with eight holes of his second round to complete and reeled off four birdies to sit on ten under par at the halfway stage of the tournament. With Daniel Hillier also picking up four birdies in the morning to reach 14 under after two rounds, Campillo remained four strokes back as he got his third round under way. But he soon set about closing the gap, taking advantage of the par-five first for the third round in succession before adding further birdies at the fifth, seventh and eighth to open up a two-shot lead at the summit. Campillo made a two-putt birdie on the long tenth to move to 15 under before breaking a run of five successive pars with a birdie at the 16th, having gone agonisingly close to holing his eagle try from almost 80 feet. He gave himself another outside chance at the par-three 17th but had to settle for a par there, and as he was tapping in, the hooter sounded, meaning his group could not start the 18th. Campillo will return today bidding to win on the European tour for a fourth time, for the second time this year after the Kenya Open in March and for the second time at the Qatar Masters, after 2020. Valimaki turned in 33 courtesy of three front-nine birdies before dropping his first shot of the week at the 11th. But he bounced straight back, making gains at the 12th, 13th and 18th to get to 15 under. Valimaki said: “I actually got a really good read (on the 18th). I saw the line and made a really good putt. I’ll try to win the tournament, it has been a long time, so hopefully I’ll get back in the circle. I have tomorrow to go and then two more weeks. I need to get one win to make it to the PGA Tour. That’s my goal.” Play will resume at 7:40am today, with the final round being played under a two-tee start.