Qatar to kick off Asian Men's handball qualification for Paris 2024 with a match against China

Doha: The Asian Handball Federation (AHF) has unveiled the match schedule of the Asian Men's Handball Qualification for 33rd Summer Olympic Games (Paris 2024), which will be held in Doha from October 18 - 28, 2023. Team Qatar were drawn in Group A along with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the UAE, India and China, while Group B included Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Japan and Kazakhstan. The Qatari team will start their campaign against China on October 18, while their second match will be against India on October 19. In their third match, Qatar will take on the UAE on October 21, followed by another against South Korea on October 22.  The winner of the competition will qualify for the Men's Handball Competition of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled for July 25 - August 11, 2024. (QNA)  

Qatar handball champions to take on Algeria in two friendly games

DOHA – Qatar handball team champions will lock horns against Algerian counterparts in two friendly games  next week  , that in preparation for the postponed Asian Games 2022 , which will run from September 23 to October 8, 2023  in Chinese city of  Hangzhou and  Asian Men’s Handball Qualification for 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Doha in October. Team Qatar  have continued its regular training sessions at  Duhail sports arena after had  a successful three-week training program held recently in Spain. The 18th  Asian Games gold medalists, Qatar handball team are  aspiring  to defend their title in China and  open a new chapter  of  glory in their sport record .

Team Qatar claim bronze at Asian volleyball

TEHRAN - Qatar grabbed bronze medal after overpowering China in three-set thriller 25-23, 25-19, 25-18 in the third-place playoff clash at the 22nd Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship at Al Ghadir Hall 1 in Urmia, Iran, on Saturday.  Against the Chinese, the giant Qataris got off to a brilliant start to win the first set 25-23. In the second set, China found Qatar a tough nut to crack and surrendered to the irresistible rivals 25-19.  In the third set, Qatar produced exceptional attacks and blocks to take the lead with a four-point advantage at 14-10.  The Qataris still played well defensively and offensively to win the set 25-18 and entirely shattered the Chinese dream of maintaining their third place at the previous edition in 2021 in Japan.

Team Qatar lose to Japan in Asian Volleyball Championship Semis

Tehran:  Japan smashed Qatar’ dreams of advancing to their unprecedented final at the Asian Volleyball Championship in Urmia, Iran, yesterday, after a hard-fought four-set thriller. The dramatic 3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-14, 28-26) win earned Japan a spot in the final.  The unbeaten Japanese will battle it out for the eventual title with the winners of the other semi-final match between Iran and China. Ran Takahashi chipped in with 19 points for Japan including 18 attacks. Raimi Wadidie led Qatar with 14 points. The Qatari team led their Group E, then reached the quarterfinals before reaching the semi-finals after defeating Chinese Taipei.

Team Qatar enter Asian volleyball semifinals

Urmia, Iran : Qatar stunned Chinese Taipei in thrilling three-setter 25-16, 25-15, 25-23 to reach the semi-finals of the 22nd Asian Volleyball Championship in Urmia, Iran, yesterday. Against Chinese Taipei, the Qataris excelled in defence and had good teamwork, with their spectacular attacks overcoming the tough rivals’ solid blocks. Winning the first two sets without much eff ort 25-16, 25-15, Qatar, silver medallists of the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup on home soil, went on their fine form to win the competitive third set 25-23 and match. Prolific Oughlaf Youssef chipped in with 13 points for Qatar, while Chang Yu-Sheng was the only Chinese Taipei player who scored double digits with 13 points. Qatar will next battle it out with unbeaten Japan in the semi-final clash today, while Chinese Taipei will challenge the losers of the mighty clash between Korea and China in the 5th-6th playoff encounter on the same day.

Doha to Host ITTF 2025 General Assembly

Bangkok: The International Table Tennis Federation announced that Doha will host the General Assembly meeting of the International Federation in 2025, alongside the World Championships Qatar 2025. This decision was made during the regular General Assembly meeting of the International Federation held on the sidelines of the ITTF summit in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was chaired by Petra Sorling, the President of the International Table Tennis Federation, and attended by Khalil Al Mohannadi, the First Vice President of the International Federation, and the Qatar Arab and Asian Federation. The Qatari delegation, represented by Chairman of the Appointments Committee Abdullah Yousuf Al Mulla, and a member of the International Federation's Executive Council, and Assistant Secretary-General of the Qatar Federation Ali Sultan Al Muftah also attended. During the meeting, it was agreed to merge the General Assembly meetings of the International Federation to be held annually in the same country hosting the World Championships for the sport. This decision aims to reduce costs and provide an opportunity for more countries to participate. This proposal was put forward by Qatar, alongside Algeria, Austria, Panama, Cameroon, Cyprus, Djibouti, India, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritania, Nepal, Oman, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen. The proposal received a majority of 77 votes, representing 85.56%, in favor, compared to 13 votes against, representing 14.44%. The resolution will take effect immediately, starting from the 2025 edition in Doha, where the elections for the International Federation's presidency for the next four years until 2029 will take place. It is worth noting that the 2024 World Championships in Busan will also host the annual General Assembly meeting, a decision that was made a long time ago. This decision has been well-received among the General Assembly members, as they see it as highly beneficial for the sport. It offers an opportunity for all countries to be present at the meeting and discuss the future of table tennis annually. The meeting also included a vote to choose the host country for the 2026 Team World Championships, won by London after competing with Bangkok. The British bid received 67 votes, representing 63.81%, surpassing the Thai bid, which received 38 votes, representing 36.19%. This championship will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first World Championship held in 1926 and will be hosted at Wembley Stadium. Furthermore, the World Championships will return to London after a long absence since the last time Britain hosted it in 1954. The General Assembly approved an increase in the number of teams in the World Championships to 64 countries, up from 40. This change will be implemented in the team event starting from the 2026 World Championships in London. This decision is considered a significant victory for many countries that struggle to participate regularly due to strong competition in their regional or continental qualifiers. During the meeting, a considerable number of General Assembly members praised the significant role played by Khalil Al Mohannadi, the First Vice President of the Qatar Arab and Asian Federation, in developing and promoting the sport. They thanked him for his clear and tangible efforts. He is one of the most senior officials in international table tennis at present and possesses extensive experience spanning many years. (QNA)